How To Build a Strong Social Network on Twitter

A strong network can open doors you – as an entrepreneur – never thought could be available. But how do you build that network on Twitter?

Here are some tips that will help you “pop through the Twitter clutter”, get the attention of the people you want to meet, build relationships with them, and create a strong network that can benefit everyone involved.

Give. Give. Give. And Give Again.

Every relationship worth having is one that goes 50/50. But who should take the first step? Well, how about you! Here are some ways you can make that all-important first approach:

• Retweet – If you found it impactful, share it around.
• Share what you read – If you read an article or blog posts that solved a problem for you, make sure to make it available for others. It might help someone else solve the same problem you had.
• Use the #FF hashtag – This is a cool way to let others know that you pay attention to what they say. You can get creative when doing it, and it doesn’t have to be just on Fridays.

Automate Your Tweets… the Right Way

On a recent newsletter, Chris Brogan made clear the importance of knowing when to automate:

Should you automate your Tweets? Probably not, if you mean those “thank you for following me” direct messages. Nearly no one likes those. It’s just a point of detail, I guess. Can you automate what time of day you send tweets? Sure! Lots of people do, and to good effect. I do. I blend automated/scheduled tweets with my realtime work every single day. 

I am one of those who do not like automated DM messages. However, I automate informational content throughout the day to make sure I am sending information out when I am not around. These are not “hey, what’s up?” tweets, but links to blog posts, videos, and photos that I am sure at least one person will find useful.

Brevity is Key

Now, more than ever, time is gold. Look for a way to send your message in the most concise of ways. If possible, no more than 120 characters. That gives your network the chance of RT’ing your message in its entirety.

Klout is More than Just a Number

Klout can become more than just a number that illustrates your social influence. If used right, it can help you learn more about your network, and to see if there are other interests outside of work that you can explore on. This helps relationships to grow even stronger.

Be Personal

Remember the “social” part of social media? Make sure it is always in your mind.

People don’t want to deal with robots; they want to work and get to know real people. Every once in a while I tweet about yoga, photography, or sports. It’s a good way to let others know that I am interested in other things, and maybe even connect with someone else on a personal level. A “good morning” or “good night” don’t hurt either.

Tweetchats

They are a fantastic way to meet people within your professional field or sharing a personal interest. If you’re looking to find a tweetchat, here’s a list of chats that run throughout the week about different topics.

If you want to leave feedback, leave a comment below and let us know what you think of the post, or add more tips for entrepreneurs to build strong networks on Twitter!

I Believe in You

I don’t know about you, but to me, the words “I love you” lose their impact with each day that passes. Everyone seems to use them when they need something. When they want to get on your good side. When they’re in need of a favor. Or when they just want to get you into bed.

Kind of sad, but it is true. The word “love” has been commercialized so badly, it’s meaning is as valuable as the amount of dollars and cents it brings to the register. I am trying to erase that word out of my vocabulary, and find a fit-able substitute.

What about “I believe in you”? Sure, it doesn’t have the commercial value that “I love you” has (thank God), but it carries much more weight in my view. How? Let’s see:

• I can encourage people to show they can defeat adversity and carry out their goals.
• I re-enforce their character when they are in doubt.
• I can boost their creative juices with confidence.
• I can channel some hope to those who need it.
• I let them know I love them.
• I can awake their passions, initiative, and leadership skills.
• It is a show of trust.
• I can remind them of their potential, which can be fulfilled with action.
• I can re-energize their fighting spirit.
• It is a way to let them know you are rallying behind them every step of the way.

As I said before, anyone can say I love you these days. But it takes a raw emotion and real belief for someone to look into your eyes and say “I believe in you, you can do it”. That in itself, is worth all the money in the world.

Believe is a form of love. When you believe, you are loving.

Four Lessons to Learn from Isiah Mustafa

You may not recognize the name Isaiah Mustafa, but I am sure you recognize the man in this video:

While bartending not that long ago, Mr. Mustafa developed a plan to become the personality he is today. But this plan did not come to fruition out of the blue; he wasn’t starting from nothing either.

