Twitter has evolved from a way to tell people what you had for breakfast into a powerful marketing tool. If that is something that interests you, the first thing you’ll want to do is amass a huge list of followers. These steps will show you how.

1. Start by creating a great bio. You only have 160 characters to do this, unlike the 140 limit in tweets, so think carefully about how you will write your bio. Make sure it includes your website address.

2. If you’re just getting started on Twitter, create about 10 interesting, relevant tweets. Give people a reason to follow you.

3. A great way to tweet is to post a link to an interesting article, video or other info you find on the Web. Most such links will be too long for Twitter so go to tinyurl.com to shorten them. All you have to do is copy and paste the old link at this site and it will create a new, short link.

4. Tweet inspiring or humorous quotes. You can find a lot of great quotes that your Twitter followers will enjoy at BrainyQuotes.com

5. You can also share YouTube videos. People love them.

6. Help others by re-tweeting their tweets. Many will return the favor, which will expose you to other people who may then decide to follow you.

7. Twitter is a social media site, so be sociable. Join in the conversation. Reply to people’s tweets and give them compliments on their tweets from time to time.

8. Be sure to thank people who re-tweet you. All you have to do is hit the reply button and send a short note.

9. Become active on Follow Friday. Each Friday, recommend some of your favorite tweeters to your followers by typing in #FollowFriday or #FF and then their Twitter handle, such as @JaneSmith. Others will do the same for you. This is a great way to get more Twitter Followers.

10. Follow all of Twitter\’s rules about following and un-following. Don’t become too aggressive or your account will be suspended.

11. Try to limit the number of marketing tweets you post. You should do about 10 regular tweets for every marketing one.

Danek S. Kaus is a veteran journalist and publicist, and author of You Can Be Famous! Insider Secrets to Getting Free Publicity. Learn more Publicity Secrets and his Publicity and Writing Services

Have you ever considered that a brochure can be one of the most powerful of all your marketing materials?

It is a simple piece of paper but the initial impact that your leaflet produces is important. If it’s shabby and subfusc your prospect is left with the same feeling. This will weaken your business development.

Having a brochure professionally designed and published is a key to success in a crowded marketplace. Taking the time to make sure that your booklet delivers all the key information in a way that is easily understood is something that only a professional can do.

If you are just starting out in business you may be tempted to do your booklet yourself. When I first started in business I did everything myself – not a smart choice. That is why it took me 12 years before I was even comparatively successful. Heed my warning – go professional from day one on your marketing materials. They are an investment and not an expense. Professionally created materials will deliver you customers and the cash flow to follow – the reason why you are in business.

A booklet has to use eye-catching design. It has to be brief in terms of the message and last but not the least, it must be successful in tempting people to make that call of action.

Here are three key design rules to follow when creating a brochure. Use them and you will see your results flow.

1. The cover:

The cover is your salesperson. Booklets are quite passive tools and you are not often able to ‘walk’ individuals through your pamphlet. So you need to arouse people to read further. The cover is the starting point so must be tantalising and sharing the KEY values of WHY someone should read further. It should answer the WIFM question – What’s in it for me.

A good design company will show you at least three to four cover designs for your leaflet. Analyse these designs to examine which excites you the most. Ask your supporters their impression. Does the cover answer the question WIFM? If it doesn’t excite and answer the WIFM question, then skip to another design that works or get it redesigned. Taking the time here to get it right will pay bounties later.

2. The Content:

Once they are past the front page then the content has to become the sales representative. So once again, the pressure is on to be good. Do not opt for cheap ineffectual content writers or ask the designer to write the content or worst still do it yourself. Instead make sure that a professional copywriter is doing the work. If your design company does not have a copywriter then engage one yourself.

Check Out that all the fundamental questions that a potential client will have about your product are answered in a way that gets them to call you for more information. Do not go into ‘overkill mode’ and swamp them with too much data at this point in time. Remember the brochure’s job is to energize and get people to call you.

3. The call for action:

If your future customer has read the pamphlet then you have done a good job. All you need to do now is give them a compelling reason to contact you NOW.

Having things like a free call 0800 or’00 number distinctly shown (in big letters) can make a profound difference. Having an email address is a clear bonus. Make sure these two are distinctly placed in large clear type.

Even give your clients a special voucher on the pamphlet or reference code can help. But above all, make sure that you add a clear call to action. One way to do this is to readdress the KEY value of your service to your prospect in a way that will get them to take action. Remember value is everything. Individuals only purchase something that is of value to THEM.

4. The piece that got missed:

I did this on purpose and only said there were 3 points. Well the final point is the one that can get neglected. It is the ‘dummy’ one. Have you checked that you have these on your leaflet:

Phone number | Fax number | Email address | Web address | Country of operation | City / area of operation | Company name | And have you proof read for typo and grammar errors?

Discover how creative catalog designs can accelerate your business growth using qualified graphic design.