Sweetmantra: Domain Name Strategy

Taken: The Myth of Domain Name Unavailability

I hear it all the time from startups and entrepreneurs:

"We tried to get a better domain name, but all the good ones were taken."

And therein lays the rub. "Taken."

Taken means the domain name has already been registered by someone else, but that doesn't mean the domain is unavailable. It just means you are probably going to have to pay more than $10 for the domain.

 

In my conversations with people who get frustrated by this reality, I noticed a number of common themes emerging.

They are usually in a hurry and need a new domain name within a few days. Because of this, they feel frustrated that they can’t just buy the domain instantly. In reality, the domain name may be available for instant (or very quick) purchase in some marketplaces or other venues they are not aware of. In most cases, there is ample time to get the right domain name.

They are concerned that they will have to "pay a fortune" for the domain name. This is a legitimate concern, of course, but one person's "fortune" is another person's bargain. People often assume that the owner of the domain they want will ask for five or six figures, but the vast majority of domain names change hands in the $2,000-5,000 range, which is not an unreasonable amount for a business to permanently acquire its brand online. There are good deals to be had out there if you know where to look and how to negotiate.

They resent, almost on principle, paying a third party more than standard registration fee for "their" name. The thing is it's not their name. Someone else already thought up that name, and that someone put their own money down and registered the matching domain name. That someone did nothing wrong. There are billions of people on the planet. Ideas and names can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time. And there will be overlaps every now and then. It’s inevitable. Try not to take it personally. And whatever you do, don't let your feelings of resentment stop you from pursuing your desired domain name.

Yes indeed, many of the good domain names are taken. But that doesn't mean they are unavailable. In fact, the domain name you want (or perhaps an even better one) might be available faster than you assumed and cheaper than you feared, even if that does mean -- horror of horrors -- you will be buying it off another party.

Before you compromise and settle on an inferior domain name out of frustration, speak to a domain name broker such as myself or one of my industry colleagues, professionals who buy and sell domain names for a living. You've got nothing to lose, and you might learn that the domain name you really want is more available than you thought.

Time is Your Best Friend When Finding a Domain Name for Your Startup

One of the first and most important questions I ask a prospective client when they approach me wanting my help acquiring a domain name for their startup or new business venture is, “when do you need to have control of the domain name?”

The answer to that question will often have a huge impact on the likelihood they will get their first (or second or third) choice of domain name as well as how much they will pay for it.

Put simply, the more time you have, the more options you have. Way more...

For instance, if you don’t need to have control of the domain name for months, it might be possible to wait and see if the current owner lets the domain name expire. If that happens, and you’d be surprised how often it does, then it may be possible to scoop up the domain name for peanuts post-expiry. There are a whole bunch of companies that now own some fantastic .com domain names because I convinced them to patiently wait a few months for the former owner to let the domain expire, and then I swooped in and grabbed the domain, often for less than $100. Had we approached the owner of the domain name prior to them letting it expire, chances are they’d want way more than $100 for the domain name.

But not everyone has months to wait, and I totally understand that. If you have several weeks, then at least there’s time to try to contact the current owner of the domain name and see if there’s a chance to buy the domain name from them. Sometimes the owners are easy to track down and they respond promptly. Sadly, most are not, and do not, which is why I like to joke that my job as a domain name broker is part detective and part hostage negotiator. Every extra day of negotiation time you have as the buyer or broker the better, since a good negotiator can use this extra time to their advantage. You certainly don’t want to appear desperate to buy the domain name; that will only drive the price up.

With more time, you can also identify alternative domain names for the client and how much they might cost to acquire compared to your first choice domain name. In essence, you have time to prepare a Plan B or Plan C, and sometimes by going through this contingency planning process you will find an even better domain name.

Another advantage to having at least a few weeks to hunt for a domain name is that it opens you up to a wider range of inventory. Sure, there’s the inventory that’s currently listed in the well-known public marketplaces like Sedo and BuyDomains, but if you have some additional time your domain broker can source inventory that is not publicly listed for sale. Truth be told, not all the good stuff is listed in the marketplaces, and a good domain name broker knows how and where to source this ‘hidden’ inventory.

If you only have a few days, you are sadly limited to the inventory that is currently listed with fixed “buy it now” prices in the big marketplaces since you or your broker probably won’t have time to engage in any “make offer” negotiations. So not only have you vastly reduced the universe of inventory you can choose from, but you are forcing yourself to pay list price versus negotiating a discounted price.

