Fist, I should tell you that there is a plugin that you can download and install that will allow you to read docx files when using programs like Word 2003 (although Microsoft calls it a "compatibility pack). You can install it from here.

However, that's not really necessary because there is a website on the net that converts about anything to anything else. This site is called "Zamzar". The service is free so it's a great site to bookmark.

You can not only convert Microsoft docs but you can change most any kind of document file to a pdf or visa-versa.

The same holds true with image files, videos and music as well. The list is pretty extensive (see it here).

The only real limitation is that the file to be converted has to be under 100Meg.

You simply select the file from your local disk, select what you want it converted to then place your email address in the blank. They will email the converted file to you when it's done, which only takes a few minutes normally.

This is a service that you really should bookmark because it's a valuable one. If you are like me, you will use it frequently.

Let's jump right in and talk about how you can use Twitter to conduct your market research. Every business has a target market, but the simple fact is that many business owners often miss the mark because they don’t know the true needs of their market.

 By using Twitter, you can easily listen to the needs of your prospects, the issues they are currently facing and the kind of help that they want. There are two tools that are extremely useful for finding prospects — use Search.Twitter.com to find people who are talking about your kind of product and/or service and follow them. Usually they will follow you back. At that point you are welcome to get into the conversation (but converse; don't sell unless they specifically request information. Being subtle will do wonders for your sales and your reputation.

If you have a business that provides a product/service on a geograhically restricted scale, I would advise using Tweetlocal.com. Tweetlocal limits the Tweets you receive to a georgraphical area designed by you before you conduct the search. You also enter keywrds just like searching at searh.twitter.com. The way you use it is the same as everything else explained in this post.

 Whenever you meet someone new on Twitter it's a good idea to try to establish a good relationship from the start. Think like your the customer. You buy from people who you trust and like and your target market behaves the same way. It is important, especially in social marketing, that you get to know your clients and do your best to win their trust and confidence before putting on your sales hat..

 A good rule of thumb is to try and keep ninety percent of your tweets full of helpful content and try to limit your promotional ones. By doing so, you can attract more followers and, hopefully, customers.

In order to show off your expertise on Twitter you will want to post quality content on your blogs, website and other sites like the article directory EzineArticles.com. Then share them with your followers. There are a wide variety of tools that work with Twitter that will automatically check the blogs you’ve posted and share them instantly on your page (onlywire.com is one).

Offering educational materials, seminars, video training and networking events will also go a long way when you are trying to convert your followers into paying customers.

As a matter of fact I recently came across a great website that allows you to stream live video on your Twitter page and chat real time with your followers. So, if you're not camera shy, plug in your webcam! This will be a fantastic way to make an instant connection for you and your peeps.

You can find out more here: http://twitcam.com

There are so many different techniques that you can use to help the transition from follower to customer by using Twitter. Just remember to keep the value of your content high and the volume of your promotions low and you will begin to see real results from your efforts.

The proliferation of social media into our daily lives has exploded in 2009. Every day reveals a new form of social media from our phones to new social networks appearing on the Internet.

Some may argue today's social media is chaotic with so many apps, widgets, countless features, and tools all fighting for a piece of the social media pie. However, like almost everything in business, there are key fundamentals that you need to address in order to give your business a competitive edge.

The truth is that social media is continuously evolving. While many others try to keep up with these ever-changing factors, the savvy business owner should be creating a powerful social media presence that covers the essential areas of social media and creates a solid foundation for future growth.

1. It’s All About The People And Communications.

Social media is just that — social.

It is based on the same principle as why we attend business offline social gatherings, trade shows, after-hours events and the array of other meetings. The more we show off our personality and expertise, the better chance we have of landing that all important customer. This is no different except that it's not face-to-face. Plus, we have the ability to spread our message further and faster than at any time before.

As such, you need to make sure you have a solid presence on such social media platforms as Facebook and Twitter.  Ideally, these starting networks will provide time to adjust and grow your social media exposure and provide a solid starting point to begin growing from.

Social media is about connection and communication. The true globalization and amalgamation of social media behavior has opened up a large door of opportunity for businesses that are forward thinking enough to take advantage of the situation.

2.  The Perception Of Value And Trust.

One of the key advantages of social media is that it breaks down the barriers that separate business from customer.

While many businesses hide behind this wall as some sort of protection, smart entrepreneurs take down that wall and allow the prospect to see behind the value and into the face of the person behind the product or service. By doing so they create a warm rapport and build trust with their target market.

Essentially, they are putting on a human face to their company and, by developing closer connections to their customer base, they can increase sales and ultimately grow their profits using this medium.

