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- Twitter Marketing
Twitter Marketing
Twitter...if you can get past the ridiculous name of this service, it can actually be a pretty effective marketing tool. Yes, even we had some reservations at first. And yes, you have to sift through the online clutter of updates like "I just ate dinner" or "stuck in traffic." But in our minds, the positives far outweigh the negatives. We use it and think you should consider using it, too.
How Twitter Works
Twitter lets you broadcast short messages (140 characters or less) to your "followers." Similar to texting or instant messaging, these messages or "tweets" can be sent or received from a computer or a mobile device. You can also follow others and view their feeds in one place on your Twitter homepage. There are even third-party applications available if you find that you don't like Twitter's default interface.
Like Facebook or YouTube, Twitter is another way to connect online with potential customers, business partners, brand evangelists, friends, and even strangers. And while Twitter is referred to as microblogging, it's actually a lot easier than blogging which requires thoughtful or creative posts. If you can text, you can tweet!
Benefits of Twitter Marketing
Share sales and specials: If you have a retail business, Twitter is a great way to announce sales and specials. Woot, a site that has a different "deal" everyday, uses Twitter to share the daily deal with its over 500,000 followers and drive website traffic.
Build your blogging base: Say that three times fast. Have a company blog that could use some more traffic? Use Twitter to peak interest and drive traffic to the blog. It's another way to get to know your readers better - Twitter tends to be even more casual than blogging.
Share breaking news: If your business generates lots of news, you should consider using Twitter. You don't have to be CNN; newspapers, universities, chambers of commerce, municipalities and tourism bureaus are just a few examples of businesses that put out lots of news.
Connect locally: Twitter naturally lends itself to community building. Here in our medium-sized Ohio city, for example, we're able to connect with museums, libraries, local artists and galleries, plus our farmers market, visitors bureau, symphony, and newspaper, just to name a few. Twitter is especially helpful for local networking and generating buzz for local events.
Build support: Both Barack Obama and John McCain used Twitter to build and mobilize support during the 2008 presidential campaign. Now all sorts of organizations, non-profits and politicians have embraced Twitter to help build grassroots support and raise money.
Generate buzz: Does your business or organization do lots of events? Twitter is a great way to quickly share a tidbit or two about your event. Keep your followers up-to-date as you solidify event plans and special guests, share discount codes or earlybird specials, and let them know key dates and times.
Hone your image: While you might not think you can share much about yourself or your business in 140 characters per post, over time your tweets tell a story. Are you creative, knowledgeable, witty, an authority, etc? Twitter can be an excellent branding tool.
Is Twitter for Everyone?
Like any marketing strategy, no. We have a pretty Web-savvy client who thinks Twitter is a great marketing tool but is not at all interested in it for his business. Why? He's an accountant. As he put it, "My tweets would bore the socks off people. Besides, I don't have the time to keep up with it."
Two excellent points. First, some businesses lend themselves better to Twitter than others. Sure, there are accountants out there "tweeting", but if you're struggling to find a creative angle or have no idea what you'd say then it may be wise to invest your time elsewhere. Second, like any social media tool, you need to use Twitter fairly regularly if you want to get the most out of it. Twitter is all about building community and relationships, so staying engaged is really important.
Is Twitter marketing right for your business? Want to know how to leverage it to get more traffic to your site? We can help. Contact us at 888.485.4932 or use the form on this page.
