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Effective use of social media sites for traffic development can be a tremendous boon
to sole practitioner bloggers or a tremendous bane to them. Organization, tools and a
system followed with discipline are essential to accomplishing positive results and a
good ROI. That’s just to get the traffic. The work to get the sales is beyond that.

Today, we are just talking generally about developing a strategy for effective use of
social media. We will go into this strategy more in posts to follow. That strategy must
follow from a clear picture and plan for your mission. What are you and your writing
about? What do you want to accomplish? Know your purpose. Know your strategy.
Then go about developing an implementation plan.

On Wednesday of this week (021109), I am launching a blog called Twitter Uses.
This blog will examine the different ways individuals and businesses are utilizing
the Web 2.0 social networking site - Twitter

I am not going to go into any detail here today but I can assure you that my
research has my head spinning with the possibilities. Not only do you see the
specifics of the uses, you get a glimpse into the thinking underlying the uses and
what needs it satisfies as well as the value they add to the person or business.

It is amazing what can be accomplished through the judicious and consistent use
of those 140 character limited “tweets”. I must admit I was skeptical when I first
heard about Twitter and it took me a while to get to know how to use it and how
to observe the proper “Twittiquette” in doing so. Yes, there is some unusual
Twitter vocabulary and Twitter “shorthand” to get the most message out of the
140 characters. I know - I tend to be a bit wordy in my writing - so tweeting has
been good practice for me. One gets very careful with one’s words with a 140
character limit.

You just have to realize that the size of the message, or its format for that
matter, are not what’s important - it is the connection, the relationship being
built, the value of the link or message being delivered and the long term value
of the network being established. And, it is not just the two networks being
connected by that one tweet or the ongoing relationship - it is also the network
of networks and viral nature of these mini-messages in the context of these
networks.

I do go on - will stop here by just again inviting you to the launch on Wednesday.

Twitter Uses - http://twitteruses.com

I repeat - in surfer parlance, “Dude, this is the wave you don’t want to miss!”

Tomorrow, I’ll give you a few examples of these twitter uses to show you the
power and variety available for both business and personal purposes.

- Val Spangler, Mister Senior Blogger.

Visit - http://twitter.com/SeniorTweet

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Thanks for your contribution - participation increases the value of the blog for everyone.

The more efficient bloggers repurpose their content ( and aren’t above using other’s
works with just a bit of careful editing). So wanting to demonstrate best practices
and improve my efficiency, I present to you this example of repurposing some
cartoon content. The Fence Critters are featured in another of my blogs, Comics
Cartoons and Creativity. So with this brief visual introduction,
I present to you my friendly little critics, The Fence Critters.

This song has been a favorite of mine since I first heard it many years ago.
Can you remember who wrote it - it’s been covered many times. The lyricist is said to
have written it after hearing a sermon.

This song seems very timely in our country’s (and our own?) present financial
circumstances. Even if you are not religious, it wouldn’t hurt to sing it once in
while! I provide a part of the lyrices - they repeat:

You gotta accent-thu-ate the positive,
E-lim-inate the negative,
An latch on
To the affirmative
Dont mess with mister in-between!

You gotta spread joy up to the maximum,
Bring gloom down to the minimum,
An have faith ( amen! )
Or pandemonium’s
Liable to walk upon the scene!

To illustrate
My last remark
Jonah in the whale!
Noah in the arc!
An what did they do ( what did they do? )
Just when everything looked so dark?

( what did they, what did they, what did they do? )

Man! they said
You better accent-thu-ate the positive,
E-lim-inate the negative,
An latch on
To the affirmative
Dont mess with mister in-between!
No, dont mess with mister in-between!

I’m not sure if it was Bing Crosby and Andrews Sisters version that I remember -
maybe you can remember? It first came out in 19_ _. Don’t worry about showing
your age - it’s OK, we are all in this together. Maybe you Boomers can remember
one of the “covers”.

By the way Boomers, it’s 2009 and the Boomer age range is now considered to be
45 -63 years of age. Interestingly, for most who concern themselves with us older
folks, the beginning age for seniors is still considered to be 62. So, … some of you
boomers just became seniors - Congratulations!!!

- VS

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Hi! I’m Val Spangler, Mister Senior Blogger. I am a senior, a blogger
and a writer. This blog is my primary blog. If you want more information read on but
the proof of the pudding is in the content - regardless of who writes or designs it or
their background … Correct?

My Focus: Helping seniors, boomers, teachers and small businesses
earn extra income using the tools, resources and networking of the internet. My
primary medium is the blog because it is the easiest to get up and running and
requires the least assistance to do well. Because blogs develop traffic faster,
they are the well suited to monetizing - making money. If you can’t create
product - then blog. If you can create product - do so - and then market it
with a blog.

Work experience: I’m a lifelong educator having taught at all levels
from elementary school (computers), to high school (English, Government and
Economics) to undergraduate (Administrative Law and Collective Bargaining) to
graduate school (School Law for Teachers and Personnel Administration).
I’ve supervised student teachers and administrative interns in a school
administration program. I’ve also taught in several universities and in their extension
programs for armed forces personnel.

I also have employee relations experience that includes negotiating for both
unions and management with both classified and teacher unions. Additional labor
relations experience includes serving as a state public employment hearing officer,
mediator, factfinder and arbitrator.

Education:
BA History and Political Science, University of Michigan.
MA Education Administration, University of Michigan.
JD Law, School of Law, University of Michigan.

Family:
My wife Jan Spangler is a fine artist. We have been happily married for 45 years.
We have two wonderful daughters and two granddaughters. I am a fortunate man
indeed - with a wonderful family and a home filled with the highest quality of fine art.
But don’t take my word for it - visit Jan’s websites and see for yourself.
Jan Spangler Fine Art and Jan Spangler Watercolors .

Again, welcome to this site. Please comment and contribute. Together we’ll make
this blog a high quality, value added internet experience for both boomers and seniors
… and to anyone younger who isn’t above listening to and learning from their elders.
That last sentence sounds like an “old fart” talking. By the way, I am one of those too.

- Val Spangler, Mister Senior Blogger

Please follow me on Twitter: @SeniorTweet and http://twitter.com/SeniorTweet

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