Twitter for Business

Presented by: Leslie Hughes

Twitter.com – a “microblogging” platform

Limited to “tweeting” in 140 characters

Increasingly being used for customer service

Most updates are from mobile devices

Agenda

What is Twitter? How You Can Use Twitter Twitter Terminology Getting Started What to Tweet About Advanced Search What the Tweet is a Twitter Party? Best Practices and Crisis Scenarios

Twitter Page

Twitter Statistics and Facts

Grew by over 1900% in 2008 to 2009

Over 200 million members and growing by 350K per day.

55 million tweets per day Politicians, brands, big

companies and celebrities now embracing Twitter

www.digitalbuzzblog.com

How You Can Use Twitter

Connect with strangers/build alliances Promote your brand Create buzz - events, promotions, free trials: Customer relations Crisis management Issue/charity advocacy and awareness Increasing sales (use sales messages sparingly!) Track what people are saying about your

business. Calls-to-action to other content you’ve created. Create relationships with journalists and

influential people.

Twitter Terminology

Handle: Twitter username ie. @punchmediadotca @ = replies: Refer to someone using @ symbol. Will

allow them to know you’re tweeting with them or re-tweeting their content.

RT = “re-tweet”: You are sharing someone else’s tweet with your followers and giving original person credit.

DM = Direct message. Private messages. You can only DM if you both follow each other

# (hashtag): easier to follow trend thread. i.e. #JapanDisaster

Bit.ly Tiny.cc Ow.ly: way to turn a very long URL into a shorter version to fit within 140 character requirement.(Note: Bit.ly tracks clicks)

Why 140 Characters?

• If you keep to less than 125 characters, it makes your content easier to re-tweet (aka share)

The RT = “retweet”

Give credit to the original source by RT @username or (via @username)

Try to keep the original tweet as intact or clear as possible

If you only type 125 characters, you leave room for people to RT with comments.

Twitter Trending Topics

Hudson plane crash was captured and shared long before traditional media.

Trending topics often include deaths of celebrities and scandals

Usually # hashtag thread is used

Unsuccessful Twitter Tactics Random mass follow in the hopes that anyone

will follow back Direct Message a “Welcome” Develop brochure-ware Tweet too many times Randomly post

@username and put spam into “status”

Don’t use numbers or underscore in name

Brochure-ware vs Engagement

Canada USA

Twitter PageStatus update

@ “replies Direct messages

Search

FollowersFollowing

Additional “real estate”

Set Up

Use personal name for Full Name

Username should reflect business branding

Add picture/personalize = avatar

Design

Set up a custom background featuring your logo for increased brand presence. www.Twitbacks.com

Custom Backgroundsize 1600px by 1200px

Settings>Design > Change Background image - browse (find file) - save changes

Find People

Browse Suggestions

Find Friends By Email On Twitter:

through other people you or your competitors follow

Find a community of like-minded people to connect with.

Follow People or Businesses

Follow influential people and thought leaders.

Other Twitter Functions

Getting Started: I

Start by using Twitter Search to follow relevant people (and competitors)

Note: following is not reciprocal Add a picture to show you’re a real

person Be personal, interesting,

conversational

Getting Started: II

Build list slowly Note: You don’t have to read every

tweet.

70/20/10 rule = 70% Good info, 20% RT 10% self promotion.

Things You Can Tweet About

Job postings Exclusive “Twitter” coupons or deals Behind-the-scenes of your company Sneak peeks of projects or events Links to your articles/blogs or other

content How-to’s: instructional videos or

stories News: especially breaking news

Things You Can Tweet About

Respond to customer service issues. Warnings: scams or viruses. Freebies and contests. Observations. Books you’re reading What you’re watching on TV. Join conversations. Re-tweet other people’s content.

Lists

Keep track of topics/groups

Source: @danzarella

Hashtag #

Purpose is to follow a thread Group chat/tweetup (use

TweetGrid.com or Tweetchat.com) Ask a question and collect ideas Share an experience (#olympics) Popular #FollowFriday or #FF =

recommended people to follow

Shorteners: Bit.ly

fb.me = Facebook, goo.gl = Google, ow.ly = Hootsuite

Advanced Search

search.twitter.com or http://

search.twitter.com/advanced

Enter relevant keywords and your brand

Set up RSS feed Engage: Ask a

question, or start a conversation

Source: @danzarella

Useful Tools & Tips

TwitterGrader: ww.tweet.grader.com Klout: www.klout.com Friend or Follow: www.friendorfollow.com

Find out who is following you/who isn’t/who has the most followers etc.

Ask “Please RT” (sparingly!) Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Co-Tweet

HootSuite: Management

Tweet Ups and Twitter Parties

TweetUps: Twitter friends get together in real life.

Twitter Parties: Twitter people gather together at a designated time to chat online. Sometimes sponsored and prizes are given.

What can happen on Twitter…

United Breaks Guitars

@ThatKevinSmith

Kevin Smith (1.6 million followers) became a PR nightmare for the SouthWest airlines. 

Kogi: @kogiBBQ

Kogi (90,000 followers July 2011) a mobile force of Korean Mexico taco BBQ trucks in L.A.  

COLDFX

Porter Airlines

How to get lots of followers

Put your Twitter logo on your website, handle on business card etc.

Make your tweets re-tweetable = kick ass content. Be a thought leader.

Be public (not private profile). Engage - a lot.

Next Steps

Begin tweeting Follow relevant people & “talk” to them! Measure your goals against your

benchmarks/strategy but remember “sentiment” cannot be measured.

Identify “Brand Ambassadors” or key influencers who will help you spread your word. Reward them.

Be sure to…..

Follow us: www.facebook.com/punchmediadotca

Tweet with us: www.twitter.com/punchmediadotca

Learn from us: www.punchmedia.wordpress.com

Learn MORE from us:www.punchmedia.ca/email.html