No matter what you think about it, the social media service Twitter has become a dominant force in our culture, and is here to stay. And if you aren't using it, you're missing a completely free way to publicize and promote your group coaching program.

What is Twitter exactly? Think of it as part blog and part text messaging. Twitter allows users to write short (140 characters or less) messages which any person can read publicly - and those who are following you get direct access to.

Thought to be just a method to chat with pals, Twitter is now being embraced as a vehicle to increase search rankings and build a powerful presence online.

So why is Twitter considered a useful PR tool? Twitter allows almost instant distribution of messages to a large number of people at once.  If you have something attention-grabbing to say, you can find yourself with a large number of users following your tweets (as Twitter messages are known) in little time.

You can use Twitter as a way to tell your readers about news and exciting developments, increase your visibility, and create more exposure for your group coaching program. Since Twitter allows you to develop a sort of personal relationship (or at least a perceived relationship) with your followers, it can be a powerful tool to develop appeal in whatever you'd like to let the world know about.

On Twitter, there's a level of intimacy that many will recognizes. Call it the "Wow! Demi Moore just sent me a text! She's eating lunch!" factor.

Used properly, Twitter can get your readers feel as if they know you personally, something which can do wonders for your group coaching program or any other accomplishments you'd like to promote.

Begin by signing up for a Twitter account and filling out a profile page; try to give a feel of how you're an expert in your field and share a bit of your personality. Others that resonate with who you are and what you have to say will find you and follow you.

Tap into Twitter's Publicity Potential

If you're promoting your group coaching program, it's a good plan to look at what other coaches in your industry are on Twitter and find out what those with the largest followings are tweeting about. Discover what's working for them and emulate - but not copy - what they are doing right.

Tweeting about mundane items won't win you any followers - and certainly won't help your get more credibility. Instead, publish interesting opinion about your area of expertise, occasionally including a link to your site when pertinent to the content of your Tweet.

If you're not familiar with text messaging, the 140 character limit may be tricky at first. If it helps, think of it as a form of haiku - economy is the key to writing Twitter posts.

Make sure to invite those you already know to follow your tweets; like social networking sites, people are more likely to start following your Twitter feed if their contacts do. You'll start off with a small following, but it will grow.

Post at least once a day and before you know it, you'll have the attention of more Twitter users than you ever thought possible. And that attention can help sell your group coaching program.

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Shannon Cherry, Publicity Expert for Group Mastery

Shannon Cherry is the publicity/media expert for Group Mastery, and the founder of Be Heard Solutions. Known as The Power Publicist, she helps coaches, entrepreneurs, consultants and solo professionals attract more clients and customers through the power of publicity. Grab your free publicity power pack to help you start establishing your media presence at http://www.beheardsolutions.com

While it may be more of a challenge to convert new prospects in today’s tight economic times, you can still boost your bottom line by capitalizing on your existing customers.

Below are some easy and cost-efficient strategies for raising the average value of your orders:

1. Use cross-sells wisely. Whenever possible, make recommendations based on what your customer has added to the shopping cart, a proven way to capture impulse sales. Low to moderate price points typically work best, although the most important factor is relevance. For instance, if your customer purchases an outdoor teak furniture set, you might suggest teak wood cleaner, outdoor cushions, and a patio umbrella. Ideally, cross-sells should be dynamically presented based on a combination of the customer’s ordering history, the product’s relevance to what’s in the cart, and the product’s popularity.
2. Offer gift sets. By packaging together several complementary items—for example, two DVDs, some gourmet popcorn, a bottle of wine, and a cozy blanket—you’ll provide customers with a handsomely packaged gift set. When strategically bundled, everyday items suddenly become deluxe and giftable indulgences.
3. Highlight discounts. Now more than ever, consumers are on the hunt for bargains. Emphasize price reductions at every step along the shopping process: category pages, product pages, and also on the shopping cart. When customers are reminded of discounts throughout checkout, they’ll be more likely to act on cross-sell merchandising.
4. Give service a boost. In addition to encouraging customers to add more items to their shopping carts, another effective strategy for increasing average order size is offering ancillary services like extended warranties, white-glove delivery, and follow-up support. While these types of services won’t apply to all items, they can be a source of lucrative source of revenue for larger appliances, electronics, and PCs.

By supplementing your shopping cart with these customer-focused strategies, you can cater to your existing clientele and help increase your average order size, offsetting the economic struggles many ecommerce stores are facing.

Regina Baker - Ecommerce Solutions Expert

Regina Baker is the co-creator of Wahmcart and the Ecommerce Solutions Expert for Group Mastery.  She created Wahmcart as a full ecommerce software solution for work at home moms without the huge price tag. She's dedicated to educating the small business individual (sole proprietors) and companies with ecommerce solutions that will allow them to work smarter, not harder while at the same time providing an affordable solution that the “average” person can afford.   More about Wahmcart

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While many want to use social media, they let their fears of technology stop them from using this wonderful marketing tool. Watch this 3-minute video as I share with you the #1 way people sabotage their social media success and how you can replace your fears with opposite beliefs.

Leesa Barnes - Social Media Marketing Expert

Named as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Social Media, Leesa Barnes is an award winning blogger, social media expert and author of Podcasting for Profit. She is President of Caprica Interactive Marketing, a training and development company that teaches businesses how to get active with social media in 3 easy steps using the Marketing Fit system.