Come join us for a Twitter 101 Chat Event about all things Twitter hosted by Social Media Virtual Assistant, Kimberly LeRiche of JK Virtual Office Resources. Twitter has quickly become a major Social Media platform and a crucial, important piece of any Virtual Assistant’s online networking strategy. We will discuss the ins and outs of using Twitter and great tips for using Twitter to network and to meet potential clients. The chat event will be the perfect venue for asking any questions you might have about Twitter as well as share your own experiences and tips about Twitter. As an added bonus, a copy of “Twitter Means Business” will be given away at the end of the session. Please join us on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 6 pm (PST) in the VAF Chatroom.

Kimberly LeRiche of JK Virtual Office Resourcs is a Social Media Virtual Assistant and specializes in social media marketing strategy and social media research assistance. Ms. LeRiche provides help with maintenance of client social profiles and accounts and the monitoring of clients’ online brand presence and reputation using a variety of online tools.

If you haven't been in the VAF Chatroom yet, check it out - you'll find a direct link to it (LIVE CHAT) in the main menu.

Note: Members do need a minimum of 25 posts to access the chatroom feature.

The new member blogs feature has been a great success so far with thirteen blogs in-progress! (Check them out, read posts and share your comments by clicking the 'MEMBER BLOGS' link in the main menu.) And you too can start your own VA blog right here on the forums!

Member posts are featured on the main Member Blogs page as well as on your own personal blog page! Your blog comes complete with a whole host of features: an RSS feed, categories, editing of existing blog posts, the option to accept/moderate comments, comment notification, subscription options, Akismet spam cop, and more!

To start your blog now click the 'MEMBER BLOGS' link in the main menu and select the 'BLOG CONTROL PANEL' link in the menu to the left. Give your blog a name and description, then, when you're ready to make your first post click 'POST TO MY BLOG'. Draft a title and enter your blog post content. Voila! You're blogging!


Note: You MAY use the RSS feed and URL for your blog in any way you like - so be creative! Add the link to your VA business site's main menu, include it in your email signature, use the RSS feed to publish your latest blog posts to your site, Twitter your blog posts, add your blog to your LinkedIn profile, etc.

That's right, now you can create video posts on Virtual Assistant Forums! We loved the software the big sites like YouTube and Facebook are using for this same feature but it's expensive! So we built it ourselves!

When you click 'New Thread' or 'New Reply' you'll find a video recorder right there in your text editor! Use it to add video messages to your posts and announcements, use it to practice and perfect!

Here's how to make a VIDEO POST:
Our flash video post feature will work with your computer's video camera. If you don't have a video camera this feature will not work for you.

To record and post a video:
-When you're ready, click the big red 'RECORD' button on the video screen. Hit 'STOP' when you're done.
-To view your video click 'PLAY'. You may re-record until you like the results.
-Click the big red 'SAVE' button when you're ready to publish your video post.
-Add text and/or tags to your post. Don't forget to write a subject line!
-Save the post as you normally would.

NOTES:
-You may post a combination of text and video - simply type in the text editor as you normally would and then follow the instructions for adding a video.
Save your post as you normally would.
-Videos are limited to five minutes each.
-Feel free to link directly to any forum posts (video or otherwise) you wish from your website or blog.
-This is a custom feature, developed specifically for VAF.


Enjoy!

As if there weren't enough new features already this week - here's yet another!

Click here to learn how to use YouTube videos in your posts http://www.virtualassistantforums.co...ead.php?t=5788

As always, please keep it professional

We have some big updates coming to VAF this month, and this latest feature is only one of them!

Just as you've been able to add your latest blog post to your profile so it shows up with your username at each post you make, now you can keep other members updated on what your latest Twitters are!

Here's how to use the "My latest Twitter" feature (if you have a Twitter account) and don't worry, you won't need to update "Your latest Twitter" every time you make a tweet, that part will be done automatically.

Click "Settings" on the top menu and then click "Edit Options" on the left menu, then scroll all the way down and find the field called "Twitter Username", enter your Twitter username and save the info.

Your Twitter feed will update on the forums every hour and display next to your username with every post you make.

This functions simultaneously with the My Latest Blog Post feature so you can have both at the same time!

Enjoy

ALSO - when you post a new thread on the boards you'll now notice a drop down menu of 'prefixes' next to the 'title' field to help identify what sort of post it is you're making. Now you can select things like 'Question', 'Announcement', 'Hint', etc. etc.

More great stuff coming soon!!