Business Day posted an article last week on a rising trend in social media: squatters.  Seems that the latest Twitter trend is for squatters to snatch up trademark Twitter IDs.  Nicole Kidman, Coca Cola, and Nike have all had their names snatched up by others.  (You can read the full Squatters Creating Twittering Confusion article.)

Celebrities and major corporations aren’t the only victims.  Some Internet Marketers who were late adopting Twitter had their names scooped up. @biz and @ev spoke about the trend on The View last week and outlined some of the verification strategies they will be putting in place to help prevent Twitter ID theft.

But what can you do in the meantime?

Join me this Thursday for a special LIVE broadcast where I’ll share some simple strategies to protect yourself from Cyber Squatters and what you can do if this happens to you. We’ll also share some Twitter Newbie Tips & what’s to come to help you use Twitter more effectively for your business.

Visit this link: “Chat with Coach Deb” for more details on the upcoming LIVE show, and join my Tribe to get on Thursday’s FREE Broadcast.

Deborah Micek is a co-founder of the international business coaching company RPM Success Group ® Inc. She and her partner John Paul are authors of the hit book Secrets Of Online Persuasion. They are creators of the ONLY Web site system to put New Media to work marketing FOR you — BLOG i360™. Also known as “The Twitter Queen” she co-authored the first published book on Twitter, available now in bookstores everywhere: “Twitter Revolution” Grab your copy now on Amazon and get the edge on the hottest social network!

@KeystoClarity has a radio show about her spiritual coaching business.

When she asked me to come on an talk about Twitter, I wasn’t sure what to expect… but glad to talk about the basics of Twitter and share some tips for tweeps that are just getting started.

Turned out very well. Great questions from @KeystoClarity, and we had a very interesting discussion about how we approach Twitter for business.

Listen to –> Keys To Clarity Twitter Show

I’m logging in from Vancouver today.. live at the Canada Marketing Summit where I’m speaking on Friday.

If you are anywhere near Vancouver, come to the Radisson on Friday night to tweet up when we do this week TwitCastRadio here

If you can’t make it.. you can still see all 16 speakers from this paid event FREE. The live video feed is being professionally produced for a product to be sold later… BUT HERE’S THE TRICK.. If you watch LIVE.. you get it FREE

Here’s the link –> Canada Marketing Summit FREE feed

canada marketing, Warren Whitlock, free marketing, online seminar

What if there were a way to plan your blogging and twitter post while planning your other marketing activities?

We’ve talked about TweetLater and how a good balance of live, real time tweets mixed with some scheduled tweets about your current promotion can save you time and get results.

Now you can co-ordinate these tweets with blog posts, status updates to other social media sites and your schedule for business, marketing and even your personal life.

The service is called PostLater. This is a highly configurable tool for every blogger. You will want to add this to your blogging arsenal

In my consulting practice, I deal with successful authors and business people that are reluctant to blog or post to social media sites because they are concerned about the time commitment involved.

I know this is an issue for most bloggers. Most of the successful bloggers that are blogging as a part time activity use some form of schedule to get it all done. Some resort to paying an assistant to handle all the posting to make sure that posts go live at the times readers expect them.

One client writes most of his business advice posts weeks in advance. He has a strong following and great content. When I asked him how he did it with his busy schedule of speaking and consulting, he admitted that he paid a full time assistant to handle it.

By regularly posting useful original content that is helpful to readers, authors build up a following online and receive requests for interviews, business propositions and an increase in leads that are looking for more of what they see you do online.

Imagine how much money he’s saving by switching over to PostLater. When I told him how it’s only $9.95, he asked “is that per post?”  The price is really so low that you’ll wonder if it’s a mistake. No, that the cost to you for as many accounts and posts as you want each month.

Have you been using TweetLater, PostLater or similar scheduling tools?

Please share your experiences, results and ideas below.

Technorati Tags: postlater, schedule tweets, twitter tools, social media marketing

We are going to answer all your questions about Twitter, and share how others are using tools like Twitter (and apps) to build their network of meaningful connections, public relations, and get more done

Join us for this FREE event

I’ve been holding off reviewing and recommending Tweetlater becuase so many tweeps in Stage 2 use the autoresponder to try to sell me.

I’m not against auto-responders (remember “no rules”).. but annoyed at the “hey check out my blog” copy that most use.

I’ve been using TweetLater for months to send a post that I know will be timely at a time that I’m not sure where I’ll be. Sometimes the “TwitCast tonight” posts are done in advance (though often a lot less than I think I could).

I’ve been using the new feautures a lot more. I like getting my @ messages in my email inbox and assume others will like knowing that they can catch more without actually using Twitter as much as me

@incSlinger wrote a good review of Tweetlater. I especailly liked the last line of his comments on auto-repsonders and auto-follow:

There is much written about auto-responders and their place in Twitter. Some people feel they are very useful, some feel that they are so un-human that it takes the Social completely out of Social Networking. Guy Kawasaki admits that he autofollows everyone on Twitter that follows him. Others send an auto-response with a link to a welcome video (an idea I quite like) but it isn’t for everyone. Some users feel it is rather like going to a mixer and having a taped message that you play to people who come up to you and say hi.

Read the full review of TweetLater here

My recommendation is to use caution with any auto posting. Twitter is about connecting person to person and there is little allowance for abusing people on social media today.

But if you use automation.. there are few tools better than TweetLater.

@ShannonYelland has compiled a list of every Twitter term she could find, including “Tw..” words, shorthand and some Twitter tools.

An exhaustive list. Did she get them all?

http://www.sitemasher.com/smblog2/2008/10/my-twittonary-every-twitter-term-and.html

I’ve been thinking about the Top 50 Tweeples to FOLLOW survey, and wondering what YOU think.

Do you follow people just because a lot of other people do?

I find that the number of followers a person has is not always the best guide. I’m leary of a survey that is just a popularity contest.

Don’t get me wrong.. I’m hoping you will vote for @coachDeb, @WarrenWhitlock and the cool Tweeple we have on the TwitCast… We’d like the publicity for the radio show, this site, and the book.

What say you?

Do you follow people that you know in real life? Those you meet elsewhere on the net? friends of friends who are saying cool stuff? Or just popular tweeple?

Leave a comment here. Then join me on the TwitCast tonight. We’ll be talking about “follow worthy” and answering your questions.

You can see what time the TwitCast airs by clicking here.

I received a polite tweet this morning suggesting that we add a RSS Feed Button to this blog.

Great idea, even though there is a list of reader option in the left column of each page. I’m all for making it easy.

Here’s a button just for @colderICE Be sure to follow him and tell him thanks

Are you putting your tweets on your blog?

(if the answer if “I don’t have a blog.. stop reading blogs and go start one.. find the Blog i360 logo and get started now)

Posting a few of your most recent tweets will keep your readers up to date, and encourage them to make a deeper connection with you.

I like AddTweets. There are several widgets out there, Get one and use multiple channels to build meaningful connections

What other ways to you cross connect you blogs, web sites, social networks, friends and customers?