BMEA

Some say that Twitter is a fad. Well the uptake worldwide of this online phenomenon is proving the doubters wrong. As a marketer I am finding that Twitter is another part of my marketing arsenal providing me with a simple yet powerful tool for me which allows me to network, learn and discover new opportunities. I am finding that when you get into tweeting, it can be absolutely fascinating.

For those who are not quite sure what all the fuss is about, Twitter is a micro-blogging platform which asks participants one simple question: ‘What are you doing?’ You can post information on what you’re doing, watching, reading, listening to or, even, thinking but all answers must be within 140 characters. Your posts can be sent via mobile phone text, instant message, or the web. The brilliant thing about Twitter is that it restricts the tweeter to an economical amount of text so you don’t get an essay. You can still post a hyperlink to your site in your twitter if you want to, to back up your message with further details.

Twitter plays to the inherent human conditions called nosiness. People follow the sources most relevant to them and access information via Twitter as it happens – from breaking world news to updates from friends. Some people automatically follow everyone who follows them; some are choosier, manually looking carefully at the people who follow them and then deciding whether to follow them back. My advice is that you just have to do what you are comfortable with.

There is lots of applications you can use to link to images and sound. Perhaps the most important application is tweetdeck which allows you to organise your Tweets you receive into manageable categories like real-world friends, customers, celebrities and so on.

A lot brands are getting on the act and are learning how to use Twitter to great effect. However he golden rule is to not to sell anything overtly but rather become a part of the community and general conversation by offering useful advice and a positive contribution

Be warned as with all good things there are some annoying things about Twitter. Most people on Twitter put the mundane things in life that they are doing such as making a cup of tea or doing the shopping. If you’re on Twitter in order to connect with your customers, to grab your readers’ attention, and ultimately to do business, then you need to be write tweets that are informative or entertaining to read.

Enjoy yourself. Happy Tweeting!

For more tips, click on Internet/Web tips to grow your business.

Ian Lockyer
www.easimarketing.com