The Savvy Entrepreneur

The Marketing Makeover series is designed to help virtual office professionals avoid common marketing faux pas that interfere with their success, put their professionalism in question and hinder their credibility.

If you don’t use Twitter as a marketing tool to build, grow and sustain your professional virtual online business, you can totally ignore this post!

So far, in discussing the whole tweaking-your-Twitter-profile thing, I’ve covered:

• Your picture
• Your Name
• Your Location

It would seem logical to continue the conversation on the Web section of your Twitter profile. But I have something else I’d like to cover before we go any further on this topic.

I was looking for a few new Virtual Assistants to stalk on Twitter and noticed about 20% have their updates protected (the little gray padlock).

Again… if you’re NOT using Twitter to grow your VA business, then stop reading this post.

Still here? Good.

I want you to stop whatever it is you’re doing and follow these simple steps — I promise it won’t take more than 30 seconds (add 30-60 seconds if you have a slow connection):

1. Go to Twitter.
2. Sign in to your account.
3. Click the Settings tab (top left of your screen).
4. Scroll all the way down to the Protect my updates check box.

Is it checked off?

If not (yay!), you can skip this post.

If yes, it means you get an email each time someone wants to follow you. You then have the option to allow them to follow or not.

When I see entrepreneurs protect their updates, my natural reaction is to ask Why? but I’ve noticed that most who have, didn’t know.

Now you know.

Do you want to interact with more people on Twitter? If so, remove the extra barrier, stop making me jump through hoops just to get to know you, and quit giving me the impression you’re hiding something.

Now, go uncheck the Protect my updates box and start building relationships already!