Finally, if you only leave yourself with a few hours to find that perfect domain name, your choices will be even further limited. You will either have to choose from a subset of existing inventory that is “fast transfer” enabled (meaning it can be purchased instantly) – and good luck figuring that out on your own, by the way – or you are going to be stuck with hand registering a domain that is likely not your first, second, or even third choice.

So do yourself a big favour. Start your naming and domain hunting process as early as possible, and give everyone involved as much runway as possible. You’ll end up with a better domain name and will likely get a better deal on it as well.

Want to buy a domain name from someone? Here's what not to say!

If you are attempting to purchase a domain name from someone, you need to start the conversation off on the right footing. Here are some things you should avoid saying (or writing) if you wish to avoid annoying the domain owner and killing your chances of a deal before you even start:

"I noticed you are not using the domain..."
Actually, you have no idea if and how they are using the domain name. Even if there is no Website associated with the domain the owner could still be using the domain for email or as a FTP server. Never assume they aren't using the domain otherwise you risk pissing them off right from the get go.

"You only paid $10 for the domain..."
Unless you are a domain name forensic detective (yes, folks with these skills exist) you have no idea how much they paid for the domain name. You should certainly not assume they hand registered the domain. They might have paid hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands for the domain. And even if they did only pay $10 for the domain you don't know what sort of historical investment they might have made related to the domain. For example, maybe they once spent $50,000 building a Website on that domain, or they've spent money defending the name from frivolous legal threats. Who knows? You certainly don't. So don't guess.

"I doubt anyone else would want to buy this domain..."
It's a big world out there and you'd be amazed at how many people get the same idea for something and want the exact same domain name. Unless you are the owner of the domain name you have no reliable way of knowing if you are the first or the fiftieth person to inquire about the domain. Assume you are not the first and you'll come across as more respectful.

"Please call me to discuss..."
Just because you want to discuss the domain name and your interest in buying it over the phone doesn't mean the owner has the time or inclination to. Some domain owners get hundreds of inquiries a day. Some of them have full time jobs and a family. Some simply don't want to be playing telephone tag or wasting their time talking to strangers who might not understand the value of a good domain name. I'm sure you're the exception but they don't know that.

"I got the domain name appraised by (Some Company) and they said it's worth $X..."
There's nothing stopping you from getting a domain appraisal for your own personal reference and amusement just don't expect it to have any sway over the current domain owner. Most domain owners don't give a rats ass what a third party company thinks their domain name is worth, usually because those appraisals don't take into account all the hidden factors (some of which I have referenced above). The only true value of a domain name is what both the buyer and the seller agree to let the domain name change hands for. So think twice about using that appraisal as leverage. More than likely it will backfire on you.

These are just a few of the things I recommend you avoid if you wish to convince someone to sell their domain name to you. This is also one of the many reasons you might want to leave the negotiation up to a professional domain name buyer broker such as myself or one of my industry colleagues.

How to Deal with "Alex" the Domain Sales Spammer

Even if you only own one domain name, chances are you've received (or will eventually receive) an email from "Alex" offering you the chance to buy a domain name that's similar to yours. Here's an example of what these email messages look like:

Advance Domain Availability Notification:

You may be interested in alexthescammer.com, which will be available by auction soon.  You are receiving this message, since you have a similar domain name

To confirm interest in owning this domain, fill out the simple form here: alexthescammer.com

Sincerely,Alexander
3107 W. Colorado Ave., #292
Colorado Springs, CO 80904

If you do not want more of these business solicitation messages, please click the link above and follow instructions at the bottom of the page

So what's going on here? And how should you handle this?

First off, there's no "Alex". He's actually one of several computer programs that is spamming the owners of domain names. The program compares domain names that have expired with the public Whois  database of active domain names, then sends an automatically generated sales pitch to the listed owner of the similar domain name. Very clever but illegal all the same. For instance, if you own megamuffin.com and megamuffins.com (the plural version) expires you might end up receiving a message from "Alex" claiming to represent the owner of the domain and asking you to buy it.

If you take the bait and engage with "Alex" you might end up getting the domain name but chances are you'll end up paying hundreds of dollars for it when, in fact, it's yours for the taking for way less. How much less? In most cases the domain can be scooped up for $20-70.

