It’s true that Twitter (along with Facebook) was largely responsible for the increase in new social networking users in 2009, according to digital analyst comScore. But if most of the tweets are about celebrity gossip, major current events or the latest movie review, why should a sensible Minnesota business owner care?
If your major demographic is under age 25, you can ignore Twitter (they think Twitter is for “old people”). But if it’s not, you can use Twitter as a great resource for spotting demographic trends and creating buzz about your business. You’ve probably heard this before, but you may be missing the actual strategy and time to implement this tool.
So let’s break down a few ways to use Twitter without the anticipated wasted time and low return on investment. Nobody can afford to waste time, but neither can we afford a missed opportunity.
1. Promote your content. Using tiny URL translators like “bit.ly,” you can “tweet” a news article, newsletter or blog you’ve already posted elsewhere online. Twitter can be used as a publicity engine to drive people to your Web site for various information. Publication and response can be immediate. There is no need to wait for printing or mailing and no need for mailing lists; the mailing list finds you.
2. Gather intelligence. As your list of followers grows, you can then use Twitter to perform an informal survey or get feedback on a new product or service. Many business owners are using Twitter to monitor what people are talking about; you can learn about customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction/wants and needs or gaps in service.
3. Manage your brand. Regardless of whether or not you are using social networking, your customers are out there – potentially talking about you. As a way to control the messages about your company or the types of results found in Google, Twitter is a simple way to monitor and manage your online brand.
For example, a Twitter feed on your site could allow you to post several positive tweets a day, which translates as fresh content for your site and a continuous positive counterpoint to any negative comments that might be floating out there in cyberspace. Twitter can act as an early warning system of bad publicity.
4. Use Twitter to stay informed. Find people to follow who are credible and connected in your industry and your clients’ industries. Use that timely intelligence when meeting with prospects. You don’t have to say that you heard the news on Twitter. Just use the tool as a quick gauge of industry trends and buzz for conversation starters.
5. Follow referral sources. Use the “find people” link to search for key referrals and follow them. You will stay on their radar if you make comments about their posts and offer resources of your own. Everybody likes fans in social media if they are intelligent and not creepy.
6. Follow competitors. This is a great way to find out quickly what they are thinking about, working on or promoting – long before they advertise it. They can choose to block you, but it doesn’t happen often. Borrow and maximize their ideas.
7. Create warm leads. Thank people who follow you. “Retweet” or forward their content to your followers if it would be helpful to your network. Follow relevant people who are following you.
This is one of the key benefits of social media, when you can build networks of people whom you wouldn’t otherwise meet and gain rapport and credibility through a common interest. Once your networks are built, you can nurture them for future business opportunities, market research and resources and sales.
An active Twitter presence can take just minutes a day, but leverage your time by setting it up for convenience. Some popular free programs like minggl and friendfeed allow you to get all of your social networking updates from Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn in one place. You can also update your status across multiple sites simultaneously.
Part of the mix
Despite the rapid growth on Twitter, it is still unclear whether it will sustain its growth or morph into another social networking tool. It is certainly not a tool you should choose exclusively, but use it as part of your overall positioning and branding strategy.
For example, if a survey of your best clients reveals that they are not using Twitter, you might think that this tool can safely remain low on your priority list. However, are your employees on Twitter? Are your vendors on Twitter? How about your referral sources and competition?
Research your various audiences – anyone who could potentially impact your good name or bottom line – and find out how high Twitter ranks on their radar. Then decide how much time you can logically spend on set up, management and monitoring.
As for return on investment, set some objectives for Twitter use. (Do you like to test the waters with your ideas? Do you want more positive name recognition with a certain audience? Do you want to see more visitors on your Web site?) Choose an objective and test Twitter as your marketing vehicle.
In terms of cost vs. benefit, Twitter is a low-cost option that could prove very beneficial for learning where you stack up in the market and how you are perceived.
