Twitter as a business tool, how can Twitter help a business?
Unless you have been living on the Moon for the last 2 years, you will have heard of Twitter. It is mentioned on the TV, on the radio and now in the world of business! In fact it seems you can't escape Twitter at the moment. So what's Twitter all about and can it help a business?
Twitter is simply a tool which allows members to post messages on a page dedicated to them. These messages are known as 'Tweets' and can be up to 140 characters long. Technically Twitter is known as a 'micro blogging' platform, which is basically a cut down version of a blog with really small messages!
People can "follow someone on Twitter" which means they have an interest in that persons Tweats and will get shown that persons Tweats when they sign into Twitter.
Messages can be on anything, and any browsing on members pages will undoubtably uncover messages such as 'just having my tea' or 'about to watch tv'. Big deal you might say, so you can post messages on a page? How does that help my business?!
Well the basic fact is that there are a lot of people on Twitter, an enormous amount. People from all walks of life, working in all kinds of industries. In fact nearly every type of business is represented on Twitter.
What if your business could send useful messages to them?
Well the good news is it can! Here is the general idea for using Twitter to promote your business:
- Get a Twitter account
- Start posting Tweets on subjects your customers would be interested in
- Search Twitter for people that are interested in this subject (you can search for people by keyword)
- Invite these people to follow you
- Continue to give them useful information through Twitter. You are communicating directly with people that would be interested in your business and forging a relationship with them!
These are the general steps involved, Twitter is not a five minute job that you can forget about once it is running. You need to keep Tweeting and communicating with your audience. Sounds like a lot of hard work but the rewards can be worth it.
Happy Tweeting!
