Social networking is all the rage and there seems to be no end in sight. If you’ve not taken the plunge, Twitter is the easiest and quickest way to get started.
Twitter has great benefits for your online business. Did you know several businesses have actually been founded while using Twitter? Ideas circulating can be a great source of inspiration for many entrepreneurs!
Benefits galore!
- Real-time notification. Twitter is in the “here and now.” For example, a Washington, DC cupcake company tweeted to its followers where they would be with fresh cupcakes. As soon as they arrived, the cupcakes sold out! The same can happen with your online biz. Announce on Twitter that you are running a special on a popular product and you might see sales sky-rocket!
- Continual branding. Twitter is a great place to continue putting your brand out there. Remember to have your Twitter background continue your logo and colors of your website. Your picture, bio and contact information need to be displayed also.
- Quick research. Have you ever wondered what the public might be thinking about a certain product? Why not conduct a poll using Twitter? People are much more likely to respond to a quick, spontaneous question than they would be to opening an e-mail and spending time answering a cumbersome questionnaire.
- Future partnerships. One of the most compelling aspects of twitter for your online biz is the possibility of meeting prospective joint venture partners. In today’s economic environment businesses create a win-win for themselves and customers by virtue of being able to do more as a team, as opposed to going it alone.
- Recommendations and referrals. People that follow you on Twitter are interested in your products or business. That means you can usually count on them to recommend you to their followers, support your events and activities, and help you gain more momentum. Here’s a little secret: Don’t be afraid to ask your followers to retweet your links! A word of advice: Always return the favor. If someone is promoting you to their followers, do the same for them! The Golden Rule rules!
All in all, Twitter offers online businesses a variety of benefits. And just like the situation comedy Cheers, you want everyone to know your name!
Happy tweeting!
Peace,
-Martha
p.s. Need Twitter help? Check out my class: Tweet With Martha
Martha
Martha Giffen is a speaker, consultant, and best-selling author of "Be Social Be Rich." She coaches biz owners on how to reach more customers in less time, and dishes it all out with a warm southern flare!
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I just don’t use Twitter enough — yikes! I see I need to up my game. Thanks for the great article, and terrific comments, too.
Still more great comments! Thanks
This is great information Martha. There are so many individuals that could literally increase their business overnight by adding Twitter as part of their Social Media Strategy. A BIG key is to use the ” @ ” or mention symbol. Once you find and connect with someone, start mentioning them, or a post they made on their blog, also start asking question them questions and get them engaged with you. You will soon learn a lot about them and how they just might be a great alliance for your business.
I love the research and poll idea. Finding out what others think of a particular products is a excellent idea.
I enjoy having my twitter friends on different lists. That way… when I have a particular message for that group, I can contact them easily. It also allows me to watch what they are tweeting about so I can join in the conversation with ease.
Love the tips Martha… they are great reminders.
Wow! Ya’ll have added four benefits to my top five. Maybe I should have made a Top Ten??
Thanks so much for comments and ya’ll are right, I have met people on Twitter that I would have NEVER had access to otherwise. Some of them are right here on this blog!
Twitter is a great way to find like minded people if you are starting out in a business. It lets you interact with other business owners on a level that you cannot always get from the hectic everyday life. It makes it much easier to ask quick questions.
You can even do interviews using Twitter — Twitterviews! And if you’re a camera buff, you can share your favorite photos on the most-opened link on Twitter — Twitpic!
(Can you tell I love Twitter?)
P.S. Way Cool new header, Martha. It’s beautiful.
All great points. Absolutely. But you forgot making some new friends. It really has been meeting so many great people through twitter and other social networks.