contractors or cleaning companies to obtain testimonials from satisfied cus-tomers. With the customerʼs permission, these testimonials can be used for other promo-tional material and marketing collateral. Old Way: Class Reunions New Way: Facebook Initially designed for college students, Facebook has opened its doors to users of any age and is great for reconnect-ing with old classmates and lost friends. When you create an account, you can include such information as the schools youʼve attended, your employers and more. Facebook does its magic and connects you with people sharing the same profile information. Facebook is primarily considered more of a personal rather than a business tool, but that is changing with new Facebook sites from H&R Block, BMW and The Economist. Even software vendors like SalesForce recognize this value and equip their appli-cations to incorporate Facebook for func-tions like viral marketing and employee recruitment. Itʼs easy to set up a Facebook profile because of its step-by-step format. But, before setting up a Facebook profile, you should ask yourself the following ques-tions: Why do I want to create this profile? Who do I want to find me? How accessible should I make my profile? Be sure to utilize the friends feature in Facebook so you can segment your friends into work or personal groups. Then, as you upload photos and post comments, you can select which group may view them. This way, customers and colleagues will not see pictures of you in a swimsuit with a piña colada in hand, unless you want them to. Old Way: The Telephone New Way: Twitter Twitter asks one question, “What are you doing?” In 140 characters, Twitter users update their status with “tweets,” advising friends and contacts what they are looking at online, doing at work, reading, etc. While you might initially ask, “Why would anyone care what Iʼm doing?,” Twitter is a great tool that is being increasingly used by business professionals to share informa-tion, establish thought leadership and dis-tinguish themselves from their peers. Like Facebook, joining Twitter is easy. If you set up a profile for your business, use the name of your business as your username to build brand identity. Even if you do not plan on using Twitter for your business right away, it is highly rec-ommended that you register your user-name immediately so you can control the “tweets” and prevent others from acting on your behalf. Once you establish your username, fill out your contact information and a short bio; then, you are ready to go. The next step is to look for other industry professionals to follow — they are referred to on Twitter as “tweeps.” These tweeps can be manufacturer rep-resentatives, distributors or other cleaning professionals. You can use the search function within Twitter to search your existing address book for potential contacts or search by name. In addition, you can use a third-party application, such as Tweep Search, to iden-tify other contacts. In addition to professional contacts, you can also follow tweeps who keep you updated on personal interests, such as sports teams, musicians, food, travel and news. For instance, if you really like Dunkinʼ Donuts coffee, you can follow @dunkin-donuts to get immediate information about special promotions, new menu items or dis-counts in your area. Keep in mind that the number of people you follow will continually evolve, so do not feel compelled to find everyone you want to follow right away. Once you have established your profile and selected some of the individuals you wish to follow, you can then start using Twitter to send “tweets.” Angela Maiers, educator, author and blogger who now leads Maier Educational Services, advises Twitter users to employ the 70-20-10 rule when tweeting: Share Resources (70 percent): Tweet links to interesting articles, websites or other online resources you come across – An example tweet would be, “Web 2.0 article in the April issue of CMM is a must-read!” + link. Tip: To shorten links, go to sites such as www.tinycc.com or www.budurl.com Collaborations (20 percent): Engage your followers and those you follow by replying to their tweets asking questions and collaborating with them. Tip: Reply to someone by tweeting @username + your message Chit-chat (10 percent): These tweets are meant to share details about your activ-ities, preferences and observations. An example chit-chat tweet might be, “Just spent the afternoon in training with a great manufacturer sales rep.” Because Twitter enables users to receive specific tweets directly to their phone through a text message, you can also send and receive tweets when youʼre away from your desk. If you have a specific cleaning-related issue, send out a tweet. Your followers can assist by providing a link to a page that details how to resolve the issue. Think of social media tools like microfiber. Fifteen years ago, few people had even heard about microfiber. Now, there are few facilities that do not use microfiber. While you might be hesitant to begin using the tools outlined in this article because you think they might be just for young people or a waste of time, think again. These new resources can help build your personal and professional networks, solve problems and perform your jobs more effi-ciently and effectively. And the best news is that they wonʼt cost you anything but your time. See you online. CM Kimberly Legocki is the marketing services manager at JohnsonDiversey in Sturtevant, WI. She has developed successful marketing programs for the aviation, software and chemical industries. Follow her at www.twitter.com/kimlegocki or read her blog at kimlegocki.blogspot.com. Debbie Krupitzer is the eMarketing manager at JohnsonDiversey. She has created strategic inter-net marketing programs for Fortune 500 Companies. www.cmmonline.com 41
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