You see, "Alex" doesn't own or represent the domain name. The spammers behind this type of operation are taking advantage of people's lack of knowledge of the domain name life cycle. In most cases, the domain name being offered to you can be picked up in an expired domain name auction, scooped up by a dropcatching service, or re-registered if it fully expires. All of these options are available to you, directly, and you don't need to go through "Alex" or pay his 500% or higher markup.

If you get an email from "Alex" and don't want the domain being offered, simply delete the message (but mark it as spam if you can).

If you are interested in the domain name, do not reply to "Alex" or click on any of the links in his email. If you do the spammers will know they have an interested patsy and you might end up competing with them for the domain.

Instead, make note of the domain name you want to go after. Then do a Whois lookup on the domain. I recommend DomainTools.com for this. Check to see who the "registrar" of the domain is. If it's Go Daddy or Wild West Domains then the domain will likely end up for auction on the Go Daddy Auction. If it is any other registrar, such as Enom, Network Solutions, or Tucows, then the domain will likely end up at NameJet or SnapNames, two major expired domain name auction platforms.

Head on over to the appropriate auction venue, search for the domain, and see if it listed for auction yet. Check once a week if it is not since most expired domain names are listed for auction starting 25 days after expiry.

Once the domain is listed for auction you can bid on it and it will be awarded to the highest bidder. If you've ever used eBay to bid on an auction item then you will be familiar with the process. Best to wait until the last few minutes of the auction before bidding. No need to reveal your hand prematurely. Auctions typically end between 1 and 4 PM EST.

If you are the only bidder, you'll likely get the domain for $20-70. Pricing varies by auction house. Enjoy the sweet taste of victory and revel in the knowledge that you have beaten "Alex" and his spamming overlords at their game.

If any of this is too complicated or time consuming for you and you'd rather hire an expert to take care of it for you, then drop me a line. I do this kind of work for clients all the time.

Pricing Guidelines for Startup Domain Names

When it comes time to choosing a name and matching domain name for your startup or new product, the following domain pricing guidelines I have developed based on the class of the name will help you stay within budget, whatever that budget might be. I believe that if you have a pricing framework in mind early on in the name development process it will save you time and headaches (and money) later on.

One-word .com Domain Names: If you're hoping to call your new venture "Robot" or "Pink" or "Banana" then the most ideal domain name is going to be the matching .com. If you are not able to acquire the matching .com domain, and choose an alternative domain name, you will eventually come to regret that decision and it will be costly or impossible to correct your mistake. The two big challenges you will face here are availability and price. These are the most valuable and sought after domain names, so the matching .com domain may not be available at any price (current owner has no interest in selling) and if it is available it will not be cheap. Expect to invest $50,000 to $150,000 to acquire a one-word .com domain, and that number could be way higher (10 times higher) if it is a common business word. Set aside a budget of $100,000 and be open to new names and new naming directions if you can't get the one-word .com domain name you desire.

Two-word .com Domain Names: If you want to go with a name that combines two English language words in a creative fashion -- such as "Pink Robot" or "Robot Banana" -- then you will open yourself up to a much larger inventory choice and the price will be way lower. This is especially true if you are willing to consider all names that feature a specific word, e.g., any name that starts with "pink" or ends with "robot." Chances are you should be able to acquire a two-word .com domain name that fits your brand strategy for less than $5,000. When I have helped clients with this, I've sometimes been able to find them their domain for the cost of registration. Regardless, compared to one-word .com domain names, two-word .com domain names are way more affordable. Set aside aside a budget of up to $10,000 for this class of name as long as the two words are not a common business phrase: FixCars.com is going to cost you way more than FixBanana.com.

Whimsical / Invented .com Domain Names: These are completely made-up names that you will never find in a dictionary, names like "Pinkero" and "Botopia." These are a great class of names in general because they are easier to trademark and easier to get ranked higher in search engines. From a domain name perspective, many times you will be able to acquire these for the cost of registration, however there's a lot of great whimsical inventory available in the market for under $5,000. Set aside a budget of up to $10,000 for this class of name.

Web 2.0 .com Domain Names: By "Web 2.0" I mean taking an English word and dropping a vowel or two from it. So, for example, instead of calling your startup "Banana" you want to use "Bnana" instead. This can seem appealing, at first, because chances are you can pick up the matching .com domain name for registration fee, however you will eventually come to regret your naming decision. Sooner or later you will realize that you are losing traffic, customers, and emails to the folks that own the correctly-spelled version of your name, and by then it may be too late or too costly to undo your mistake. I encourage my clients, and anyone else, to avoid Web 2.0 names like the plague.

