How a novice went from 10 to 2000 Twitter followers in a month.

Posted on February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 by Julie Cavaney

How a novice went from 10 to 2000 Twitter followers in a month. Here’s how to do it.

Last year I decided to try a little experiment to get more followers on my Twitter account. I got the idea from one of my blogging gurus Jon Morrow at Boost Blog Traffic. Jon is the go to guy on traffic for blogs. If you haven’t visited him you must. The beginning of my story is short – I had something ridiculously poor like 10 followers, actually I think I may be even been even lower than that, even the cat next door had more twitter followers than me. I was on a mission to get this number up.

This is me as a Twitter bird. Bright eyes and bushy tailed looking naively into the Twitter world wanting more followers. Thanks to those Tweeters it’s been nice to connect.

In one month I went from 10 to 2000 Twitter followers. It was a bit of fun watching the numbers grow. In fact the numbers worked with my head and I was getting addicted to the numbers going up even if it did feel shallow and meaningless. But amongst some of the shallowness I have actually gotten some real followers.

So what did I do?

Started following people in my niche.
Started following my blogging gurus.
Searched for #mommyblogger or #mummybloggers and followed as many of them as I could.
I followed anyone that followed me.
I followed anyone on blogs I read.

What happened

People stared following me back.
People of people started following me back.
I got some tweets retweeted.
I got some tweets that were favoured.
I loved the numbers going up.

What tools did I use to help me?

I joined Unfollowers. This is a great tool for following people and unfollowing people. I like the set up and easiness of Unfollowers.
I use Bufferapp. Another great tool which will automatically tweet up to 10 tweets of yours per day. You can tweet more but it cost after 10. I am still a novice and not going to pay at this stage but like it.

Pro’s

Discovering great blogs both in my niche and from the Blogging gurus.
Getting numbers that go up so quickly when I am trying.
Making favourite lists of tweeters and able to cut out some of the noise on my busy news feed.
Given me confidence that I can actually get followers in the social media world.

Con’s

Not having the right audience.
Most my audience not really caring or reading my tweets.
Being a twit that is just following and unfollowing people.
Can take a bit of time.
Having a cluttered news feed.

Must read the next paragraph.

Now this is funny, I did follow back some tweeters that had called themselves “@lovemessages” “@omgloving”, “@realquotes”, “@truefacts” or something similar to these (these are not their actual handle names). Don’t follow anyone that is about love, relationship, quotes or even facts type of tweeters. I, in my naivety thought these would be actual romantic messages or even good facts….No, No and NO!! These kind of tweeters are retweeters of porn. Yes I said it porn. It freaked out me out the first. I was on my phone in the middle of the night checking out my feed while I was feeding my baby and up popped this photo of boobs, that wasn’t so bad but then another horrible picture and more horrible pictures that I won’t even go into what they have been…..arrrgh, horrible.

At first I didn’t realise it was a retweet. I pressed the little person icon next to the message and it popped up that I was following the original tweeter – NOOOOOOOO. So then I unfollowed them and then followed again, didn’t get it the first time doh. I opened up the message and saw it was a retweet. I tried to find the retweeter by scrolling on my list to find them, nope that didn’t work, too many on my list by then. Then I tried to find the handle name – NO that didn’t work on my phone. In the end I had to wait until morning to get to my computer and find the offending follower and unfollowing them. Since then I have had a few more porn retweeters pop up and have unfollowed them. I am still useless at unfollowing them on my phone and have to leave it on the tweet and refer back to my computer to unfollow them. I am now a little bit more conservative with my following habits and actually make a judgement about who I will following rather than follow any old twit.

Rules of Twitter

Here are a couple of rules you need to follow so you don’t get your account suspended from Twitter by going too aggressively. Check out the basic rules here.

You should only follow less than 100 people per day.
Unfollow only less than 50 to 100 people per day. I was doing 50.
You are only allowed to follow up to 2000 people until you have 1800 or more people who are following you. Twitter stops you at 2001.
Once you get 1800 – 2000 followers you can start following more accounts again until 10 000. Then the rules change again after that. I am unsure of these rules after 10 000.

It’s been an interesting Twitter experiment. What a laugh hey?

Have you had any funny experiences with Twitter?

My next experimental venture for followers will be with Pinterest and Instagram. I have free ebook I need to read from Vincent Ng from MCNG Marketing.

Does anyone have any tips for getting more Pinterest or Instagram followers?

Pictures are from http://iconbug.com/

Win $25 000 with St Georges Kick Start

Posted on February 20, 2016February 20, 2016 by Julie Cavaney

Are you a new business? Are you about to start or have been operating less than 3 years? Then you could win $25 000 with St Georges Kick Start for your business. What a great opportunity to really get your business going with the money and the exposure for you new business.

St Georges Kick Start grant is offering 4 business $25 000 each to kick start your business or business idea. The grant is being offered to businesses who are passionate about innovation.

What do you need to do?

Fill in the application and submit it by the 29th March. Finalist will be announced on Friday the 22nd April. There will be 11 Finalist and you’ll get to pitch your idea at the TedXSydney at the Sydney Opera House. How amazing would that be.

Here’s the link – http://info.stgeorge.com.au/kickstart/

Simple so get started and fill in the application.

All the best.

What Handbag do you use?

