WE'VE MOVED!

We are proud to announce our NEW community destination. Engage with resident experts and fellow entrepreneurs, and learn everything you need to start your business. Check out the new home of StartupNation Community at startupnation.mn.co

(Untitled)

ZekeLLZekeLL subscriber Posts: 22 Bronze Level Member
edited July 2009 in Marketing











Twitter is a micro-blogging platform. It
lets you post up to 140 characters at a time. Some people post their status
every 5 minutes (“Waiting for the bus”, “On the bus”, “Walking home”) and
companies use Twitter to get the word out about new products, blog posts, and
other random stuff.


Companies from all over the world have
Twitter accounts and thousands of people following them. Some of these
companies are Apple, Intel, H&R Block, and Zappos. Barrack Obama has over
38k followers!


To leverage the Twitter potential you need
to have people following you. That is, people that want to be updated on what
you are up to.



Step
1: Importing Contacts

When you sign up for Twitter you will have a chance
to import contacts from Gmail, Hotmail, and your own address book. Do it.



Step
2: Complete Your Profile

Make sure all your profile is complete and include
a link to your website. Add “http” at the beginning of it to make it clickable.
Personalize the colors and the sidebar on your profile page. Use keywords in
your profile so others can find you.



Step
3: Understand the Dynamics of Twitter

Twitter is not a marketing tool; it’s a social
tool. That means:



-        

Don’t spam


-        

Follow other users


-        


Be active in the community (comment
and post frequently)



-        

Post useful information


-        

Don’t post every 10 minutes


-        


Engage in conversations.
Retweet (reply to other tweets) often



-        


Don’t promote yourself. Share
cool stuff. To give your company exposure, do it the smart way. Direct your
followers to a blog post with useful information and have that post invite
users to take action. Don’t try to take people from Twitter to your checkout
page directly.



Step 4: Build Your Audience

There are several things that you can do to build
your audience:



-        


Put a link to “Follow Me on
Twitter” in your email signature, forums signature, website, and maybe even
your business cards



-        


Invite people to follow you on
Twitter at the end of each blog post you create



-        


Find Twitter users that you
really look up to and see who is following them. Follow these people. Once they
see you are following them, they will follow you.



-        


See who is following your
friends and follow them. They will follow you too.



-        


Use Twitter directories to find
members who are likely to follow you. My favorites are www.TheOutsourcingCompany.com/blog for more great tips on entrepreneurship and online marketing

Comments

  • DavidJohnsonDavidJohnson subscriber Posts: 0
    yeah!!!  i have not so much worked on this site but as much as i have used it i found Twitter really cool... thanks for the tools
    ChristineDavidJohnson2/4/2009 12:43 AM
  • profitizerprofitizer subscriber Posts: 16 Bronze Level Member
    Hello.
    I finally signed less than a day ago after it being suggested by a new found business friend. I actually see that it could be quite fun.
    I`m going to learn more from the references in this thread plus other sources so I can enjoy it even more.
    BTW - Twitter makes available API applications so you can put searches, etc. on your website.  I haven`t really looked at them, but if I decide to try it, I`ll tweet the info.
    Feel free to follow me at http://twitter.com/ibnetllc
    Thanks!profitizer7/12/2009 1:11 AM
  • profitizerprofitizer subscriber Posts: 16 Bronze Level Member
    Hello again.
    Is there a way to ONLY send messages to your followers (or friends depending on the social network)?
    Thanks.
  • profitizerprofitizer subscriber Posts: 16 Bronze Level Member
    Thanks WildMountainGourmet.
    I should have been more clear.  I want to send messages to my friends or followers list in the various social media.
    From what I`ve read, that doesn`t seem possible.  Is there some way to do this that I may have missed?
    Thanks again.
  • JCF2QJCF2Q subscriber Posts: 3
    Profitizer,
    To clarify, you want to send a mass message out via Twitter to your followers?
     
    Unfortunately, there isn`t a way to do that yet. Only 1 by 1 "Direct Messages". It can found on your right hand side under your @username.
     
    James F.
     
     
  • JCF2QJCF2Q subscriber Posts: 3
    There may be some apps that make it possible. I`ll have to do some research. I know the major ones like TweetDeck can`t do that yet.
     
    - James F.
  • safeinfosafeinfo subscriber Posts: 0
    Hello,
     
         I am new here but i would like to add so info about twitter"it`s great" right now we have over 700 followers and have noticed a big up tic in our website hits on http://www.amersafeschool.com/
     
     
    follow us http://www.twitter.com/amersafeschool
  • DanDeLaCruzDanDeLaCruz subscriber Posts: 0
    Definitely something you should be using. Twitter helps build a bridge between you and your customers. I have about 900 followers on twitter and that number is growing daily. It helps build loyalty and trust between you and the people that follow you. Definitely a great tool for marketing in this Internet age.
    DanDeLaCruz7/14/2009 11:51 AM
  • LstevensLstevens subscriber Posts: 0



    Great article! Guy Kawasaki is the "Twitter King" and I have learned quite a bit from him regarding how to successfully use Twitter to promote my new business.
    Guy recently gave a seminar in San Diego regarding how to build your
    business through Social Media. Check it out: http://www.youreeeka.com/
    WELL WORTH the $19.99.....very insightful! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS!!!!!!!!
  • ethosmentorethosmentor subscriber Posts: 0


    The power of social media is a phenomenon – this article is pertinent for all business owners who have or are exploring the option of marketing their services through Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter. Living in Oregon, I was astonished to see the effect Twitter had on Dave Chappelle’s appearance in Portland, Oregon. One Twitter post ended up reaching thousands of individuals in the Portland metropolitan area who were able to see his performance free of cost. He only expected 200 to show. This only further demonstrates the massive effect Twitter has on viral loops and user relationships. Small businesses, however, should be warned of the overwhelming response that these sites can generate if one is not careful. Great article!
    Kind Regards,
    Ellisa Brenneman, Presidenthttp://www.EthosMentor.comhttp://www.EthosAdvisor.com


Sign In or Register to comment.