The Top Three Traits For A Triumphant Twitter Trail

Here at DotLoop, we scour the Internet for interesting, thought-provoking and forward-thinking content.

As you might guess, it's getting harder to find. There's a lot of noise out in the ether, and, as it seems, a lot more Top Ten and Top Five lists, some of which actually have value. Some which do not.

With all of these Top Ten and Five Best lists, I got an itching to create my own. So, here are the Top Three Traits Needed to Create a Successful Social Media Presence:

1. Simplicity – Just. Do. It. It’s a Nike mantra and it needs to be your mantra too if you want to get into social media. Pick one (but no more than three) social media platforms and dive in. Create an account; setup a username, and start. Look to LinkedIn for a more professional social media experience; look to Facebook for the broadest reach, and look to Twitter for easiest posting. Create a blog if you have something to say. And guess what? Everyone has something to say.
   
   
2. Investment – So, you’ve done it, have you? You wrote your first blog post or sent your first tweet? Great! Just don’t expect to show up on Google right away. Or even later this week. It takes effort and time. Social media is like exercising – a little bit of quality every day builds over time.
   
   
3. Accessibility – Plan a holistic approach. If your niche is commercial real estate, don’t waste your time writing blogs about staging or the best gutter guards. Think about how your tweets or Facebook Page will affect your brand image. Do you have a fun, upbeat, and young client base? You’d better write fun, upbeat tweets about things your young clients care about. Make sure your messages match your intentions within the market.

Social media is like driving: you can read all about it, but you won't really know it until you experience it. Did I miss anything? Let me know!

You Have Egg On Your Facebook

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to tweet about it, does it make a sound?

This week, Facebook faced the music over its privacy policies. Some concerns were valid (giving advertisers your real name and address, as if we don't get enough junk mail already), but some concerns seem to fall under the category of "much ado about nothing".

I'm talking about the hub-bub over having privacy settings defaulted to "public", meaning everyone can see what you're posting until you figure out how to change them.

Maybe it's just me, but I always thought of Facebook (and MySpace, Twitter, and the rest of the social media gamut) as the online equivalent of a high school hallway. Just as you wouldn't scream your private thoughts in a crowded room, you shouldn't post what you don't what people to know about you.

Last night at the bar may have been fun, but no one wants to see your plastered face plastered all over Facebook. If you don't want people seeing what you have posted, don't post it, even if you have eighteen different privacy settings clicked. And, if you do decide to post your thoughts, don't be surprised if you lose your job.

Privacy is important, and security is one of DotLoop's highest priorities. But for sites that are by their nature social-based, it's best to think about what kind of social media trail you're leaving behind you. Perception is reality - especially when it comes to social media.

So be careful not to make any Facebook follies or trip over your Tweets.