Please keep in mind that these pricing guidelines are approximated. Every domain name is unique and pricing on some domain names can be all over the map. But, in general, these pricing guidelines will apply to most domain names in their class, and an experienced domain name buyer broker will be able to get you the best possible selection and price.

12 Ways to Protect Your Valuable Domain Names

Sadly, not a month goes by where I am not contacted by a friend or colleague who is in a panic because they've "lost" their important domain name. Losing access to your domain name (and associated Website and email) can, of course, have catastrophic results, but this doesn't have to happen to you. Most of the time my friends or colleagues are convinced that nefarious third parties (e.g., their domain registrar, "domain hijackers", etc.) are responsible for this unfortunate situation, however in almost every case the responsibility rests with them. In my humble opinion, 99.9% of the "lost" domain scenarios could have been prevented had the owner of the domain followed some or all of the following advice:

1. Ensure the email address associated with the WHOIS record is correct.
   I'd say this is the number one reason people "lose" their domain names. They register a domain name using an email address that they subsequently abandon. The registrar sends renewal notices to that defunct email address, and since the owner never receives those notices, the domain expires. It is your responsibility to make sure this email address is current and functioning. Do a WHOIS lookup at SmartWHOIS and check to see what email address is associated with your domain. If it is not correct, contact your domain registrar (also listed in the WHOIS) to update your information.
2. Never use an email address that is tied to the domain name in question.
   This is a classic mistake. Do not use an email address that matches the domain name, e.g., if your domain name is fluffy.com, do not use an email address like [email protected] for the domain registration because if that domain name expires you won't have access to that email address to manage the renewal of the domain name.
3. Make sure you are listed as the legal owner of the domain name.
   Are you sure you are the legal owner of the domain name? Many people are surprised to discover that the actual owner ("Registrant") is not them but a third party, such as a friend, family member, employee, Web designer, or Web hosting company that may have registered the domain name on your behalf. That can lead to some major problems, especially if you and the third party have a falling out. Since renewal notices and other important communication about the domain name are sent to the Registrant, it is important that you and your contact information is listed there. To check who is listed as the legal owner of your domain name, do a WHOIS lookup. If your information is not listed there, contact your domain registrar (also listed in the WHOIS) to arrange for an update.
4. Figure out when your domain is set to expire.
   Once again, using the WHOIS record, check to see what "Renewal" date is listed. This is your domain's expiry date and you must renew your domain name before then. In fact, it is advisable that you renew your domain name at least a month prior to the expiry date just to allow ample time for any hiccups that might occur along the way.
5. Configure an automatic reminder to renew your domain name.
   Using your electronic calendar, day planner, or PDA, setup an alert to remind you to renew your domain name well in advance of the expiry date. Do not rely on your domain registrar to do this for you; at the end of the day, this is your responsibility.
6. Set the domain name to auto-renew.
   Most domain registrars allow you to configure the domain to automatically renew, as long as you enable this with them and provide the registrar with some form of payment method, such as your credit card or PayPal account. Then, usually a few weeks before expiry, the domain is automatically renewed.
7. If you use auto-renew, make sure the payment method on file is valid.
   A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a friend who lost their domain name because they had set their domain up for auto-renew but had not kept the credit card information with their registrar up-to-date. When the registrar tried to auto-renew the domain, the transaction failed because their credit card had expired. So make sure that whatever payment method you have on file with your registrar is current and functional.
8. Renew the domain name for more than one year.
   Although domain names have to be renewed at least once a year, most domain registrars allow you to make multi-year renewals. If the domain in question is one that you have built a business on, or expect to use and/or keep for many years, you might as well renew the domain now for up to 10 years. This is a small investment to make for overall peace of mind.
9. Get to know your domain name registrar.
   Your domain name is registered with a registrar, and they are the folks to turn to for help configuring or renewing your domain name. If you are not sure who your registrar is, do a WHOIS search to determine the name of your registrar and get their contact info. Their email, phone, and Website will likely be listed under "Technical Contact". A common mistake that people make is confusing their domain registrar with their Web hosting company. They are not always the same company, and it is important to know the difference.
10. Confirm that your domain registrar will send you several expiration notices via email.
    Although it is mandated by ICANN, there may be some domain registrars who do not do a very good job of notifying their customers that their domain name has expired. Contact your registrar to find out when and how they will notify you of your domain's expiration. While you are speaking to them, ask them to let you know what email address they will be sending these notifications from so that you can "whitelist" that address in your spam filter. You want to make sure that these important renewal notifications do not get filtered into your spam folder by mistake.
11. Renew your domain name before it expires.
    Admittedly this may seem rather obvious, but when you get the reminder message - you know, the one you configured yourself - to renew your domain name, take action right away. Call your registrar or visit their Website to renew your domain name. In most instances, it only takes a few minutes to renew your domain name using a credit card, and the cost is usually only in the $15-20 range.
12. Verify that your renewal has been completed.
    Wait 24 hours after renewing, then check the WHOIS record again to make sure your domain name's expiry date has been updated to reflect your recent renewal. Even if your registrar sends you an email or receipt confirming that the renewal was completed, make sure you check the WHOIS record yourself just to make sure. If I sound paranoid, it is because I have seen renewals fail for various reasons, so it always pays to double-check.

