Twitter. To Tweet, or Not to Tweet?

You have the Followers, Now What?

Twitter is a great tool to use for Social Media Guru's, Consultants, Strategists, etc.  You get the hint.  There is no age requirement (that I saw), so, kids are on there tweeting like crazy to get their favorite Celebrity to follow them.  And when they do?  O. M. G.!  It's THE best minute of their lives!  They have earned bragging rights because Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, or Taylor Swift is now following them.

Ok, back to business.  We all agree, Twitter is fantastic.  You can get your information out there in 140 characters or less.  Keep it short and sweet.  Anything longer?  Leave it in a blog post and leave the link.

Great things to tweet about:

- Sales going on
- New product you are offering
- New Blog Post you just posted
- What a great day it is outside
- What fun activities are going on in your area
- Wishing Happy Holidays

Not so great things to Tweet about:

- Sales going on
- New product you are offering
- New Blog Post you just posted
- Clearance items
- Press Release Links
- New section on your website

See the difference between the two?  The first one is business and fun.  The second one is business and.... Well, business.  Keeping it all business is not always fun for your readers.  They want a mix.  And most businesses are in the know of what activities are planned, so, why not share?  Yes, I understand, it's a business Twitter account.  Yes, people expect to see your business related posts.  But, if you are Tweeting 2, 5, 9 times a day and it's all business?  You are not going to get the interaction you may be looking for.  People want to know the business they shop at, work with, etc, has a little more going on.  Also, make sure you ARE tweeting 2, 5, 9 times a day.  Twitter is crazy and your tweet will be lost in seconds.  You want to make sure you are staying up there for your followers.  Let them know "HEY!  WE ARE HERE!"  No, don't tweet in all caps.  That would drive a Saint crazy.  Plus, people will yell back at you.  But, by tweeting more than once or twice a day, you are getting your business there in front of your clients.  That's your investment.  Now, watch for your return.

The example I gave with Tweens/Teens/Young Adults who have Twitter?  They have interaction going on.  My daughter is 11 and she and her Twitter followers interact back and forth about their favorite Celebrities. Do they not always agree?  Sure.  But, there is interaction.  That is their version of ROI.  They invest their time tweeting out and they get a return investment in the communication.  Some kids probably have higher Klout than some businesses do!

If you are on Twitter, are you strictly business?  Or do you twist it up a bit?  Ask how your consumers day is going?

What are the Best Tools to Bring your Company Online?

Thinking about taking your company online?  First piece of advice, DON'T think about it, DO it!  By the end of 2011, there were over 500 MILLION people on Facebook worldwide.  Consumers these days are savvy.  They know there are companies out there.  They know there is competition.  They are going to go with the company that they are able to research.  If you are not online, you are unsearchable.  Sure, there may be reviews at places like Yahoo! Local, but, it's not guaranteed your company would even have a review.

What should you do first? Get a website started if you haven't already.  This is where your potential customers are going to go to see what you have to offer.  If you are able to, get testimonials from your customers and have a page on your site just for that. Customers love to see what others think of your business.



Next, get your Social Networking pages up.  Facebook and Twitter are great!  Especially if you want to get great deals that you are running, out to your consumers quickly!  But, one thing you don't want to do with these pages is make it all about your company. You want to share fun things too.  Ask your customers fun questions, or if you know of something going on locally, let your local customers know about it.  Keeping it all about your company can actually drive your customers away from you.  Twitter only allows 140 characters, but, you can say a lot with that.  You can also connect your Facebook and Twitter pages so your message will go to both.

You can also set up a company blog.  Use this to get the message out there about your product and video demonstrations.

YouTube.  This is another great source of getting your product out there.  If you have video demonstrations, post it here and make sure to use keywords so people can find it!

LinkedIn and Google+ are other great places to have your company listed as they gain more registered users.  LinkedIn can also be connected to your Twitter account.

If you are too busy, or, not comfortable with running the pages, hire someone.  You want your online presence to professional and well executed and of course, received well by your customers and potential new customers.

Do you have an online presence?  What have you found that worked or didn't work for you?

Why is an Online Presence Important?

There are over 2 Billion people using the internet daily.  Consumers are getting smarter and they do their research.  They want to know the reputation of the company they may potentially start doing business with.  This is more of a need to know information.  If you do not have an online presence, it is harder for consumers to find out about what you do.  Consumers no longer purchase locally, it is an international research.  It's all about what is online.  If you aren't, then consumers cannot see what your company is about.  

Did you know, there are over 500 million users on Facebook alone?  By the end of 2012, they are on track to having over 1 Billion registered users.  Twitter also has over 250 million registered users.  This is how companies are getting information out about their services and/or products.  A lot of merchants use Facebook to offer exclusive discounts or other programs, such as contests and giveaways, for those who like their pages.


So, this begs the question: What is Social Media?


The best answer I could come up with is:

Social Media is a method of communication and online marketing to the general public.  It is not just an information based page, but the interaction between you and your audience.  Where regular media outlets such as newspapers and magazines are a one-way street in communication, Social Media is a two-way street allowing the communication to come from both sides.