Twitter Basics for Business

Promoting Your Business with Twitter

Where are we going?

TWITTER FOR BUSINESS
How & Why To Use Twitter for Your Marketing

How Do People Find Information Online?
906,000,000
HRS / MONTH!

What Is Twitter?
A ‘Micro-Blogging Service’ You Can Use from Anywhere You Have Internet Access. (computers, phones, SMS, etc.)
Create a Profile for Yourself and/ or Your Company.Ex:www.Twitter.com/AuffenbergCars
Post 140-Character Messages Which May Include Hyperlinks.Ex:
You Can ‘Follow’ Other Members Whose ‘Tweets’ (aka ‘Posts’) Will Show Up on Your Twitter Page/ Newsfeed Automatically. Other Can Follow You, Too.
Twitter Members Can ‘ Retweet’ Messages and Links Posted by Others to Share with Their Followers, Too.
Twitter is FAST and Constantly Updating in Real-Time.

How Is Twitter Good For Business?
Twitter Works Great as an Opinion Poll and for Market Research.
Ex. Recent ‘Gap’ logo redesign rejection
Respond Quickly to Criticism or Bad PR ASAP & Directly to the Public.
Get Your News & Promotions Out Immediately to a Large Audience.
Build an Instant “Backchannel” by Using ‘#’ Hashtagsto Tweet about Events or Subjects, Easily Find Related Tweets, and Connect with Other Attendees.
Follow Your Competitors & Critics to Study and Learn from Them.
Network & Engage with Potential Clients and Other Industry Leaders.

WHAT THE TWEET?!
An Introduction to Twitter Language & Twitterquette
Scott Hampson: “Twitter Bird In Real Life”

Twitter Etiquette (Twitterquette)
Followers and Following: Following your followers and commenting on or ‘Re-Tweeting’ their posts is a great way to build network.
@PersonsTwitterName: Use to link to fellow Twitterers you want to mention so others can easily click to their Twitter profile & Follow them as well.
RT: “Re-Tweet” is crediting your source (again with a link), and sharing their Tweet, blog, or website with your followers. Great way to flatter & make friends, too!

Twitter Abbreviations
140-Character Limit Forces Twitterers to Use Short-Hand.
For More Ideas Check Out:
Some Common Examples Are:
b/c = because
b4 = before
EMA = email address
FF = recommending people to follow (Follow Friday)
LOL = laugh out loud
NSFW = not safe for work!
wld = would
# = Hashtags, used like the word “regarding” events or topics

What To Tweet?
Ask Questions. Twitter is GREAT for Getting Opinions.
Write About What Has Your Attention.
Interesting Books You’re Reading, Relevant News Articles or Industry Blogs, etc.
Don’t Be All Business – People Will Stop Following If Bored!
Links to Your Blog Posts, Images, YouTube Videos, Etc.
Be Sure to Ask a Question or Somehow Engage Audience with an Excerpt, Etc.
Don’t Just Dump a Link! Be Useful!
Re-Tweet or Comment on Other People’s Interesting Posts.
Spend at Least 15 Minutes Each Day Networking, Reading, Learning.
Share the Human Side of Your Company.
@TheHomeDepot Shares Stories About Employees
Encourage Employees to Actively Engage Using Personal Twitter Profiles, too!

What NOT TO DO On Twitter
You Don’t Have to Read Every Tweet.
You Don’t Have to Reply to Every ‘@’ Tweet Directed to You. (the more you do reply, the better for networking)
Don’t just post links to Your Blog Posts. Engage your readers by Asking a Provocative Question About the Post, Requesting Feedback, etc.
Don’t Post Anything In Poor Taste, Using Swears, or Insulting People.
Use DM’s for 1-to-1 conversations. Private Conversations Can Clutter Your Followers Feeds and Make Them Stop Following You.

TWITTER TOOLS
Tools to Make Your Twittering More Efficient & Fun!

Twitter Search
Twitter SearchLike a ‘Google for Twitter’.
Search for Tweets by keywords, dates, people,places, and more!
Find Other People in Your Industry, Potential Clients, Etc.
Ex: Tweets about “Moving” or “Apartments” if You’re a Broker
Ex: Tweets about a Problem Your Products or Services Solve
Monitor Your Company, Industry, and Competition:
Company Name, Trademarks, Website & Blog URLs
Relevant Employees Names
Brands, Products & Services
Events, Webinars, Seminars, Conferences
Competitors & Relevant Employees
Your Core Keywords/ Phrases
Industry Terms
Use Hashtags on Twitter to Track Conversations on Specific Topics.
The # Sign + a Phrase: (Ex. #RAINCAMP, #NAR, #IREC)

Trending Topics, Who To Follow, & Lists
Twitter Displays the Most Common Topics Being Tweeted in Your Selected Region in Real-Time on Your Profile Dashboard.
Twitter Suggests People to Follow Based on Your Interests, Area, and Network.
Other Users Can ‘Favorite’ Your Posts or Add Your Profile to ‘Lists’. Both are Great Ways to Get Noticed by New Followers.

URL - Shorteners
Long link URL’s Take Up Too Many of the Only 140 Characters Allowed.
Use Services like http://bit.ly/or http://tinyurl.com/to Create Shorter, Customized Version of Your Links!

Auto-Feed Your Blog
You Can Auto-Post Your Blogs to Your Twitter Profile Using TwitterFeed.
Helps Save Time
BUT- Lose the Ability to Customize the URL Link
AND Lose the Opportunity to be More Engaging with Audience When Posting Link
Select Different Update Frequencies.
Anything from Every 30 Minutes to Every 24 Hours
Filter Feeds by Keyword to Only Twit Posts with Certain Words Included.
Supports RSS & Atom Feeds.

