Douglife.info » SEO / Internet Marketing

Using a Twitter Page to further interact with followers

Douglife — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:13:05 +0000

When someone “follows” you on Twitter, they are trusting you to provide worth-while information, and not spam up their already full list. But what then? Sure, you could retweet a few things towards them, or possibly send them a “Direct Message” or “DM” for short, but often times the DM comes off like a bot, or spammy.

Which is why this article is about creating a unique, classy, and informative “Twitter Page.”

First off I will mention that I do not recommend a mass DM service. I attempted it prior to creating this site, and I already felt like a dirty spam bot.

(Sorry to some of my followers)

Check Out My Twitter Page

Now, to begin you’ll need a few things:

– A domain & hosting in which to create a subdomain & site
(i.e. http://twitter.douglife.com)

- Some web design or coding knowledge (CMS would work, depending on what is easiest for you.)

- Text Editor (Save previous DM’s!) – I find this crucial when trying to write unique and clever DM’s to my new followers

I recommend a decent one page site, or mini-portfolio. CMS like Wordpress & Tumblr are fine, but as a web designer I found it much easier for me to code a simple page. Use whatever is right for you.

This page can offer a variety of things, but try to keep it from becoming a new site itself, you’re just trying to give the follower insight into who you are.

Once you’ve designed the site, and have it directed to a subdomain or domain of your choice, it’s time to edit it. Like I said before, try to keep it to a minimum, just enough to let the follower know what you do and what you’re about.

You will notice I have ads on my Twitter Page, or “TP” as I like to call it. I feel ads are ok as long as they are relative to the follower. The ads I have at the moment are items I strongly believe in, or use every day.

Now that your site is complete, it’s time to unleash it on the Twitter world. No, don’t try to mass “DM” your existing followers. They won’t appreciate that and may unfollow you for it. Be creative with both existing and new followers and offer them something more than just the old boring banter they’ve been reading all day.

There you have it, a nice “TP” tutorial, and another great way to interact with your followers on Twitter. Always remember a follower is a gift, something not to be taken for granted. So take care of your followers!

I personally hope you enjoyed this post, and look forward to reading your comments or feedback on this topic. Thanks again for stopping by.

Using a Twitter page to further interact with followers

Quick guide to managing a Twitter page for new followers

When someone “follows” you on Twitter, they are trusting you to provide worth-while information, and not spam up their already full list. But what then?

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How to: Add Favicons to Thesis Wordpress theme

Douglife — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:35:18 +0000

Interested in Thesis? Check out some of my other Thesis articles under topics, and thanks for stopping by!

Welcome, and nice to meet you. This is a quick article on how to add a Favicon to your Thesis Wordpress Theme.

So here we go!(Mario Voice)
After a few exasperated attempts at locating this information via Google search, on how to add a favicon to my thesis page, I started toying around.

I looked for a plugin, maybe a widget? Nope. None that I could find, but I could be mistaken. Eitherway, I look at my Thesis Design Options page, and think to myself hm; where does the favicon script usually go?

The header.

Since the beginning of all websites, favicons are called in the attribute.

Now let’s start with the tutorial shall we?

head to “Thesis Options”

Click the + on “Header Scripts”

Add this code:
(For an animated Favicon)

For a static Favicon add this code:

Pretty simple huh? I thought so. Check back for more, maybe leave me a comment on this, or how it may have helped you.
Thanks again for stopping by, check back later as I’ve always got a few things up my sleeve.

SEO & SEM – What’s the difference?

Douglife — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:53:24 +0000

SEO & SEM – Two Different Things

Yes, as much as you are lead to believe, they are two different things. This is a quick article for clients, pontiental clients, or anyone who is interested in factual information, as opposed to cleverly written sales tactics or personal opinions.

Updated Today as I was graciously corrected by two experts in the field Jill Whalen & Danny Sullivan, who were nice enough to not only correct me, but give me the viable information I was after in the first place.

A quote from Danny Sullivan:

I actually meant to desphinn this because Wikipedia is wrong, in my opinion.

SEO = free listings

PPC = paid listings

SEM = the combination of the two.

Geez, the Wikipedia page even sites me as helping to popularize the term search engine marketing as an umbrella term but then calls SEM all paid? Insane.

They both gave me some great articles on this already existing, you can find them at the links below.

What’s the Difference Between SEO & SEM – HighRankings.com
Some Great Tips from Search Engine Land – SeachEngineLand.com

Search Engine Optimisation

I found this to be the most accurate description:

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results as opposed to search engine marketing (SEM) which deals with paid inclusion. Typically, the earlier (or higher) a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search and industry-specific vertical search engines. This gives a web site web presence. – From Wikipedia

A very critical part of the explanation:

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results as opposed to search engine marketing (SEM) which deals with paid inclusion

Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing, or SEM, is a form of Internet marketing that seeks to promote websites by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages (SERPs) through the use of paid placement, contextual advertising, and paid inclusion. The New York Times defines SEM as ‘the practice of buying paid search listings’. – From Wikipedia

Both of these are ever-evolving, always changing ways to promote websites. Do not be fooled into the “know all” “be all” tactics or services provided today, as they are usually just doing the same things your original web designer should have done at the beginning.

What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment below!

