intro to twitter

TwitterologyThe “tweet” way to grow your business

Cory WilliamsonProject Producer

Checkerboard Strategic Web Development

twitter.com/corywilliamson

Topics

• Your Social Media Plan• What is Twitter?• The Basics• Marketing Through Twitter• Mastering Twitter

Social Media Plan

• Secure your brand• Set Goals• Know who you are

– Marketing is storytelling.

• Know who you are talking to– Where are your customers talking?

• Create rules of engagement– What are you going to do when someone

disagrees with you?

• Engage carefully– Listen before you speak.

What is Twitter?

• A micro blogging platform• 140 Character Max

• Largest demographic: 35-49 yrs• 3,000,000 Tweets per day• 1382% growth in February, 2009• Expected 18 Million Users by 2010

Why is Twitter Relevant?

• Word of Mouth is not a new concept• Traditional advertising isn’t working• Internet makes messages shorter,

quicker• Twitter is word of mouth on steroids

How is Twitter Used?

As a Social Network

• Connect with friends, family and colleagues

• Discuss topics with experts• Use web apps and cell phones to

stay in touch• Protect your updates to keep

conversations private

As a News Source

• Journalism 2.0• World’s fastest news source• Trending Topics• Cases where news hits Twitter before

CNN• World’s largest news organizations

are on Twitter

As a Search Engine

• Twitter Search and 3rd party apps• Find any topic or article with links• Ask questions, respond to tweets• Google Search is full of advertising

and non-specific results

Twitter is full of experts in every topic.

Drive Traffic

• Drive devoted followers to blog or website

• Should not be your focus for using Twitter

• It takes time to grow dedicated followers

• Brand Loyalists provide feedback and user generated content

• Engage in discussion around your topics

Customer Service

• Most popular for businesses• Cut down on customer service emails

and phone calls• Monitor specific keywords• Respond quickly• Transparency on Twitter will result in

happier customers

Find your Twitter Voice

• Send blog updates• Ask questions about products• Offer promotions exclusively on

Twitter• Monitor “brand keywords”• Product releases• Highlight most loyal followers

Find the right combination of the 5 uses.

Twitter Basics

Lingo

• Follow• Tweet• @Replies• Retweet (RT)• Direct Messages (DM)• Hashtags (#)

Following

• Must be following to receive updates• Follow/Unfollow button• More followers ≠ more success

Tweeting

• Tweet, Tweeting, Tweeted– Post, Update, Message

• Each Tweet is indexed in the Twitter Search

@Replies (mentions)

• Respond to a tweet• Shows up on followers homepage• Syntax: @username

– i.e. “@corywilliamson ________”

• The username becomes a link

Retweet

• Interesting tweets get “retweeted”• Your followers share your tweet with

their followers– Perpetuates content for further reach

• Syntax: RT @username– i.e. “RT @corywilliamson _______”

Direct Message (DM)

• Not indexed in search• Use DM sparingly, as the nature of

Twitter is social• Can only DM your followers• Syntax: “D username”

– i.e. “D corywilliamson _________”

Hashtags (#)

• Twitter’s way to categorize search• Created by users• Used for product launches

#FordFiesta or events #SMBMSP

Setting Up an Account

• Personal or Corporate Profile?• Choose a username that fits your

goals• Fill out your profile completely• Choose an appropriate profile picture• Utilize the background image for

added content

Marketing Through Twitter

Introduction to APIs

• Programming language for software communication

• Allows for more features not offered on Twitter.com

• Automate Responses• Monitor Keywords• Most people will not use the APIs

Building Effective Followers

• Use your other resources• Ask questions to initiate interactions• Share relevant links• Respond to discussion• Keep offers exclusive to followers

and ask for RTs• Its not a numbers game

Twitter Spam Accounts

• Spam accounts are growing rapidly on Twitter

• Links can be dangerous• What to look for:

• Accounts with shared profile pic• Repeated Tweets• Inappropriate usernames

• If a profile doesn’t seem like they fit your target market, don’t follow

Big Myth about Social Media

• Quick messages mean instant results– “Get it now!”

– “Get tons of ______ !”

– “Gain 1000’s of followers”

– “Make money overnight with no effort!”

– “Get 900 followers in ______ (time frame)!”

• Marketing principles still apply. Social media is a tool, not a magic potion

Measure Success

• Use your social media plan• Twitter Grader/Twinfluence• What were your goals? Customer

Service? Brand Awareness?• Neilson, Radian6

Promoting Your Profile

• Email Signature• Website• Radio/TV/News Placements• Use a recognized Twitter Icon• Twitter.com/corywilliamson or

@corywilliamson are recognizable

Mastering Twitter

Twitter Integration

• Twitter Apps• Twitter Widgets• Mobile Twitter• Twitter stream is an RSS Feed

3rd Party Applications

Taking it Offline

• Tweet-up’s• Product Demonstration Parties• Product Launches and Specials• Special Events• Ask followers to help promote the

event

“Mention Twitter for a free gift”

Case Study

• @DunkinDonuts, @CNN, @comcastcares, @UnitedAirlines, @Maggianos, @Zappos

• Intriguing and Relevant Tweets• Ask Questions• Hold contests, coupon offers, conduct

polls• Carry conversations and promos over

to Facebook, Blog, and other resources

@Maggianos

• Exclusive Twitter Promo– $100 gift card for followers

• Gained 2000 new followers– Costs of tweeting far less than $100 reward

@DunkinDonuts

• Several tweets per day• Very personal, authentic• Product launches, customer feedback• Exclusive Twitter promotion

– Doesn’t necessarily relate to DunkinDonuts

Tips and Tricks

• Stick to your social media plan• Build trust before you start selling• Optimize landing page• Monetize traffic with offers or

discounts– “Next 100 people to buy ___ gets 10%

off”

Keys to Twitter Success

• Don’t Sound like a robot• Vary your content and tweet times• Be authentic and believable• It takes time to listen and engage• Stick with it!

– Even if you think no one is listening

• Other resources:

http://www.mashable.comhttp://www.twitter.com/twitter101“Twitter Power” by Joel Comm

Thank You!

Connect With Me!

On Twitter :: @corywilliamsonOn LinkedIn ::

linkedin.com/in/corywilliamsonOn Facebook ::

facebook.com/corywilliamson