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8 Ways To Effectively Use Twitter
Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that's fast becoming the "news" source for everyday people, by everyday people. It can be used to
stay in touch with friends and family and it can be used to help increase sales, build a brand, and drive traffic to your online store or web presence.
Twitter Can Expand Your Publicity Campaign In today's world, it is not enough to send a press release to the media announcing your new product, company expansion, or even your desire to go "green". You need to provide a reason for the media to visit with you. One way of doing that is to show the media how implement current trends in your business―such as using Twitter.com to expand your public relations effort. Below is an excerpt from a press release that does just that...
Now for the first time, Twitter users can become virtual winemakers by following everything from the picking of grapes, to the crush, fermentation, pressing, and finally barreling down the wine. Anyone who follows A Donkey and Goat Winery, via their Twitter Feed will also have the chance to be invited to the winery in Berkeley, CA to help stomp grapes. As someone who lived in Southern California for all of my childhood and part of my adult life, I have been on many winery tours and to many wine tasting events and I can tell you that I've never had the opportunity to "STOMP" grapes. Yet, every time I watched the episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy is in the vineyard stomping grapes and becomes purple, I couldn't help but think how fun it would be to have the opportunity to do the same. Twitter Can Become Your News Reel Besides commenting back and forth amongst twitter users, Twitter is fast becoming an up-to-the minute news source for professionals. Thanks to TwitterFeed tweets can have posts from various blogs, article directories, and forums instantly announced in their twitter feeds. And now, Dropio, an online file storage and sharing service (with both free and premium services), has incorporated a very special tool that allows "the integration of Twitter’s social networking and micro-blogging platform to enable ‘real-time' sharing of files uploaded to drop through a user’s personalized Twitter stream". Twitter Can Increase Awareness Through Daily Tips Thanks to a program called Tweet Later you can set up a system to post one tip a day for up to a year. Just log in, enter your Open ID address, your twitter account information, and your time zone. Set up a welcome message for new followers, then start adding your tips! It's truly that simple. Lorie Marrero, creator of The Clutter Diet, uses Tweet Later for her infamous "ClutterTweetTip.” Each day, at the same time, a new tip is delivered straight to her Twitter account. Not only does this give Lorie's followers something useful to implement in their daily lives, but she's made some wonderful contacts along the way―great for business and personal use! Twitter Can Help During Disasters When disaster hits, phone lines can be down. Cellular phones can remain busy for hours. The Internet may be the only way to get through to loved ones and colleagues. That’s when micro-blogging tools, such as Twitter, can come in real handy. With a quick click of a button and a few typed words, you can let everyone in your group know that you’re okay. And through a little direct messaging, you can also tell them where to contact you. Dr. Ramirez, Founder of High Alert, LLC and Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine, began micro-blogging on Twitter when disaster hit his home base—thanks to Tropical Storm Fay. Immediately he went into action by providing disaster preparedness tips and was inundated with messages from his followers that their “Go Pak’s” were packed and they were all doing okay. Twitter Can Bring New Business Unlike traditional marketing endeavors that only bring attention to the company, the products, or the services, Twitter offers a more personalized touch. Twitter definitely isn’t an all or nothing program. Those who use Twitter effectively know that in order to keep readers, they have to give more than updates on the latest happenings within the company, they must offer a personal side and must be willing to share outside sources that complement their overall campaign. Jason Falls, of Social Media Explorer uses his Twitter account to schmooze with anyone interested in learning how social media works or sharing their success stories. But that’s not all he uses his account for, according to Jason, he also uses “it to connect with friends in and out of the industry, so having hard, fast rules on usage is a little constrictive.” The key, according to Jason, is to be approachable. Don’t just talk about “you” but talk about the industry as a whole—even if it means sharing links and pointing to other people in the industry. And don’t ignore those private messages because you never know when they’ll lead to bigger and better things. According to Jason, he received a private message last month asking about social media press releases. As the conversation grew, he was asked to present a marketing plan to the questioner’s company which ultimately resulted in a new client for his company, Doe-Anderson. His conversations, on Twitter, have also landed him speaking engagements, leads, and colleagues in the industry. Twitter Can Compartmentalize If you’re using social networking as a way to keep in touch with customers or clients, you may want to consider opening up a second twitter account. Two accounts can keep you in the loop with family while helping you grow or market your business. According to Raymond Ray, of Small Biz Technology, business relations may not care about the small, personal details of your life—and may even be turned off by them. Especially if those details include one liners about being stranded in the airport, heading to the mall for a little shopping, off to pay a few bills, eating lunch, watching a television show, or reading your favorite book. If you are twittering as a way to connect with business prospects, clients, or customers, consider how your message ties into your business model. Is it really beneficial? If not, you may want to reconsider twittering about it or move it over to your personal account. Twitter Can Hold You Accountable Whether you are a freelancer working from the comforts of your home office or a member of the staff at a big corporation, accountability is vital to the success of your business. Yet, with so many different projects going on at once, it can be difficult to find an accountability partner and that’s when Twitter can come in handy. Jeanna Gabellini, of MasterPeace Coaching & Training, believes that it is important to “walk the talk” and one way of doing that is to have an accountability partner. But when an accountability partner isn’t available, an open-public source, like Twitter, can do the trick. The key to using Twitter as an accountability tool is to make sure you have followers you don’t want to “lose face with” and then post regular, daily updates on your progress. Twitter Can Be Used Incorrectly Balancing Twitter's ability to condense several activities across the web, with its unique ability to engage in conversations that are precise and to the point, can cause confusion amongst new Tweets. Brennan White, of Pandemic Labs—a viral and social media marketing agency—makes a great point when she says, "Everyone self-promotes on Twitter, to some extent" the problem occurs when they "use Twitter as their personal web traffic generator because it makes you feel used." The key to balancing promotion with socialization is to find a purpose and a direction for your Twitter account and then stick to it. Don't let your Twitter account become a catch-all. Sue Painter, of The Confident Marketer brings the point home when she says, "I’ve had to quit following a few people simply because they seem to think that Twitter-folks need to know EVERYTHING they do in a day. From picking up their kids to going to the pool to the fact that their plane was late or that the cat threw up—sometimes 20 or more entries in a day. It’s really quite self-involved and entirely of no value." Use Twitter, or any micro-blogging tool, to provide real value for your followers. It's not enough to promote, you must also interact, socialize, and become a part of a community. These are all great examples of the power of micro-blogging! In as little as 140 characters, and a few minutes a day, these companies have increased awareness about their companies, their products, and their services. About The Author Alyice Edrich is a mixed media artist, freelance writer, and aspiring photographer. She enjoys creating things that bring joy to others. Visit her blog, Coming Home, to check out her latest art. Or stop by her resume site, AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project. Reprint Rights This article may NOT be reprinted without monetary compensation and written permission from the author. For reprint rights or comments/questions about this article, please contact the author. |
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