How to: Use Twitter properly (Updated 2010)

Douglife — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:59:07 +0000

This was a post I wrote back in October of 2009, that I felt needed to be edited, and reposted as it contains a lot of great information.

Many of these tips are collected through various places,

Wired Magazine , Google Search, etc.

I will try to link back as much as I can.

Using Twitter can be a powerful Marketing Tool.

A little bit about Twitter:

Twitter is a free social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. While the service itself costs nothing to use, accessing it through SMS may incur phone service provider fees. – From Wikipedia

Twitter has evolved since it’s debut, and has become “the go to” social media tool, allowing followers to view tweets in real-time, as though they are with you every step of the day. Twitter also allows you access to additional visibility online, depending on your content(quality) and amount of tweets.

Tips to using Twitter.

First, I’ll start off with a few quotes from Wired Magazine that really caught my eye.

“If you want more people to follow you on Twitter, give your real name on your account profile. Not everyone knows you by your username.”
- Scott Beale

“Every single Twitter post you write should be able to get you laid, ruin a relationship, or bring a tear to a blind man’s eye. ”
- Joshua Allen

“Don’t answer, ‘What are you doing?’ Be funny. Be brief, leave your lunch unpublished. Ditto your late plane, incomplete sentences.”
- Jason Kottke

“Twitter is a community. It’s not all about you. Engage your peers by asking them questions. You don’t have to actually read the answers.”
- Micki Krimmel

“Frequently linking to yourself from Twitter is a terrific way to highlight your skills as an unlovable marketing knob. Go easy on the spam.”
- Merlin Mann

“Don’t try to impress-just be yourself. But go a little beyond your comfort zone; share something you’re hesitant about sharing.”
- Evan Williams

Now, as for applications for Twitter, I recommend checking out this post:

(10 Awesome Ways to Integrate Twitter With Your Website)

Along with:
(10 Ways to maintain a healthy, likeable Twitter profile and enjoy a fun Twitter life)

Twitter is a great tool if used wisely. Or it can be just another way for you to express yourself via status updates, rants, etc.

Always be weary of what you write on Twitter, as it may come back to haunt you. Or, until you become a celebrity and then, well, you can write whatever you want!

Shorty Awards are coming!

Douglife — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:54:40 +0000

“Hollywood has the Oscars. Broadway has the Tonys. Now Twitter has the…Shorty Awards”
- The New York Times

Yes it’s back! Last year I didn’t do so well as I was still up and coming, but this year I believe I can make it!
I’m trying to gain the award for #design this year, because, well, it’s what I do!

So if you have a kind heart, and a moment to spare, go over and vote for me in the #design category, and I will keep cranking out worthwhile information to all for free!

Shorty Award Rules

To vote for me post in your twitter on their site :

I nominate @TheDouglife for a Shorty Award in #design because… (add reason here).

Don’t forget to take a look at my latest creation using a Jquery plugin know as Supersized.

http://portfolio.douglife.com

Thanks and have a great day!

HTML5 & CSS3 One-Page Portfolio

Douglife — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:32:20 +0000

Coding with HTML5 & CSS3
for a one-page portfolio

I have been tooling with HTML5 & CSS3 lately, just as every other web programmer is. More or less it has become a small obsession for me. Furthermore, each day more and more information is released about these two topics, so it helps keep it in my daily life.

Here is the link to my One-Page Portfolio. I hope you enjoy it.

Also, here are some good links on HTML5 & CSS3.

Coding an HTML5 Site from Scratch – Smashing Magazine
How HTML5 will change the way you use the web – Lifehacker
A Preview of HTML5 – A List Apart

Douglife designs in HTML 5

Douglife — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:05:30 +0000

Designing in HTML 5

As a Web Designer, I have to always keep up with the latest programming languages, software, etc. HTML 5 is no different. So on Christmas Eve, I publish my latest work in HTML 5. It’s not complete, but it’s a nice start.

So happy holidays, and take a look at my latest creation,
Douglife Designs in HTML 5.

Come on New Years! WooO!

How To: Add a Alltop Badge to Wordpress using Widgets

Douglife — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:22:08 +0000

Some are able to do this with ease, some, not so much. In the spirit of good will towards man, giving, etc, here is a quick guide to adding your Alltop Badge to your Wordpress blog / site.

First, assuming you have both accounts, and are logged in, navigate to this link.

http://alltop.com/badges/myalltop/

Enter your Alltop username like so:

Then select the style you want, copy the code (Ctrl + C)

Now we will go to our Wordpress Admin Page http://yourwordpressblogaddress.com/wp-admin/

And select Appearance on the left sidebar.

Which will allow you to access the “Widgets” Section.

Then you will select and drag a new text widget to the selected sidebar.

Now Paste (Ctrl + V) the code from the selected MyAlltop Badge into the larger text area.

Click Save and your done! Be sure to visit your site after this change to make sure you are satisfied with it and it’s position. It’s a simple way to let people know what you are reading, or interested in.

Thanks and good luck!

(relevant + interesting = hits!)

Douglife — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:08:00 +0000

It seems I have stumbled upon something tremendous here! Here is my formula;

Relevant + Interesting Posts x (Quality Tagging + Twitter) = Traffic

Thanks! Check back soon, I have a few nice posts to finalize, but at the moment; I have some things to tend too.

Peace Brah.