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Six Reasons to Tweet Tweet Tweet

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A recent study by iCrossing found that Facebook is scheduled to hit one billion users in August of 2012. Twitter, on the other hand, has barely touched 100 million, according to their blog. So it’s still small compared to the social networking behemoth, Facebook, but is nonetheless wildly important to your Internet presence.

Are you on Twitter? If not, what on earth are you waiting for? You can start by following the ChicTips blog by searching for the Twitter handle @BeautyApps or @techtionary. So set up an account, choose a super creative handle (that’s Twitter talk for username) and pick a cute but professional picture to represent you.  And for a little added incentive to get started, here are the top reasons you should be tweeting from a personal account on Twitter.

  1. Deals, discounts, coupons and short sales. If you follow your favorite brands on Twitter, you’ll be the first to hear about their special sales. Example: Banana Republic tweeted to their followers that all sale items would be an additional 50% off…but only during lunch that day. If you weren’t watching on Twitter, you might have missed some good deals and some fun lunch hour shopping. Other companies tweet coupons and discounts to thank followers for simply following them. Don’t miss out!
  2. There are fewer updates from obnoxious friends. If you get tired of the Facebook updates that range from “woe is me” to “yay is me”, try Twitter. Tweets come and go so quickly they won’t linger in your newsfeed. Plus, people can’t complain nearly as much in only 140 characters!
  3. Customer Service. Companies are hiring swarms of social media experts to manage their accounts and provide immediate customer service. There’s the famous story of a man tweeting he wanted a Morton’s steak before getting on a plane, only to find a Morton’s employee waiting with one when he landed. Other minor examples include Starbucks sending coupons for coffee mishaps and Southwest airlines informing their followers of flight delays.
  4. Job Hunting. If you work (or are planning to work) in the technology sector, chances are that your Twitter profile can be an asset in your job search. Not only should you follow Twitter accounts that post jobs, but you can also provide your Twitter feed in your resume. Of course, this only applies if you’ve been tweeting intelligent things, some of which are business-related.
  5. Simple picture posting. No photo albums, no tagging, just instant photos of what you’re doing, seeing or tweeting about.  Of course, Twitter pictures are just as “permanent” as Facebook pictures (the Internet is written in ink!) but there isn’t nearly as much involved, especially if you are tweeting from a smartphone and choose the photo icon in the Twitter screen.
  6. Breaking News. News breaks on Twitter. It’s a new fact of the Internet. Whether it’s Beyonce’s pregnancy or Tebow’s pass in the first game of the AFL Playoffs or any civil uprising in any country across the globe or even local election campaign, a Hollywood stars meltdown or showdown, news hits Twitter, starts trending immediately and can wrack up baffling numbers of tweets per second. One of the more interesting Twitter uses is a lunch truck driver who Twitters her location to lunch goers.  To be in the know, jump on Twitter and watch for trending hashtags (# signs).  Social Business College just released an onsite and online Social Media marketing course.  Click on the image for more.

ChicTips for 5 Ways Swim Faster and Farther

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Swimming is an excellent form of exercise and low impact because it’s ideal for those who are athletically inclined as well as for those who aren’t. If you’re physically fit and looking for an alternate workout, the natural resistance that occurs while moving through water tones muscles and gets your heart pumping. Those who haven’t exercised in a while will also find swimming to be ideal because the buoyancy of the water supports body weight, making exercise easier and gentler on the joints. Whether you’re a novice or a water fitness buff, learning to swim better makes the activity more effective and enjoyable. Here are five means and methods that can help you improve your swimming technique.

