Twitter is a phenomena in anyones language and although the business has not really settled on their own business model yet, its a real opportunity for online entrepreneurs. Apart from being absolutely free you also have almost instant access to a wide range of individual and business clients to who you can send regular updates on your business, products and services. But how does it work and will it be worth the time spend on constantly updating your status, following other and becoming more social in your advertising and media approach?
At first glance, Twitter may seem to be nothing more than a social circle. But with a little time, action and a strategic plan, Twitter can be used to effectively create new business for just about everyone. True, Facebook is bigger, but Twitter is evolving to be THE social marketing site for businesses. There are new buyers for nearly every conceivable niche. That’s why Twitter has become so effective for business: you can sell vegetables from the market, consulting services from the high office and books to book-aholics, you just need to find the right strategy.
So what is the right strategy?
Some may employ Twitter marketing and find no success whatsoever. What’s the point if you can’t crack the few thousand followers needed? If your goal with Twitter is more than just fun, you’re going to need a real marketing strategy. As far as the right strategy, it’s going to be different for every business.
Think of what you want Twitter to do for you. What marketing goals you can achieve using the social platform. Define these goals solely for social marketing and focus all your social marketing on achieving these goals. From that, develop your media schedule to keep a constant stream of Tweets.
Networking is going to be key. The more Tweeters you meet, the more connections you’ll make, the better chance you’ll have of connecting with potential consumers and big players in your field. Think beyond the 140 character Tweet and use every technology, person, connection and marketing venue at your disposal.
Technologies to save you time
Earlier, when I said it took a little time, I may have lied… a little. Putting up a constant stream of tweets, developing content to tweet about and building a worthwhile following can be rather time consuming. However, there are a few technologies for Twitter that can help you save some time.
• Social Oomph (formerly TweetLater) allows you to run your Twitter marketing operation all day at times when you’re busy. You can schedule a certain number of pre-written Tweets and focus on connecting with more leads.
• TwitterFox is also a useful piece of technology, where you can access Twitter without having to click over to the site every time.
• Another important technology is the Twitter application for Facebook, where any messages you post on Facebook can also be posted on Twitter.
Ready… Set… Tweet!
You can effectively use Twitter to gain new business without employing any of these strategies. But the truth of the matter is, this is really just the beginning. There are millions of different tactics and strategies businesses have developed to get the most out of this social networking site. But if you’re questioning why do all this at all when you create no leads, remember to think long term. Much of what Twitter can do for your business is in the realm of branding and networking. Often times, it will take a while before you’ll see the benefit.