By following the advice above, you will vastly increase the odds of never losing one of your valuable domain names. As I noted at the beginning, most of the domains that are lost are due to negligence or human error on the part of the former owner, not the diabolical work of hackers or domain hijackers.

Finally, if you do end up in the situation where one of your domain names has expired by mistake or something fishy appears to be going on, act quickly because time is of the essence. Contact your domain registrar right away because sometimes a difference of a few hours can make all the difference when it comes to rescuing a domain name. In most cases, with expired domains, you will have about 30 days to rescue the domain name (and sometime even longer), but don't take that for granted. Act fast the moment you think you have lost the domain name, and start by contacting your domain registrar.

Expert Tips for Finding a Domain Name for Your Startup

One of my favourite things to do is help entrepreneurs find the perfect domain name for their new business startup. Over the last 15 years, I've had the privilege of helping hundreds of companies with this, and I take a certain amount of pride in knowing that I helped play a role - no matter how small - in giving birth to a new business or product.

If you're planning to launch a new business or product, or are in the early stages of a startup, here are five expert tips to help you find the perfect domain name.

1. Give yourself ample time to hunt for a domain name.
The more time you have, the more options you will have, and this will also mean you probably won't have to spend as much. I usually recommend that you allocate at least four weeks to do a thorough search of what domains are available, to gather the prices of domains, and to complete the negotiation, purchase, and transfer of ownership of your chosen domain. In a perfect world, give yourself several months because this will give you the greatest amount of choice and puts you in the best negotiating position.

2. Set a realistic budget.
I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but you are not going to be able to buy a fantastic, one-word .com domain like pizza.com for only $500. (It sold for $2.6 million.) The likelihood of you getting a quality .com domain name - one that is suitable to build a new business or product around - for less than $500 is pretty slim, especially if you are in a hurry. If you are willing to spend $500-$1,000, there's a lot of pretty good inventory available for immediate purchase. Move into the $1,000-$10,000 range - which is a modest sum when amortized over the life a business - and you should be able to find some very good inventory. And if you can justify spending $10,000 or more, you will open yourself up to a world of fantastic inventory. Sure, you can spend five figures or more (sometimes much more) on a killer, one-word .com domain, but there is a plethora of good quality inventory out there in all price ranges if you know where to look. Speaking of which...

3. Look for "buy it now" inventory in the leading domain name marketplaces.
If you have given yourself a decent amount of time for your hunt (see point #1) and have a realistic budget (point #2), you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity of domain names that are available for immediate purchase in the more popular domain name marketplaces. Most of these marketplaces will allow you to do very specific advanced searches of their inventory, e.g., .com domains that are 10 characters or less and begin with the word "scuba". The domains that you find in these marketplaces can typically be purchased right then and there for the listed price using your credit card. This removes the vagueness of the domain's availability for sale and its purchase price. Here are the domain name marketplaces I recommend you check first when looking to obtain a premium domain name:

• BuyDomains.com - millions of domain names starting at $100, with lots of fantastic inventory in the $1,000-$5,000 range
• Sedo - millions of domain names starting at $10
• Go Daddy Auctions - hundreds of thousands of domains starting as low as $5 (plus registration fee); a great source of bargain domain names if you are patient

Some other marketplaces you could also look at, if you wanted to be really thorough, are:

• Aftermarket.com
• BrandBucket
• Fabulous.com
• NameJet
• SnapNames
• YummyNames

There are lots of other smaller marketplaces where premium domains are listed for sale - heck, you can even buy domain names on eBay - however a search on BuyDomains.com, Sedo and Go Daddy Auctions will probably capture 80% of the inventory that is available for immediate purchase at a fixed price.