The now 37 years old Mustafa has been working on becoming who he is since he tried out for the NFL as a wide receiver in his 20′s. And there are some very valuable lessons to be learned from his journey to success.

Listen to Yourself

Sometimes (actually most of the time) we listen more to those around us than we do ourselves. Since they are the experts, we tend to go with what they say without question. But here’s something you have to ask yourself: Who knows you better than you?

Just like Mustafa has revealed in interviews that he works out his body smarter now than he did in his 20′s, we should all learn how to work every aspect of our lives smarter instead of harder. Careers, personal relationships, finances — if we make the right moves in time, so then we won’t spend ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally so often.

Look Your Best. Always

I have posted about making great first impressions before. And your looks are what tells most of your story at first instance.

Some people call it superficial. But reality is, if you look like you have your act together, people can’t help but assume you really do. The opposite is true too – if you don’t look all that great, people will attribute all kinds of negative traits to you.

Set Timely, Ambitious Goals

There is nothing wrong with thinking big. You want to write a book? Go ahead! Build your business? Of course!

Just make sure that your goals follow a deadline. That will prevent you from being lazy about what you want.

Respect Your Relationships

Do not treat the people around you as “numbers” or “stats” that make you look popular. Treat them the same way you want to be treated.

Give them room to breath. Listen to their needs. Applaud them on their victories and lay a hand when they lose. You’ll see they will respond different to your pleads than when you are pressuring them to do things your way.

You Know You’ve Made It When You Change the English Language

Band-Aid. Kleenex. Google. Xerox. And pretty soon… iPad. What do these words have in common? They have become a part of our daily vocabulary. Which is amazing considering these words were not originally designed to be a part of the English language.

These products have made what every entrepreneur and producer should aspire to do: they have reach a level of excellence that has wiped out the competition. Can you tell me now, off the top of your head, another brand of bandage that is not Band-Aid? How about tissue? Do you search for things online, or do you “Google” them?

And I believe that soon you’ll rarely hear people saying they are going to buy a tablet. Rather, they people will be going out to buy iPads.

These products / services – aside from being innovators – have developed brands based on excellence. And needless to say, have been successful because of it. They have set a standard for competitors to meet; and since no one has, they are standing on top of their market’s mountain.

You have to believe the iPad will be alone on top pretty soon.

Seven Juan-O Facts I’d Like to Share

Back when I started Facebook, I created this silly thing called “Juan-O Facts”. They were more fictional than anything, but it was both a great therapy for my imagination, and a way to create content that my friends liked.

That was 2007. Now let’s fast forward to 2012.

Here, fellow blogger and friend Jen Onley from GingerConsult asked me to write a post that includes seven facts about myself. Never one to say NO to a challenge, I am sitting down to write seven things about me that not only I want to share, but am proud to say they have made my identity.

My Infatuation with Traveling

The first time a boarded a plane was in 1989. I was 7 years old and heading to Death Valley in California. After that, I have traveled to Japan, Italy, Spain, most of the US, Mexico, and Cuba. I love learning from new cultures. And there are still places I want to visit.

I’ve never been to Alaska, Brazil, China, and South Africa; and hopefully, I can visit these countries and enjoy their culture.

How I got the Juan-O Nickname and Why I Love It

I have probably one of the most commonly used names in the world. I am a fourth generation of Juan Ortiz in my family alone. Because of that, I was always given nicknames to differentiate myself from others.

Juanito, Juaniquillo, Juancho… you name it. Whatever you can put after Juan, it has been used. But there has been one nickname which I have embraced and willingly used over the years: Juan-O.

It’s not much of a nickname, but I feel good when people call me like that. It’s friendly, family ish, and can be used in any tone without feeling disrespectful.

How did I get it? That would be the work of my friend Sara Lopez (Lopez). She used it on a random day back in 2009, and it stuck. I keep telling her that if I make any money out of it, I’ll send her royalties.

Working Out Has Kept Me Sane

With all the happenings around me everyday, it is easy to lose my mind and get in those weird moods that no one wants or should be around of. Thank God I have my workouts.

