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Twitter Me This

November 4th, 2009

Twitter book

photo credit: DavePress

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

As much as anyone might wish to avoid it, there’s no denying that Twitter is as much a face on the technological Mount Rushmore of today as are Facebook, YouTube, or Google. Why do I want to read about someone taking their morning vitamins or reading the paper? Well, for every person that goes into overkill mode, there’s always someone out there providing useful information that is beneficial to the rest of us.

As of today, Twitter doesn’t have an actual business plan if you can believe it. It’s just kind of… there, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it to your advantage. Restaurants can use it to remind customers of daily specials, stores can use it to advertise sales, and sports teams can use it to post live game updates. Many of us consider it to be nothing more than a silly application for the tweens, but the fact remains: the Twitter user base keeps growing at an exponential rate and is well over 10 million users today.

Another key note to keep in mind: According to a study performed by Los Angeles-based research group Interpret LLC, Twitter users are twice as receptive to advertising. To read more on this study click here. How’s that for motivation?

So the question being asked on a daily basis is, “What exactly is Twitter?” To simplify it, Twitter is a social networking service that allows users to send and read messages know as Tweets. Each Tweet can be up to 140 characters and include a web link. Users can follow or ‘subscribe’ to other people’s accounts and so on.

So now that you’ve seen why there’s so much potential to reach people, how do you get your message out there with short 140 characters? Here are some ideas to get you started:

-    Post tips or problem solving articles you’ve found on the internet or written about on your blog

-    Promote a newly released product or service, or an upcoming promotion or sale

-    Ask your clients questions. The web is a worldwide forum. You’ll be surprised at the feedback you receive.

-    Don’t be a working robot. Post about non-work-related topics. It doesn’t have to be personal, but it’s nice to know we’re all human.

-    ‘Retweet’ and promote others. People will always help the ones who help them.

If you’re not really into blogging but want to have an added web presence than simply your static website, Twitter allows you to crunch your thoughts down into a 140 character line of marketing goodness. How often you choose to get involved is up to you.

Twitter isn’t just for the tweens, technodorks and megageeks. It offers businesses an established web presence without having the pressures of maintaining a full-on website. You have a place to interact with clients and prospects without having them in your physical location. Twitter can also help augment and improve customer service. It all goes toward increasing your brand awareness. If you do nothing, you can’t expect much of a return.

If you’d like to get started with social networking but are still unsure about how to get started, contact Point.Click Media.

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Posted in Web Tools on November 4th, 2009

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