Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Twitter, the microblogging platform that enables people to publish whatever they want- as long as those thoughts are not longer than 140 characters. While those of us working in social media marketing are immersed in the wonderful world of Tweets (those Twitter posts) and Tweeple (those people doing that Twittering), Tweetups (events where Tweeple meet in the real world) and a seemingly endless number of third party services associated with Twitter, I still find that most people don’t have any idea what Twitter is or why they should care.

Twitter is a business tool

The reason you should get to know Twitter is that it is becoming a critical tool for business. You can monitor Twitter for mentions of your brand and related keywords, including competitors. My former employer offers a powerful online tool for doing this and there is a usable free version. Once you’ve set up your keywords you can have an Alert sent to your inbox every time someone Tweets about you or your products, services, competitors or business sector. Let’s look at how powerful this becomes as a marketing tool.

Keyword mentions are qualified leads

Because of search, keyword phrases are the key marketing tool of the new economy. You don’t need advertising, cold calling, direct mail or any other marketing tactic if you have a clear understanding of the keyword phrases associated with your business. Developing your keyword list can be a tricky process but it’s worth it ( I can do this for you on a contract basis, contact me for info).

Keyword mentions in social media are pointers to qualified leads. A person talking about your product or service in these public forums has self-identified themselves as being very interested in your business, even if their comments are negative. This is the ultimate targeting. Simply respond to their comment on Twitter with something helpful. They will respond positively if you add value to their conversation.

Social media exposure is exponential, one to many

But isn’t this too labor-intensive? No, because of an incredible aspect of Twitter and other public social media platforms: Everyone following the person you respond to will see your response. They are following that person because of shared interests. And if they like what you’re saying they can Retweet you to their followers, spreading the word virally. And you can include a URL in your Tweets (use www.bitly.com to shorten URLs and track clicks- it’s free)

Is the light bulb going off yet? Through Twitter you can reach a highly targeted group of prospects for your products and services instantly and globally. These people are asking for information! And you can reach out to them by following them and using a Twitter feature call Direct Messaging that sends a message from you into their inbox. Pretty cool, eh?

Commercial interruption: I do contract marketing for growing businesses

If you want to know more or need help with setting up your social media marketing, contact me at www.martinedic.com.

Resources:

Good beginner’s guide to Twitter, Part One and Part Two