MBTI and Twitter

07-26-2010 by Téa Brennan

I have a theory that introverts use Twitter, particularly those that use Twitter as personal reflection or “overshare”. A conversation started last night with my followers, and with our small sample size I am already seeing a fascinating trend.

I am also seeing similarities with the way two unrelated people with a similar MBTI will communicate on social media.

So if you could be so kind as to take a few minutes to answer, I am interested to see the results and will publish them when I think I have enough of a meaningful sample size.

You either need to know your Myers-Briggs Personality type (e.g ESTJ or INFP) or you can take a quick test here.

Your Twitter username
Please take the test and then tell us the result below
















How would you describe your Twitter habits?



Happy New Year!

01-02-2010 by Téa Brennan

2009 was a year of massive growth for linkartist. Today we launch a new site design for 2010 and will be implementing a few more changes over coming weeks that show the direction we are heading in.

Big, big things for us in 2010 – in particular, going from 1 designer/developer/everything to a fully fledged business with staff.

We have a Yellow Pages ad, a Google campaign and a whole heap of exciting new clients already booked for the first half of this year. I plan on writing more content that is of benefit to our clients and engaging a bit more with this woefully neglected blog (the cobbler’s children etc etc).

I, personally, am very excited about the future for linkartist, and I hope that all of our current and future clients have a WONDERFUL 2010.

Onwards and upwards!

I am in The West Australian this weekend!

08-01-2009 by Téa Brennan

I was interviewed by Louise Burke for today’s West Australian Business section. I like talking about social networks, because I use them, well, a lot more than most :) I also get a massive ego boost, because it makes me feel so special and important and knowledgeable :D

The important point that I tried to make is that whilst there is no one right way to use social media, there is one wrong way. Don’t try and sell stuff straight away:

Web designer Tea Brennan, or “tealou”, said the best results came for people who used twitter informally.

“The common theme is to make friends first, have fun second, sell third,” she said. “It really is about long-term strategies and networking and not one-way advertising, this is a common mistake people make and it’s the fastest way to fail.”

She likens twitter to being at a party or other social occasion.

“You don’t just outright sell at a party, and you shouldn’t do that on twitter either,” she said. “Be helpful to people when they need it, but don’t get in their face either.

“I also tweet about what I am working on and have even written about my frustrations/emotions as a sole trader … I make it so that people think of me as an option when they hear someone needs a designer. It works for my circumstances.”

Tea’s profile proclaims her to be: “The third-worst mother on the internet. Web designer. 30th most influential Tweep in Perth. Apparently. Funny sometimes too.” And she posts comments which range from colourful social commentary to her children’s socks.

“I advise my clients to be as ‘warts and all’ as they are comfortable with,” she said.

“For me, nothing is off-limits, but you need to find your own limits … the approach that I would use for a political party might be different to say, my business, or an accounting firm.”

Article from Marketing Magazine about the Economic Downturn

01-21-2009 by Téa Brennan

Yesterday I posted about investing in your website to survive the recession, and it appears that more discussion is being had around this very topic.

The immediate, knee-jerk reaction for companies that don’t understand how the internet has changed, is to cut back on their web marketing expenditure… but things are very different from how they were in the dot-com bust in the late 90′s.

Survive the Recession – Update your website!

01-20-2009 by Téa Brennan

We are all worried. Businesses bigger than ours are going under, people are losing their jobs, banks are foreclosing on mortgages, and the government is trying to rescue the economy wherever it can. And of course, we are all trying to reel in our spending, pay off debt, and cut costs where we can. It’s hard not to feel like doomsday is upon us, quite frankly.

Yeah yeah, I know, I can hear the cries of skepticism coming now. Of course a web design company wants you to update your website. Of course we want to get you to think about your online strategy, because then we make money! Well, let’s put that little conflict of interest aside for just one moment, and let me give you a few reasons why now is the best time to start thinking about your online presence.

