In case you missed it, Twitter is a revolutionary microblogging and social networking platform that is rapidly gaining popularity around the world. At the last count, nearly 200 million people used Twitter to connect with friends, colleagues, business partners, and even celebrities.
However, it’s hard to call Twitter a competitor to Facebook, or even classify them in the same category, because they are so different.
Like Facebook, Twitter is all about social networking and allows you to connect with people you know, but that’s where the similarities end. While Facebook allows users to post lengthy status updates, all Twitter messages are 140 characters or less.
While Twitter also allows you to repost other users’ Tweets, or reply to or comment on posts, most users find that, unlike Facebook, where most of their contacts are known (family, friends, and colleagues), on Twitter, most people follow people who have never met before.
As a business application, Twitter offers possibilities for staying in touch with customers and business partners, as well as for marketing and keeping up with industry news. Being able to link to websites, photos, and other content also makes it a valuable means of sharing information, and because many countries allow you to tweet from your mobile phone, it’s mobile and easy to use anywhere.
Let’s take a closer look at how Twitter works.
The first step, once you have registered a Twitter account, is to create your user profile. You can add a profile picture or your company logo, as well as information about yourself, your company and your website. You can choose to include contact details or leave them out, and you can include your interests and other information.
Once your Twitter profile is complete, the next step is to add your contacts. These could be anyone from family and friends to clients or even people you admire but have never met. Adding people on Twitter is known as ‘following’ and instead of ‘friends’ like you would on Facebook, on Twitter you have followers. Each of those followers will receive your Tweets, when you send them, and the Tweets of anyone you follow will appear in your news feed.
Now that we’re out of the basics, let’s look at how you can use Twitter to benefit your business.
The first method is to follow people who work in your industry or a related one. For example, if you own a hotel, you can choose to follow people who are involved in tourism businesses or who write travel reviews. This keeps you up to date with industry news and opens up the potential for new business.
Another great option is to encourage your customers to follow you on Twitter. That way, when you have special offers, new products or services, or updates on your website, you can quickly and easily share them with all your followers.
Because Twitter allows you to create lists, it’s also possible to categorize your followers, or the people you’re following, into lists or groups, and reply to a group or list, rather than an individual. That means it’s easier to reach more people with just one Tweet.
With the announcement of targeted Tweets and the Twitter advertising option launched in 2010, there is another form of advertising opening up for business owners on Twitter, but how well it will compete with AdSense and advertising options remains to be seen. advertising on Twitter. other social media platforms. Still, it’s always good to know there’s another alternative.
Possibly Twitter’s greatest asset, in terms of marketing and business, is that each Tweet is only 140 characters long and that you can send Tweets from anywhere, if your mobile device is enabled. This makes it perfect for small business owners trying to fit online marketing into their already busy schedules.
Add to that the site’s link building potential, and it’s easy to see why it’s known as a business marketing tool. So if you’re not already tweeting about your business and news, why not sign up and give it a try? You may find that you find new business and even some opportunities, or that you learn from people who inspire you!