Posted on February 16, 2016February 16, 2016 by Julie Cavaney

I envy women with older children for their gorgeous smaller handbags. I love hand bags and had many bags pre-children. I was at a networking on Thursday and one of my friends has started selling handbags and had her business launch on the weekend. I loved her handbag and this got me thinking. What handbag do you use? Is it functional, is it about the style or is it just like the lost city of Atlanta where everything gets lost?

Recently I did a big de-clutter and chucked out all my nightclub handbags and pre-children bags. You see I am currently using a red handbag the size of a small suitcase to go out for a morning. You think I was going overnight with everything that is in it. I think I could survive a few days in the outback with ease.

My red handbag I use most days is a practical handbag I can fit everything into it. This bag is nearly dead and I am stretching it out for a few more months and it’s gone. The bag is good for size but oh it does my head in as it takes me ages to find anything in the bottom. Packing for a morning out my handbag is packed to the brim, especially on a weekend. I have water bottles, dummies, nappies, wipes, purse, phone, snacks, tissues, diary, business cards and other bits and pieces your would not believe. The other day I was at the doctors and had to look for a tissue in my bag and saw a weird looking brown thing in my bag. I waited until I got home and it was half an old sausage. I was laughing so hard, so nice to be left some left overs from my toddler.

Now to my lovely bags. I have two non kid handbags for business days. I love these bags and can actually find things in them. A gorgeous black and white number and a nude colour bag. I feel like a normal and funky woman when I use these. It’s nice. Occasionally I can get away with using my nude handbag now I only have one toddler on the week days. We seem to be able to fit the basics in it.

Now back to my friend Naomi she has started selling the most stylish sunglasses, handbags and accessories with Feri. Her bag is gorgeous. I want three when my kids stop putting there left over sausages in it. But I just have to share some of the great bags she has since I love handbags. If you do love any of these or want to see more you can contact Naomi on her Faceboook page or browse her website.

Seriously aren’t the gorgeous. Are you sporting a lovely handbag? I hope so as it really does make you feel a million dollars to have a stunning bag.

Happy Handbag Day.

What fills your Emotional Tank?

Posted on February 9, 2016February 9, 2016 by Julie Cavaney

After a hard week when you’re reaching empty what do you do to fill up your emotional tank?

On Sunday morning I turned on the TV to catch the morning news and the Sunday Service was on. I never watch Sunday service shows but what the pastor was saying was so interesting. He asked this question. What fills your emotional tank? I loved this and it resonated with me big time.

The work life balance topic is very interesting to me. I have written previously on the life balance triangle. As mum’s it’s very easy for the triangle to get out of balance or the emotional tank to get empty and not be refilled. As parents we are giver’s and carers and it’s easy to go weeks without taking time for yourself. The tank gets empty.

So what does refilling your emotional tank mean? Refilling the emotional tank is doing things that make you feel good. Not making others feel good by what you have done for them. An activity that fills you up. It refreshes and revitalises you. What are those things that make you feel awesome afterwards? Is it swimming? Running? Going for a lovely lunch? A simple walk at the river or beach? baking? Yoga? Film making? Cooking? Knitting? Crafts? The list is endless but it needs to be specific to you and your tank. Something that you can do that makes you fill alive, wonderful, happy and refreshed.

I have let go some of the things that fill my emotionally tank over the last few years with having babies and being busy. One of my New Year resolutions this year is to go to the beach once a week by myself. I want to get back into swimming and surfing at the beach. I think my former glory days of tackling gnarly waves are long gone but even if I am just paddling out and sitting on my board it makes me feel amazing. The water has and always will give me a renewed sense of self, vision and relaxation like nothing can. It’s like the very ion’s from the water transmit into my body through osmosis and recharge my cells. I love the water, being near it, on it and in it. This is why this is a priority for me and this is what refills my emotional tank.

So what can you do? What fills your emotional tank? Can you put a priority to fill your tank one day a week?

Blocking it out in a Weekly Planner

Posted on February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 by Julie Cavaney

One of my New Year resolutions is to try and use a weekly planner for business. I love a good list, plans and I am really good with my diary. Got to put it in the diary or I forget and it doesn’t exist. I mean what is that after children you have a brain like a sieve. Is it the lack of sleep that your short term memory never recovers from?? Now that the school year is starting and we are getting back to routines and work I am determined to systematize my week. I am blocking it out in at weekly planner.

Here’s the pdf of the weekly planner I made to block out time. I am putting it on an A5 and sticking it on my desk. This way each week I know what I am doing on certain days. I have also put in the priority of my exercise which is also an important goal I am getting back to this year. Planners need to be customised and work for you. Last year I did a few of these up and blocked out time after the kids went to bed. Bong Bong wrong for me. By the time I had done the bath, dinner and bed. I was in my pj’s on the lounge having a cup of tea and simply did not have the energy to blog, do the internet etc. I just needed to wind down and watch MKR or some mind numbing reality show. I had the right idea of blocking it out but was the wrong time slots.

This year I have popped in my exercise and a few jobs on each day. I hope to achieve these when my toddler is sleeping or happily playing. Some of the area’s I am blocking out on my planner are blogging, social media scheduling, lead generation and follow up, sponsorship applications, admin day, filming and course creation. I think these are the big ones. I keep thinking of things but don’t want to overload myself as there needs to be time for appointments, networking, friends and of course housework (arrrghh).

My questions to you are what are you blocking out. Do you have a weekly planner? What time do you block out? What do you put in your weekly planner? Here’s to blocking it out in a weekly planner hopefully it does the trick this year.

Hope you and your kids had a great start to the first day of school yesterday.