4. Use a domain name broker.
If you want to pursue a domain name that is not listed for sale in one of the marketplaces but is owned by someone else, get help from a domain professional. A good domain name buyer broker will typically have better success in tracking down the owner of a domain name, can usually get you a better deal than you could get on your own, and should offer you valuable advice along the way. BuyDomains, Sedo, and - of course - Name Ninja (the business I run) all offer domain brokerage services.

5. Protect yourself and the transaction through an escrow service.
When it comes time to purchase the domain name, use a domain escrow service (or reputable marketplace or broker) to safeguard the transaction. Chances are you will be buying the domain name from an individual or company in another city or even country that you've never even met. When you are spending thousands of dollars to obtain a domain name, you want to make sure that you don't get ripped off. I recommend using Escrow.com to facilitate the transaction. Reputable domain name escrow services can also be obtained from Agreed.com, BuyDomains.com, and Sedo.

In summary, if you give yourself a decent amount of time, set a realistic budget, and know where to look, you should be able to find a great domain name for your startup, new product, or marketing campaign.

Good luck, and happy hunting!

My Five Most Popular Blog Articles

I'm on holiday the next little while so I thought I'd share some links to five of the all-time most popular articles I have ever written for my blog:

• 10 Twitter Tips for Professionals

• 10 Facebook Tips for Professionals

• Does Someone Want to Buy Your Domain Name?

• 12 Questions You Must Ask Before Doing SEO

• Ten Must-Have iPhone Apps for Marketers

Apparently blog posts with numbers in the title do very well. ;+)

I hope you enjoy these, and I look forward to resuming writing again later this Summer.

Domain Name Disputes: Honey or Vinegar?

One of the more unusual aspects of my job as General Manager of a large portfolio of premium domain names is that I see all the "poison pen" letters from lawyers representing clients who believe (usually incorrectly, I should add) they are legally entitled to a domain name that we own. Since we own over 100,000 domain names, we get quite a few of these letters every week!

I make sure that we respond to each and every one of these inquiries, and now that I've seen and dealt with hundreds of these letters I wanted to make a suggestion to the marketing community at large:

"You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."

Admittedly, I didn't come up with this age-old concept, but I'd like to remind people that you will have better luck resolving a dispute - any dispute - by playing nice than by being hostile.

For instance, the next time you think that someone owns a domain name that you think you are legally entitled to, don't make your first move a "nasty lawyer's letter."

Instead, just reach out to the current owner with a courteous phone call or email (which you can get from checking the public WHOIS records) and let them know you have some questions or concerns. You might discover that the current owner is a lot nicer than you think, is not a hardened criminal, and is more than willing to negotiate in good faith. You might even learn that the original basis for your complaint is flawed and that - surprise, surprise - you aren't legally entitled to the domain name after all.

Not only will you save yourself the time, hassle, and significant expense of going the legal route (fighting a domain name dispute can cost many thousands of dollars), but you will begin the dialogue on a positive and constructive basis, not an adversarial one.

I go out of my way to help the small minority of folks who approach me nicely and are willing to listen to and consider our side of the story. Between us, we can usually resolve the situation within a few days. Unfortunately, I can count these "honey" folks on the fingers of one hand.

I'm not so sympathetic towards the "vinegar" folks - those who courier me six-inch thick stacks of legal documents that make all sorts of false accusations, ridiculous demands, and set unrealistic timelines for a response. (One law firm did this to me, quite deliberately, on Christmas Eve, two years in a row.) Sadly, these "poison pen" letters make up the vast majority of inquiries I receive. Sure, we respond to them as well, but I'm not going to cut them any slack or do them any favours. Why should I?

In the end, this boils down to one simple suggestion: be nice. ;+)

(A version of this post originally appeared on the Canadian Marketing Blog.)

10 Twitter Tips for Professionals

After the unexpected popularity of my article 10 Facebook Tips for Professionals, I figured I would follow it up with some tips for the micro-blogging platform known as Twitter.

