Archive for the ‘Help’ Category

A little birdie told me: Tweeting your way to success

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Twitter is still taking the world by storm; one tweet at a time. And if you haven’t heard of it yet, it’s time to head to twitter.com and sign up. Twitter is for more than techno geeks. Twitter is for your ski chalet, your car hire company, your clients and your 10-year old cousin. Twitter is a tool that savvy businesses are using to increase business and recognition.

Tweeple are tweeting
Businesses are discovering a huge marketing vehicle in Twitter. The advantages appear to be obvious:
1. Instant. Your followers know what’s happening, when it happens.
2. Free. Who doesn’t like free advertising?
3. Trendy. Tweeting is the new ‘in’ and it isn’t going to fizzle out anytime soon.
4. Far-reaching. Your country cottage rental business needs a wide following. Twitter not only spans the globe. It covers it.

So who is using Twitter to boost their brand?
Umm. Everyone. Starbucks has been on there forever. Dell and Apple employees virtually live on Twitter. Certain airlines keep it casual with tweets like, “Airplanes can’t type so Sophie is responding / chatting with you!” And, of course, celebrities can get there 100,000+ followers to jump at a bland tweet like: “Retweet of the week: http://www.streetchildren.org.uk… a fine cause I reckon…”.

Using Twitter to promote business
Because of its instantaneous nature, Twitter is perfect for announcing promotions. Just remember these three rules: keep it short, keep it casual and keep it real time. Here’s what it may sound like: “Ski Chalet giving away 3 free weekends to 3 random tweeple here (include hyperlink)”. A tweet like this should encourage a mad rush toward your website; perfect. Or, you could try this: “Ski Chalet just posted amazing new pics” and again, include your website. All these extra site visitors mean you stand a chance of picking up new business. For a promotional discount tweet try something like, “25% discount on selected ski holidays now runs until the end of the month”.

Twips for tweets
To make Twitter work, you should know how to use it. Like learning a new language, you need to immerse yourself, and start practicing. Here are some tips:
1. It’s not a billboard. It’s a conversation. Don’t just post promotions; listen to others. Be interactive. Ask questions. Offer help.
2. Tweet tactfully. Hundreds of daily tweets or inane updates won’t impress anyone. Tweet with decorum; like a real conversation.
3. Don’t become absent. If you take a prolonged hiatus or quit, you’ll lose your following. Keep it up!
4. Make use of the Twitter applications to get the most from your tweeting.

Dip your toe in (or should that be talon) and tweet away my feathered friends… see what happens. Surely it can’t harm.

Tags: twitter
Posted in Help, Social Media | 1 Comment »