subject: Should You Twitter? [print this page] Should You Twitter? Should You Twitter?
My clients ask me all the time if sending out "Tweets" will help them draw attention to their website and business and thus increase their sales and conversion rates. If you are thinking of taking advantage of this social phenomenon, here is what's required to make Twitter work for you:
The discipline to send out Tweets on a daily basis - Becoming a part of the Twitter community takes time and requires discipline and persistence. If you are the kind of person that takes on a new task with the full intention of continuing until you see real results, then Twitter can be a great sales tool. If you are more of an instant gratification type, you may not have the patience to wait until your daily Tweets start having an impact on your bottom line.
A few people I've talked to told me they simply ran out of things to say and Tweeting became a real chore. What I tell them is, if that happens, and it happens in a relatively short amount of time, they may not have the type of business that can take advantage of Twitter.
The kind of business that can truly benefit from Twitter - If you are a retail business, by all means start Tweeting! Your goal is to start a conversation about your company, products and services. Once people are talking about you, closely monitor what everyone is Tweeting about and adjust your marketing techniques (and perhaps even your products) to take advantage of the information you gather. For example, information about a new cool phone app is almost certain to get people talking (oops, I mean Tweeting) about it. And what they say often goes a long way in deciding how that phone app (or the next app) is marketed.
Companies involved with finance, technology, or diet/exercise/health products will almost certainly benefit from a presence on Twitter. The conversation that occurs online and creates interest in a product is called Viral marketing. An unfortunate term perhaps, but it aptly describes how ideas are "spread" on the Web. Think of it as digital "word of mouth" advertising.
Something to Tweet about - What you Tweet about has to matter to people. No one really cares what you had for lunch or that a friend is visiting from Europe. If you want to start a conversation in the Twitter community, Tweet about a new product you are testing or a post a report from a trade show you are attending. Your Tweets should be interesting, timely and informative but most of all, engaging. In other words, you want to encourage others to participate in what's going on in your world. Get your friends to help you spread the word.
Twitter is not designed to be a vehicle for promoting products or services. That is, not in an obvious fashion. It can drive customers to your site and provide valuable information but it is not the place for a direct sales pitch.
The ability to maintain the desired image of your company in the Tweets you send - I wrote in an earlier article that your website is a publication and you are its publisher. You must always think like one! Everything you say and do either through the content on your website or via your communication with others is a statement about who you are what you have to offer. Tweets are somewhat casual yes, but if you take the time to post them, it's important to make them a part of your message and brand (in a bit of an inconspicuous way of course).
You can also use Twitter to:
Help you find qualified employees Find out the latest information on upcoming events Set up meetings Help you write interesting articles and timely blogs Find new customers
The jury is still out on how effective Twitter will be in regard to online marketing and ecommerce. The intriguing part of the equation is it has shown to be an effective sales tool as part of a vehicle (Twitter) that discourages content t
