successful home working
Posts tagged Twitter
Home working blog hits
103 months ago
by Judy
in Social media
Visits to my blog usually drop off noticeably at weekends. After all, most people want a change from their weekday routine and to stop thinking about work. So I couldn’t believe my eyes when I checked my stats on Saturday evening (yes, a bit sad, I know!) and there was a sharp spike in visits.
It turned out all these extra people were being referred by the Filofax blog, which had found my recent post about stationery being one of the pleasures of home working. Despite being listed mid-way down and with the rather crucial word ‘work’ omitted from the entry, lots of people were finding their way to my site.
I’ve noticed before that lots of retweets on Twitter or comments on my Work from Home Wisdom Facebook page can result from what were casual, spontaneous tweets and posts. Whereas often when I think I’ve come up with a corker and smugly click Send in anticipation of a big response, absolutely nothing happens.
So what conclusion to draw? I think it’s something to do with being authentic, writing about something because you are genuinely interested, and not because you are hoping it might impress. Sometimes something off-the-cuff and not particularly polished hits the spot far better than something you’ve reworked over and over in an effort to make it ‘right’.
As usually happens when I get a mention on a popular blog, the visits dropped off a bit the next day but I’m still getting extra traffic. Have you noticed a similar pattern with your own tweets or blog? What are your thoughts on those apparently random posts that have a big payback?
Good Twitter accounts for home workers to follow
83 months ago
by Judy
in Social media
Are there any home workers out there not yet on Twitter? If so, I highly recommend you get yourself an account pronto, firstly to get connected with likeminded people all over the world and secondly, to pick up news and views about your industry way before they hit the traditional media.
The best way to get started is to go on a course. I know it will cost you, but you’ll get that investment back many times by learning how to use Twitter properly from the start, making a good impression, and engaging with the people who matter to your business.
Who is good for a home worker to follow on Twitter? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
@e_nation tweets about its small business support, StartUp Britain events around the country organised by co-founder Emma Jones, and the chance to win money for your business from Fund 101.
@shedworking shares sheds and garden offices currently used by all kinds of home workers, famous shedworkers of the past and everything happening in the shed world.
@UKJelly tells you about upcoming Jelly events all over the UK and beyond, along with coworking news and information.
@HeatherTowns is the Twitter account of Heather Townsend, author of The FT Guide to Business Networking. She tweets about face-to-face and online networking with many links to her blog.
Melanie Mackie runs Scarletta Media Marketing and tweets as @ScarlettaMedia. I like her down-to-earth and human take on social media.
For a bit of silliness and a glimpse into the ‘royal’ mind, have a look at @Queen_UK
@CondeElevator was a shortlived account supposedly reporting vacuous remarks overheard in the lifts at the Conde Nast magazine offices in New York. My favourite – “Your eyelashes look FANTASTIC today.” Try that at your next networking meeting!
Who do you follow and why?
Social media – vital for working from home, but…
117 months ago
Social media has only been around a few years and yet I can’t remember what home working life was like without it. Which doesn’t mean I’m enamoured of it all. Do you have a favourite social media site? Mine is Twitter, because as a confirmed minimalist I love its brevity, I started off by attending a day course and so understand everything I need to, and mostly because I feel in control – I know exactly what will happen when I press Send!
Facebook, on the other hand, feels to me like a sprawling mass of ever-expanding stuff, most of it of no interest whatsoever. I’ve had no instruction in using it and haven’t really grasped who sees what and which bits of information go where. I rarely look at my Profile wall – I just don’t have time and can do without another opportunity to procrastinate. Please excuse me if you’ve contacted me and had no response – I’m not ignoring you, it’s just that I probably haven’t even found what you’ve sent, don’t know how to respond or have done it wrong. Every time I start to feel I should get some help, something happens like the recent uproar about tagging photos, and I think rude thoughts about the sheer arrogance of the youths manipulating us and resolve to have as little to do with it as possible.
I should get more training on Linkedin as well. From the comments I’ve heard it seems many of us do little with it apart from occasionally sending off a flurry of invitations to connect and guiltily posting an overdue contribution to a group. I am happy to connect with you if we have connected on or offline. It seems rather pointless to connect with somebody who is a total stranger and my least favourite communications come from people sending the standard connect message who claim to be my friend, when I’ve never heard of them. At least tell me why you want to connect.
As for Youtube, my resolve earlier in the year to film regular vlogs has been hit by the persistent humming of the microphone, a problem that was supposed to be have been resolved. I can’t spare the laptop going off into Apple hospital again, and so vlogs have slipped down the list.
