What is TweepML – and How Can I Use It?

One of the drawbacks of Twitter is that it still, fundamentally, appears to be unmanageable, especially from the point of view of a detail oriented marketer. While the intent of its developers may well have been to allow people just to shoot sound bites at each other, its interactive capability endears its potential to the marketing community. While it is, of course, possible to build your followers or following lists, it would be much more advantageous if you could manage these into groups, in much the same way that you do with e-mail lists.

Smart application developers to the rescue, as TweepML rides in with the cavalry. This open standard format platform effectively allows you to highly target a group of individuals and then share this information. Other people may access your file and with one click may follow every member in your group.

TweepML is very user-friendly and within its simple interface allows you to generate a variety of cute “follow us” buttons or links which you, in turn, place on your website after you create your list. If you have seen the “#followfridays” phenomenon, then you can now participate by simply tweeting to suggest that people follow your TweepML list.

Of course, “tweeps” are Twitter “peeps” or people, just in case you are following a little bit behind here…

TweepML generates your list through a dedicated URL, with the path reflecting your brand or chosen keywords. You can add keywords or tags to each list to make it search friendly. Within the list you can opt to follow all the tweeps, or select individuals by simply checking boxes next to their individual photographs.

As a marketer, you should probably jump all over this as it is likely to be a very popular application. Evidently more than 1000 user-created lists appeared within its first week of operation in mid-September. There’s no limit to the amount of TweepML lists you can create, but remember that they are in the public domain and easily searchable. You should go ahead and grab your path now if its still available.

If you wish to target people with a common interest, previously you had to trawl through the following lists of tweeps who you thought were of interest, but with TweepML you are now able to access groups of interesting people according to recommendations and according to specific groups.

With TweepML you are able to export and share lists of Twitter contacts between applications. Step-by-step, Twitter is coming into focus as a usable and manageable social marketing tool.

Have you used TweepML?

Matthew Toren

Secrets of Successful Selling on Ebay

Ebay has expanded from a humble start up to a company that boasts revenues of over $7.7 billion and a staff of some 15,000 people. People have just fallen in love with the concept of buying and selling and good old-fashioned auction tactics, around the clock and around the world. Many people have made small fortunes using eBay, which is one of the most visited sites on the Internet and have learned that there are several tips to help you succeed.

If you’re going to try and engage in a process of successful selling through eBay, you have to understand how the system works. Fundamentally, it is like a giant search engine of sorts where people can enter terminology describing what they are looking to buy and find matching listings accordingly. As such, you must make sure that your listing is correctly optimized initially and is presented in such a manner as to make the purchase enticing.

If you’re looking for ideas to start off, check out pulse.ebay.com, which is something similar to Google’s Hot Trends and can show you what people are looking for and what is currently selling well within the large variety of category and niche areas available.

You should always know your product and your customer. Whatever you are selling, take time to look at past results and search for similar items. The information that you discover should enable you to see where you have a reasonable chance of selling at the price that you have in mind and whether there is a fairly good turnover, which will reflect the overall interest.

When setting up to describe your product, think carefully about your keywords. Do not include only the obvious words, but also secondary keywords or words that people might use when searching for similar products or when using synonyms to search for your exact product. This will help to ensure that many more “pairs of eyes” find your listings and even though they may not have been specifically looking for your product, they may have a general interest and be persuaded to buy.

Never be tempted to try and sell anything on eBay without attaching pictures. It is true that they tell a thousand words and people always want to see something before they buy it. Again, you can never underestimate the power of visuals and so you should pay attention to making high quality, well defined and professionally presented photographs.

To match your first class photograph, your description must be enticing. If you are not particularly good at putting together the written word, then you should consider outsourcing this part to professional copywriters. At the very least, if you get some of your postings professionally written then you will pick up good pointers to help you develop your skill over time. Conversely, look at successful eBay sellers and see how they put together their presentations. Remember, just as you would if you were writing an article for publication on the Internet, the description post should be search engine friendly, including the relevant keywords appropriately.

Always try and give as much information as you can within the description without going overboard. List the origins, the dimensions, your value proposition and even a couple of ideas describing how your product could be used, as a gift, as something which you just cannot do without, etc.

For those who are serious about selling on eBay, an eBay store is a must. These are very cost effective and will enable you to contain all your products in one place. You will have the additional bonus of increasing your credibility, appearing more professional.

As people are looking for a comfort factor when they buy online, they tend to look for social proof. This is especially true when it comes to auctions on eBay. You have to earn your reputation, but you should be particularly careful when you start out that you do not attract any negative feedback in any way. Each well handled sale and happy buyer will add exponentially to your reputation and credibility. Avoid even one negative response like the plague and go out of your way to pacify, no matter what the reason.

While not all buyers and sellers on eBay are looking to create a serious source of income by any means, you can set yourself ahead of many by simply acting in a totally professional manner at all times. Respond to questions promptly, within the same day and make sure that you dispatch your products on time. Be as transparent as possible about shipping, as this can be one of the biggest deal breakers on eBay. Some power sellers advocate trying to include the cost of shipping within your chosen item cost, thereby suggesting that shipping has been included “or is free.” Otherwise, use the most cost effective method that you can, while ensuring prompt and efficient service. When all is said and done, remember to include a thank you note, personalized and genuine, with your shipment. This will go a long way to help you receive those glowing testimonials and build your credibility.

Are you an eBay power seller?

Adam Toren