  • Swim More. Without regular practice it’s difficult to improve anything. Swimming at least three times each week keeps you acclimated to the water while providing you with the opportunity to practice and improve your technique. Don’t be tempted to substitute frequent water workouts with one or two long ones. It’s better to swim for three or more short sessions per week than it is to try to squeeze all your swimming workouts into one long one.
  • Swim Smarter. Swimming laps is a great workout but after doing the same thing time and again the workout becomes boring and less effective. Organize your swimming workouts and make them more effective with Swim Planner, an app for iPhone and iPad created by Tri Faster. Enter the distance you wish to swim along with your swimming ability and, within seconds, Swim Planner generates swim workouts for you to use so you can plan your exercise in a more organized manner. You can also use the iSportsCalendar to help you organize a swimming schedule.
  • Improve Technique Before Speed. It does you no good to be a fast swimmer if your technique is sloppy. While you’ll still burn calories, swimming with poor technique is a waste of energy. Study up on one or two techniques you’d like to improve, such as your kick or backstroke, and spend five to ten minutes of each workout on drills to help you improve these techniques.
  • Use Proper Swim Attire. It might not sound important but what you wear while swimming will affect how you’re able to swim. A bikini or your favorite board shorts might be perfect for sunning or surfing but they’ll inhibit you in a swimming workout. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a professional-type swimsuit, but purchase one that allows you to move through the water unencumbered and without worrying about your swimsuit falling off.
  • Get Organized and Get Feedback. Even if you don’t take swimming classes it’s wise to work with a coach or teacher once in a while to make sure you’re technique and form are correct. With many other types of workouts you can observe yourself and make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly. It’s hard to do this while swimming. Once a month, enlist the help of a teacher, coach or expert swimmer to observe you as you swim and provide you with helpful feedback and advice.

As your form and technique improve you’ll find that your stamina and speed naturally follow. In addition to being an effective workout, swimming can also be very peaceful, making it a great stress-buster. Use one or more of these techniques to learn to swim better to increase physical fitness and enjoy your time in the water.

 

Grow up! Get on LinkedIn

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In the world of digital networking, LinkedIn is King. Between its robust job searching capability, job matching tools and group connectivity, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing out. But it’s more complex than just creating a profile. First, since LinkedIn shows up very high in Google searches, it’s likely one of the links a potential employer will click on when searching for more information about you. Second, it’s a more professional view of your life than any Facebook profile you’ve ever edited or created.

LinkedIn doesn’t replace your Facebook profile and Facebook definitely doesn’t replace your LinkedIn profile. Instead, together they work to create the most complete and professional view of you.

Chances are you might already have a profile on LinkedIn. But keep reading because we have ways to optimize and professionalize that profile. Start with the picture. Is the picture professional? Are you the only person in the picture? Are you wearing clothing that could at least be considered business casual? If you can’t answer yes to all of those questions, you need a new picture.

After picking the perfect pic, check out your summary section. This shouldn’t be a dry and boring reason why someone should hire you. Instead it should show some of your personality including what you love to do, what you’re passionate about and some qualities that set you apart from the job competition.

Building out your LinkedIn profile will also require detailed and accurate past employment experience. Even internships and volunteer jobs should be added before you’ve had multiple full time positions. Since companies have LinkedIn pages as well, linking yourself with the company will create an immediate, searchable network to help you begin connecting with people on LinkedIn.

After the picture, summary and past employment experience, work on joining groups and making connections with other LinkedIn members. Start with college alumni associations and college friends and move to professional acquaintances and colleagues.

You’ll notice that the more information in your profile, the more relevant the job recommendations to the right of the page become. LinkedIn uses information you’ve added to find jobs that seem suitable for your field and areas of expertise.

And another benefit of joining those alumni associations on LinkedIn? They each have job boards that are open and free to members to use. Whether you’re looking for employment or have a job to post, this is a great place to start.

One of the most fascinating things about LinkedIn is the “first, second and third degree” connections. It’s the epitome of “I know somebody who knows somebody.” You’ll notice if someone is a first degree or second-degree connection. This is another great way to search for jobs. If there’s a company you want to work for, see if you possibly have a first or second degree connection who already works there.

For additional resources about LinkedIn and setting up LinkedIn profiles, check out these two articles on technology and business site, Mashable.

How to get the most out of LinkedIn and How to Optimize your LinkedIn profile.