Aside from giving my body increased time for deep sleep – which helps it repair cells and refresh my immune system – exercising helps me open my mind. It lets me drift away from the troubles of the professional world and gets me closer to my personal side.

If you don’t workout regularly, I suggest you do. It does more than growing your muscles; it keeps you sane.

Why I Consider Kids Comedy to be More Enjoyable than Adult Comedy

If you don’t know, allow me to tell you: I love watching cartoons. From 80′s shows to the Disney Hour to today’s Marvel and DC shows; I love them all. I may watch more cartoons and kids-oriented shows than I do “adult” shows.

The reason for this being that kid shows come out as more natural to me than grown-ups attempting to be funny. Now, don’t get me wrong; I enjoy watching shows like How I Met Your Mother and Psych. I also love the comedy of Joe Rogan and Lisa Lampanelli. And I do it because these shows come out as natural and unique.

Shows like The Ultimate Spiderman and the Super Hero Squad Show surprise me at every turn and – most of the time – that surprise comes with a smile and / or  laughs. That is all I ask for when looking for entertainment. I don’t care about maturity or who watches what. All I want is to be entertained.

How I Failed Once… Twice… and for a Third Time

Back in 2009 and in 2010, I attempted to become a freelance copywriter. Thinking that my talents where more than enough to get it done, I ventured on it… only to fail miserably. Twice.

The lesson I learned: it takes more than raw talent to become successful. Which is why I have stepped back and learned as much as I can about my surroundings, in hopes I can muster all of my knowledge together one day and become the entrepreneur I want to be.

If you are wondering what my third failure was… I did try copywriting again in the summer of 2011.

Ladies Singing > Males Singing

Out of my favorite five singers, four of them are women. Laura Pausini, Amaia Montero, Jewel, and Michelle Branch. I really don’t know how to explain it.

There’s just something about a good singing female voice that is simply enjoyable.  And if you ask me to pick - while I do take time to listen to Bono and U2 perform – I will always prefer the female voice.

Something About Me No One Believes

For a good part of ten years, I was part of the wacky world that is professional wrestling. Sports-entertainment if you will. You may wonder why I am sharing this, and here is my answer.

By being a wrestling performer, I learned first-hand about branding and marketing yourself, as well as negotiating. It was an experience I got a lot out of by being an independent contractor. I had to learn how to save money to make money.

Wow… that was fun! Now, this is the part where I CHALLENGE~! you to make a post telling us seven facts about yourself. So now, Samantha Hall, Umair Khan, Jason Davila and Sharon Reed… I CHALLENGE U~!!!!

I’ve Created a Facebook Page! Yay!

I am going to blatantly go against one of the main rules of posting (which is “don’t be redundant) to tell you again: I have created a Facebook Page!

The brilliant and unique idea of creating a professional page for me comes as a result of my earlier (again) brilliant idea of putting my professional contacts together with my personal friends. “No bueno” would be a simple way to let you know how that went.

And what will you find on my professional page? How about postings from some of the greatest business minds in our world? And how about a little discussion about said topics. Also, updates about what I am doing, blog posts, photos, video, and more.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit
http://www.facebook.com/juanospage
and hit the like button. If you like this blog, then I guarantee you’ll enjoy being part of our community. And what I want you to do now is to stop reading and click the link above.

Go. DO IT!!!

Being in Control

Perhaps there is no other sport in the world that defines “being in control” than skiing. You can make the argument for surfing, but that’s another topic for another time.

Even at its early stages, skiers knew that to succeed in their sport, they had to learned how to be in complete control of their body movements. The reason: if they didn’t, they could cause serious injuries to their bodies. Even death.

To gain control of their bodies, skiers practice constantly, and do their best to keep a sharp mind, a healthy body, and a clear spirit. They know, if they do not channel their energy the right way, it could cost them their lives. But what about you?

Are you aware of the importance of being in control?

As an entrepreneur, you have to be sharp all the time for things to run smoothly. And sharpness only comes with discipline and the will to be constantly learning. Remember, it only takes one time that you fall off the wagon, and it could be over for you and your employees.