Get Notified of Tweets with TweetBeep
Like a Google Alert for Twitter, Great for Online Reputation Management.
Sends Alerts to Your Email with Links to Tweets.
Track Conversations that Mention You, Your Products, Your Company, Anything You Choose, with Hourly Updates!
Track Who's Tweeting Your Website or Blog, Even if They Use a Shortened URL (like bit.ly or tinyurl.com).
Catch All Your @Replies and @Mentions.
Set Alerts for #Events You Host or Attend to Meet Up with Others.

Other Cool Tools
Tweetdeck and HootsuiteMake it a Lot Easier to Manage Followers, Send DMs, Shorten URLs, etc. from Your Desktop.
GeoChirpLets You Search for Tweets by Location Using a Map.
TweetCube, Twitpic, and TwitTirm Allow You To Host and Link to Multimedia Files.
Twitbacks and TwitterGalleryOffer More Background Options & Help You Customize Your Profile.
PostLater ,and CoTweet Allow You to Schedule Tweets for Later.
* There are 1,000 More! Do a Google Search & See What You Find!

CREATIVE TWITTERING
How To Get The Most Out of Twitter for Your Business

Connect To Twitter
Link to Your Twitter Profile EVERYWHERE!
You Facebook, LinkedIn, and Other Online Profiles
Your Websites, Blogs, Yelp Listing, Etc.
Newsletters, Promos, and Presentations You Give
Resumes, Business Cards, Email Signatures
Make Sure You Use Add This or Other Social Sharing Buttons on Your Blog so Readers can Syndicate Your Content to Twitter FOR YOU!
Host & Attend ‘Tweet-Ups’ (aka Twitter Meetings) to Get to Meet Other Twitterers in Real Life, Learn from Their Experiences, Offer Your Expertise, Etc.
Use #Hashtags To Create ‘Groups’ for Twitter.
First, Follow start following #Hashtags on Twitter.
Then Start Using ‘#’ in Your Tweets, Preceding Event Announcements
Tell Attendees to Do the Same!

Create A Twitter Contest
Post Details On Blog and Website & Promote on Twitter,Facebook, LinkedIn, Your Office / Store, etc.
Contest Should Last at Least a Month for Big Prizes.
Be Sure to Have a Lot of Active Followers with Lots of Followers to Share Your Contest With or it Won’t Work!
Give Participants an Extra Entry for Each Tweet Mention to Build Audience Fast.
Make Interacting with Your Twitter Profile and / or Website Part of Contest:
“Tweet @BostonLogic with your #1 marketing challenge for a chance to win a FREE 1hr. SEO consultation!”
“#FreeCoffee if you Follow @Starbucks and Tweet About Why You Love @Starbuck.”
“Post a Fan Video on Our Website & Tweet About Us to Enter to Win a Free MacBook!”
Announce Your Next Contest When Announcing the Winner on Twitter.
Creates Buzz, People that Missed First Contest Will Follow for Next One.

Host a Tweet-Off
Contest to See Who Tweets About You The Most!
Be Sure to Set a Start and End Time.
Make the Prize Something Desirable.
Make Sure Each ‘@Mention’ is Unique & Positive.
This Will Give You a TON of Exposure.
Keep the Buzz Going by Tweeting Regular Updates of Who’s in the Lead!

Create Twitter-Only Specials
Let Your Audience Know You Have Monthly or Weekly Twitter Specials.
Let People Know the Only Way to Get the Discount or Deal is on Twitter.
Post Signs in Your Store with Twitter Name.
Announce it on Blog and Website.
Make a Notice About It on Your Yelp Listing, Email Signatures, Etc.
Create a New ‘Secret Code Word’ Each Month and Announce It On Twitter Along with the Special Offer.
Ex. % Off of a Product You Regularly Sell or Entire Purchase if a Store.
Ex. Money Back at the End of a Closing if a Broker.

Twitter Contest Guidelines
Discourage the Creation of Multiple Twitter Accounts.
Discourage Posting the Same Tweet Repeatedly.
Twitter Doesn’t Want to Get Bogged Down with Your Spam.
Have Them Tweet Something Unique Instead
Ex: Why They Like You, Answer a Question, Create a Twitter Poem About You, Etc.
Ask Users to Include an “@Mention” to You in Their Tweets.
So You Can Easily See & Track Entries on Your ‘@Mentions’ Tab When Logged In.
Lots of People Will See a Link to Your Twitter Page & Read Positive Feedback about You.
Encourage the Use of Topics Relevant to the Contest.
Ex: #FreeCoffee, #YourCompanyName, #ContestName, #EventName, Etc.
Review Twitter Rules of Use!
Read Them Here: http://support.twitter.com/articles/18311-the-twitter-rules

Recap
Twitter is About Social Networking.
Find Interesting People, Follow Who They Follow.
Spend At Least 15 Minutes Each Day Commenting, Reading, etc.
You Need To Engaging Users to Get the Most Out of Twitter.
Re-Tweet and Comment on Other’s People’s Tweets.
Ask Questions, Ask for Feedback.
Syndicate VALUABLE Content People Want to Read.
Don’t Just Spam and Toot Your Own Horn All the Time.
Be Creative!
Host Tweet-Ups, Create Contests, and MORE!

Now Let’s Check It Out!
Slideshow Adapted From ‘LogicClassroom by Boston Logic’
http://www.slideshare.net/amenter/logicclassroom-twitter-for-usiness-nov-2010

Twitter Basics for Business

by William Jackson

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