3. Connectivity, Convergence and Productivity.

One of the major problems for businesses starting to market through social media is the fact that everything seems so disconnected.  For example, if you release a new article or blog post, it can take a while to manually post these two to Facebook, twitter, or wherever else you are aggregating your information to.

Thankfully, there are many ways to integrate and connect all the social media services into one funnel.  Using services like Ping.fm you can post to one service, which then feeds your post to other social networks and services. Ping.fm, for example, supports over 40 different social media platforms. Believe me, this can be a major timesaver and can still help you get your message out to every single social network you may be involved with.

Another helpful website is onlywire.com. Onlywire has a free and paid service which allows you to broadcast your blog post, article or any other message you create online to approximately 30 different social sites.

Then there is a desktop application called "Think Links" that is one of the most complete resources for social marketing and backlinking available today. I really don't know why he's selling this at such a low price but, if you are interested in increasing your visibility online, I would get it now in cases he decides to raise the price (I have other programs that I've paid $197+ for that I do not use as much as this one).

4. The True Application Of Social Media.

If you know anything about Facebook, you will know that Facebook apps are one of the primary ways that Facebook uses interact and get hooked on using the service. If you have a Facebook presence for your business, one area of social media you should consider is getting your own application built.

You don’t have to have any programming or technical knowledge, as you can outsource this very easily. However, this can take some out of pocket startup capital to get going, but once it does it’s incredibly viral and powerful marketing tool for your business.

Ideally, think of something to related to your business or target market that is fun and entertaining. Creating these apps is actually very simple to do and for some larger businesses that have taken this route, it has been incredibly lucrative.

There are a couple of resources to find programmers rady to build these apps. Rent-a-coder is one and e-lance is another

5. Creating a True Network and Community.

As mentioned earlier, some businesses build a wall that separates the business from the customers. This wall really does create a barrier to communication and customer involvement as well as loyalty to your business.

By taking advantage of social media and creating an actual network between all of the social networks that you are involved with, you can actually create a viral community that actually helps to promote your business.

So make sure that in each social network you promote your other networks and openly invite your customers to join the other networks to stay informed.

You should try to maintain a common identity throughout all of the social networks you join and you should attempt to join all of them. So, how do you find the networks that warrant your time? Try going to www.namechk.com to see how available the username you are interested is.

It is equally as important to attempt to secfure your personal name as well as a corporate identy – even if you elect not to use it right away. Down the line it may be worth gold.

6. The Evolution Of Social Media Advertising.

One thing you’ll find in social media is a lot of people advertising incorrectly. Twitter at is a great example of this. I see too many people sending out nothing but links trying to sell their products or services (blatant ads). However, any marketing expert will tell you that this is business suicide.

In social media, direct advertising is often frowned upon because of the nature of social behavior. The savvy social media enhanced business owner will quickly realize that the soft sell approach works infinitely better than trying to communicate a powerful sales message in only 140 characters.

By building a reputation of value and trust, as well as creating a solid rapport with your target market, you’ll have a much greater chance to convert the website visitors you will generate for your social media activities into an actual paying customers.

That is not to say that cannot to use “Hooks” to draw interest into your promotions. That is just common sense. However, blatant hard sells will ultimately tarnish your reputation and damage any long-term chance at success.

7. Making Money – The Main Reason For Your Social Media Presence.

For most people, social media is about being social and connecting with other like-minded people. For a business, our goal is to make money. It is our sole reason for existing. Often times it is hard for a business to break the social media bubble and resist pushing its business efforts rather than building reputation.

And, unfortunately, among many social media purists, there is a common perception that all business should be banned from social media.

Of course, that is not only unrealistic but impractical. However, by taking the correct approach to social media by being personable and putting a human face on your business you have a much greater chance of creating a solid and profitable traffic and revenue stream in the long-term along with staying more true to the nature of online socialization.

Most businesses do this by branding the person rather than the business. For example, a lot of top CEOs and executives of companies are the “front man” for their businesses in terms of social media.

Again, by breaking down these barriers that separate business from social media and your target market, your business will gain credibility, trust, increased reputation and build a solid rapport with an audience that directly relates to your business.

Ultimately, the application of social media in your business is up to you. There are many ways to streamline your social media presence and in investing a small amount of time with these fundamentals will ultimately help you make money in the long run.

No matter the industry, if you have not adopted some sort of social media marketing, it is more than likely that you’re losing money and market share to those that have. If that’s the case, I highly suggest you act now and get started as soon as possible to protect your long-term interests.

This article was written by

Larry Perry
Perrydyse Marketing
"Your Search for Customers Ends Here"