So for now my major efforts are reserved for Twitter, which has been a rich source of fascinating people and information. But I’m open to persuasion and no doubt I’m missing all kinds of tricks – how can I get the best out of social media?
Connecting home workers
161 year ago
by Judy
in Social media
Yesterday I reached 2000 followers on Twitter! And I’ve been thinking about what an amazing phenomenon social media is, and how much it’s become part of my life in the last year.
Through Twitter I have connected with people all over the world who are working from home, running coworking spaces and running and attending Jelly. I’ve made instant contact with writers like Steven Pressfield and Barbara Winter, who previously would only have been accessible through a letter to their publishers. I’m privy to the latest thoughts of business leaders, thinkers and trendspotters, and the links they tweet to articles.
I’ve ‘met’ people I would otherwise never have come across, both a few streets away and on the other side of the Atlantic. All of which has added immensely to the fun and interest in my life, and to this site. The blog post this week by home office expert Lisa Kanarek came about after she found me through Twitter. On #watercoolermoment I came across networker extraordinaire John Valentine, who made me laugh with his comment on how the decoration of his own home office was likely to go. If you were wondering why I’ve chosen a paint roller for today’s picture, it’s in honour of his services to interior design.
Facebook remains largely a mystery, although I’m still pathetically thrilled when anybody likes my page. I think I’d better steer clear for a while anyway if I’m to stay focussed on the important things and keep in favour with my KPI buddy!
So this Thankful Thursday I’m feeling grateful for all the aspects of social media I’ve mastered so far, and I’m looking forward to tapping the vast resources that remain. What are you grateful for?
Thank you, thank you
101 year ago
I’m a bit late starting the blog today, as the Radio Somerset bus is in Frome, and I was invited to be a guest on the Morning Show with Emma Britton. She does a slot called Have Your Say to discuss a news topic, and asks listeners to phone, email and text with their opinions. Today’s topic was whether terminally ill patients should be able to ask doctors to end their lives. Rather sobering for so early in the morning – it sure puts home working problems into perspective – but now I’m home and getting on with my day, fuelled by a large cuppa.
It’s Thankful Thursday again already. How quickly the home working week whips around! Today I’d like to thank all the people who comment on blog posts and pages, send me their photos for the home office and home working style pages and engage with me on Twitter and Facebook.
I really enjoy getting the feedback and hearing other people’s opinions and experiences, and your comments often brighten my day or make me think. What you may not realise is how helpful they are to other home workers, who might be in exactly the same situation and find something that makes them feel better or pushes them forward. It doesn’t have to be anything profound either; sometimes a chance or silly remark is just what we need to read!
So thank you for sharing your thoughts and pictures (love the pictures!) and making me feel part of a home working community of talented and generous people. Have a thoroughly good Thursday!
Help for home workers
71 year ago
The last few Thursdays I’ve been writing about the things I’m thankful for, and you’ve shared your own pleasures and achievements. I was wondering what the topic could be today and decided it was an ideal opportunity to mention two people who have been a huge help to me in the creation of Work from Home Wisdom, and to tell you how they could help you too.
They are Nick Williams of Inspired Entrepreneur and Mark Shaw, UK Twitter expert. Nick held a Twitter training day last summer, to which I went as a sceptic and returned home brimming with enthusiasm. With Mark’s help I had set up an account and understood many of the niceties of Twitter that I would otherwise have been oblivious of.
Just a few weeks later it was on Twitter that I came across an event called Jelly and an equally mysterious concept known as coworking. And if you’ve had a look at the rest of this site, you’ll know that was the start of a big adventure. I’ve also ‘met’ (twet?) many wonderful and generous people on Twitter, who have shared their knowledge and expertise and helped me in all sorts of ways.
It’s rather short notice, I’m afraid (I hadn’t quite twigged that October is just around the corner), but I think it’s still worth mentioning that Nick is organising a Twitter masterclass with Mark on Saturday morning. If you are already on Twitter, but are a bit puzzled about its possibilities, I highly recommend you go along.
In the afternoon Nick will be talking about how to become an authentic expert – how to establish a niche for your own personal expertise and develop a brand around it. I’ve heard Nick speak on these topics and it’s always informative and inspiring.
There are lots more events coming up in the next month and they’re listed on the Work from home events page. Do add a comment if you know Nick and Mark, or if you would like to tell us about authors or teachers who have helped or inspired you.