1. You need to work harder to attract customers.

In boom time, you don’t really need anything other than to simply be available and have the right price. Heck, you don’t even need to be very good! A little bit of cheap marketing is all you ever needed – you can get away with a standard template or a cheaply designed site – and, because of the nature of the economy, business is still good.

In luxury areas such as portrait photography or novelty/entertainment products in particular, in boom time, it is good enough to just grab a template that looks the same as everyone elses, have the date free, and still get the work.

You simply don’t need to try because the work comes to you.

In a downturn, it’s not as easy as it was. People are less likely to invest in the business that doesn’t market well. They aren’t simply going to go with the “guy that’s available”, because there will be 10, 20, 30 guys available that can do the job. There is simply less work to go around and the reality is that you now have to compete and find a point of difference in which to promote your business. This can mean investing in SEO services, it can mean a redesign of your site to attract customers, it can be to hire a User Interaction expert to assess why you aren’t getting the sales you need from your website. You will need to work harder to get the same amount of customers. Which means, you need to invest more in your marketing.

2. You need to do this in the most cost effective way possible.

How much does it cost for a display ad in the Yellow Pages? How much does it cost for radio advertising? How much does it cost to advertise in the paper? Do you see these as necessary investments in your business? How much do you spend on your camera & computers? How much do you spend on conferences & networking events? How much do you spend on pens & coffee mugs with your logo on it?

My bet? Lots.

So why is your web presence, a 24/7, international shopfront & advertisement for your business, such a low priority? Why is a custom, high quality website such a low priority? Why is it not a fixed expense, like all the other essentials to running a business? A great website will still cost you a fraction of all of the other marketing expenses and the payoffs can be substantial. If you take your store online, you can automate certain aspects and increase your sales.

There are many markets in which you can’t find a decent website for a single business. Particularly in trades and retail, it really wouldn’t take much to have the best website in your industry, or be #1 on Google for it. These are low-cost, high result investments.

So while other businesses are nickel-and-diming and focusing on this week’s Community News ad (that noone reads anymore), you could be getting serious about the web and being #1 in your industry on Google.

3. You need to make it easier for people to find you and buy from you.

When the sales are coming in, there is no time to think about the number of people that might leave your site without making a purchase, or those that have been looking on search engines and haven’t found you. But, when the sales stop or slow down, you need to consider getting the services of professionals that can assess your site and make it better.

That means reviewing your content (perhaps with a professional Copywriter), reviewing your Search Engine Rankings (with an SEO Expert, reviewing your design (with a professional web designer)… all of these services have measurable results – in fact most of these things can make a dramatic difference to your online presence.

4. You need to be more tech-savvy (or perceived to be) than your competitors.

So many people, including business owners, are intimidated by computers and the web. If you can find a partner that will help you figure it all out and get it right – even if you don’t quite understand yourself – you are on your way to being a leader in your industry at best, and at worst, a head above your competitors.

5. Websites are no longer a luxury or an afterthought.

The businesses that embrace the internet and prioritise their internet marketing will, without a doubt, be more equipped to survive a recession than a business that doesn’t. This does not simply mean putting up a web page that was designed by your well-intentioned but unskilled nephew – but getting serious about attracting customers and working with a team of people who know how to work on the internet.

Spending 3, or 5, or 10 thousand dollars is no small ask – I get that. But in business, there are certain fixed costs that need to be paid, regardless of how you feel about them. To spend $10-15k on a Yellow Pages print ad, for limited space for a limited time, is becoming less and less beneficial in the majority of industries. Why not cut the ad to half a page, build a better website and refer to the site on your ad? This is how it will work – where the print advertising refers to the online presence, and not the other way around.

Far too many businesses view their websites as an afterthought – and I personally go out of my way to hire those companies that appear to value their web presence, because I like to have as much information as I can without having to call during business hours. More and more people are like me, and in a recession, prioritising your web presence can make a difference.

So, with all that said, if you’d like a quote on a new website, contact us and we’ll customise a quote for your particular circumstances.