Do you tweet?

Twitter, just like the popular sites before it (MySpace and Facebook) has exploded in recent months. So much so, that even your website’s Google ranking could be affected if you’re not on it!

So what does Twitter do, how does it work and why would it help your business?

What is Twitter & how does it work?

Twitter (www.twitter.com) is a free social networking and micro-blogging website, allowing you to post short (up to 140 characters) messages for others to see.

In the personal realm, it’s generally used for groups of friends to tell others what they’re up to, seek encouragement and basically just be in contact all of the time without physically seeing or hearing the person. On the business side of the coin, it’s often used by companies to promote upcoming events & specials.

However – regardless of what you use it for, it’s important to remember that you should never toot your own horn too much. Remember that it’s all about social networking. If you meet up with a group of friends, it’s often seen as rude or snobbish to continually talk yourself up. The same applies on Twitter; you don’t want to become “that annoying person (or company) that just bombards me with useless information”.

Signing up for an account is free – just pick a username, set a password and you’re virtually ready to start tweeting.

How has Twitter helped others?

• The South East Queensland public transport authority uses it to advise followers of rail & bus delays, upcoming track work and changes to pricing (you can follow Translink on Twitter here).
• Australian band Powderfinger recently performed a series of surprise unplugged shows. They only advertised the gigs on Twitter and didn’t release the exact location until 30 minutes before the set was due to begin, with thousands turning up to watch the live gigs! Watch video | Read related article | Follow Powderfinger on Twitter
• Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both used Twitter for their 2008 presidential election campaigns. Read more here.

How could Twitter help my business?

You could use Twitter to…

• Advise your followers of special offers, or “Twitter-only” specials (the latter will really make them feel special – and it’s a great way to get others to follow you online).
• Let followers know about updates to your website – such as new blog posts or news articles.
• Post a weekly tip for your customer base.
• Gauge feedback on new ideas or proposed changes by asking your followers questions like “If we extended our opening hours, would it be of use to you? Would you be happy to pay a little more, to cover costs?” and so on.

Where can I tweet from?

You can post messages on Twitter (called “Tweets”) from the Twitter.com website, from your mobile phone as an SMS (SMS charges would apply – these depend on your phone company) or from a desktop application / iPhone.

Please get in touch if you need a hand.