I like Twitter. It`s a great tool to network, and just to talk to folks about interesting topics daily.

 

Tracy Wright

http://executees.net

 

Thanks for your insights on Twitter.

 

As a small business consultant, I teach classes in time management, customer service, retailing, e-commerce, and a few other topics. When people ask about things like Twitter, I have generally not seen the business uses for it, with the exception of  bar and restaurants. What I tell my clients is to figure out exactly how much time is spent and what real value is gained in dollars and cents....If you charge $25 an hour for your time, and you are spending an hour a day posting and reading on any social networking, you need to bring in $6500 in direct sales to cover the time you spent on the social networking. That is just break even. To be profitable, you need to bring in more. If you are able to bring in the business in real dollars and cents, use it. If not, consider it "off time" and a social tool instead of a marketing or sales tool.

 

I signed up for Twitter just to see what it is, and will spend a couple of months following others, and using a few of my posts to reach friends. In general, I am old fashioned, and prefer actually speaking with a friend over a cup of tea to this type of "social networking". Professionally, I make the most money when directly meeting with clients, talking on the phone, or teaching classes in my community. Personally, I kind of like knowing that Martha Stewart and I spend our weekends in a fairly similar fashion, and hearing positive thoughts by a friend I don`t see often. But after my "experiment" is over, I will probably cancel Twitter.

 

As with any form of advertising, marketing or sales, you really need to measure the return on investment with social networking. Spending too much time on Facebook or Twitter or any one thing can really detract from your main goals, and leave a "trail" of evidence you may not want out there forever. Remember that everything you put in an email, text, tweet, or blog can later be reviewed by a potential employer, your parents, or your children. If you want a good example of this, Google Kwame Kilpatrick. He is the ex-mayor of Detroit, who lost lots from a text messaging scandal.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lisa

 

 

 

 

Thank you, Vannie! Glad I could help.

 

David Jackson

 

 

 

Thanks, Christos!

 

David Jackson

 

 

 

 

Good to see you, Chuck!

 

David Jackson

Hey Deb,

 

I`m now "following" you on Twitter.

 

Schedule? As I posted on SuN back in April, it`s good to have a plan to use Twitter.

You can continue random Tweets and following people... but in order to more effectively reach the people / market you want a planned approach is better.

 

Here`s a simple four step plan (it`s not the only approach, but a relatively simple one to start):

 

(1) Identify key Twitter terms- Similar to SEO and marketing your business one of the first steps is to define your target market. Who are they, what are they seeking, and important for SEO and Twitter - what are the keywords/phrases relevant to them? For example,  if I sell golf instruction videos.... a key Twitter word may be "golf" or "golf` lessons".  If I sell jerky - then "jerky", "beef jerky"... would be a start.

 

(2) Search for Twitter terms - Now that you`ve identified your key Twitter terms, Twitter makes it easy to find people Twittering about those terms. You just perform a search using each term and a list of Tweets containing your target term will be provided.

 

I recommend using Tweet Deck. With Tweet Deck you can set up one or more searches on your targeted terms and Tweet Deck will continually monitor Twitter for those terms and show you the relevant Tweets.

 

Many of the Tweets you find will be people that fit into your target market... people with an interest in your targeted Twitter term(s).

 

(3) Follow your Twitter terms - from the search results, follow those that interest you. Remember, you can post on Twitter all you want, but most people will not see your Tweets unless they are following you... and you will not see their tweets unless you follow them.

 

(4) Provide useful content/Tweets and interact - This is a critical practice. Don`t just sell sell sell on Twitter. Although you see a lot of that - people selling something with every post they make. People who are successful on Twitter recognize it is a social environment and interact with their fellow Twitterers.

 

Offer tips useful to your target market. If the tips don`t fit within 140 characters... provide a link to the complete tip (an article, blog, or website - yes, your website, or blog). <--- see you`re generating traffic to your site.

 

Write like a newspaper headline - with a catchy few words summarizing the tip, then the link. Since you only have 140 characters - use a url shortening tools to make the url link short. Again, Tweet Deck helps you here... it has a built in url shortening tool.

 

Schedule?  Check your Tweet Deck once, twice, or more every day... to view the search results, follow people, and interact.  Remember, Twitter is 24/7 and world wide so some people a wide awake and posting while you sleep. How much time, is up to you... but with a plan and Tweet Deck your time is more productive.

 

~Roland