Although Twitter has been around since 2006, it's only recently started to generate interest from the public at large. One of the things I like the most about Twitter is that it is an open platform and the uses for it are limited only by people's imagination. Every day I discover new and creative ways that people are using Twitter, some good, some bad. As with any new medium, there are and will continue to be growing pains as we all figure out what the ground rules are and how best to use this new tool. I, for one, still consider myself to be in my 'kindergarten' years with Twitter, however I have learned a few tips and tricks along the way that I am happy to share with you:

I hereby present my list of 10 Twitter tips for business professionals who want to get the most out of Twitter without making too many newbie mistakes:

1. Use your real and (length permitting) full name as your Twitter ID and Display Name - Don't start Twittering using some cutesy or cryptic alias; that just makes it hard for people to find you and figure out who you really are. If you can, avoid using an underscore in your Twitter ID: JaneSmith is way more professional than Jane_Smith and is also easier for people who are using mobile devices to type. And capitalize the first letter of your first and last name; it makes them easier to read.

2. Make sure you upload a photo of yourself right away - If you don't include a photo of yourself as part of your Twitter account, you will limit the number of followers you will get. And use a real photo, not an illustration, avatar, or your company's logo. People want to have a relationship with you, not an illustration. Choose a recent colour or black and white headshot of yourself, and make sure the photo is tasteful. For best results, the image should be a JPEG sized about 128 by 128 pixels, but remember that it will be displayed in much smaller sizes on different Twitter clients, including small screens on mobile devices, so make sure it is legible even when tiny.

3. Include a compelling and accurate description of yourself in your Twitter account - People will refer to this when deciding if they want to follow you. Make sure you include pertinent information such as the name of the company you work for, your job title, a brief description of what you do, and a link to your corporate Website or blog. Remember to keep search engines in mind and feature keywords that are relevant to your profession in your description. This will make it easier for new people to find you via Twitter search.

4. Choose a professional looking Twitter profile design, or create your own - The Twitter account settings allow you to choose from a number of simple design templates for your profile. I recommend that you pick one that best (or at least better) aligns with your professional brand, or tinker with the colour schemes until you get something that works. If you really want to present a slick image, get a custom Twitter background design created for you. There are numerous free and affordable paid Twitter background design services. One of the ones I have used and can recommend is Twitbacks.

5. Understand the important difference between a public reply and a Direct Message (DM) - When you reply to someone that you are following, using the "@BillSweetman" syntax, everyone following you and them can see your conversation, and a permanent public record is made of the exchange. A Direct Message, using the "D BillSweetman" syntax, is strictly between you and that one other recipient (although in order for this to work both recipient and sender have to be following one another). Confuse the two and you could end up in an embarrassing situation.

6. Be judicious about Re-Tweeting - Twitter is about sharing, however if all you are doing is continually re-tweeting other people's posts instead of contributing your own original content, this will soon begin to grate on your followers. After all, if your followers really cared about what someone else was Twittering about, they'd follow them.

7. Watch your P's and Q's - Twitter is a public forum, and your posts are archived forever. While it is always advisable to avoid getting into a war of words with someone, Twitter is the worst possible place to have a dustup since everyone has a ringside seat. Sadly, that hasn't stopped some folks from getting into some very nasty, and very public, Twitter fights. Try to avoid making the same mistake.

8. Be careful about mixing business with pleasure - Consider creating two separate Twitter accounts, one for business use and one for personal use. If you tie your personal email address and a more 'casual' photo to your personal Twitter account, your friends and family will easily be able to figure out which is the right account to follow.

9. Follow but don't expect to be followed - While you are free to follow anyone on Twitter that you so choose, don't expect them to follow you back. Not everyone wants to follow hundreds or thousands of people, and just because you followed them doesn't mean they are obliged to follow you, nor should you be upset if they don't.

10. Don't try to "market" on Twitter; try to "share" instead - Just because Twitter allows you to post promotional messages 24/7 doesn't mean that anyone is interested in that kind of content. If you want to attract and keep followers, focus on contributing items of value. Let them know about something you just heard or discovered. Solicit feedback on a project or ask a question. Sing the praises of a product or person. Recommend other people they should follow. Or provide an update on what you are working on right now. Think sharing, not shouting.

Despite the feverish tone of the recent media hoopla around Twitter, I am very bullish about the future of Twitter. We've hardly scratched the surface of its potential. Twitter was originally dismissed by many as a quirky geek distraction (I admit to being one of those skeptics), but it is rapidly emerging as a flexible communication platform for both business and personal use. I hope my 10 Twitter tips will help you take better advantage of this new medium. And if you want to follow me on Twitter, my Twitter ID is BillSweetman. Good luck, and happy Tweeting!