I just saw an ebook on Twitter for Business at the grand price of $17. That’s a lot of money I think, because all the guides/advice/help you want is already out there... in the ‘Twitterverse’.
But for those who are eager to learn, then looking up a decent resource first is a very sensible move. But you don’t have to pay for it, if you know where to look.
Here’s a few resources, and a few ‘tips’. The tips are from what I have learned from the perspective of a business owner, plus some great resources that I have found on the web. Here are my top twelve tips:
1. Set clear objectives for your use of/reason for being on Twitter
2. Don’t talk twaddle! Be interesting
3. Make your tweets relevant and ‘complete’ (not just ‘oh yeah!’ but ‘Yes! I won the lottery’)
4. Be polite, thankful, honest, respectful
5. Find a friend and experiment with them to start so you are familiar before you ‘launch’ yourself
6. Be moderately personal as well as business-like (people buy from people)
7. Do not be intimate
8. Do not ‘sell sell sell’ (be subtle)
9. Collect people with the same/similar interests
10. Don’t collect followers just for the sake of numbers
11. Check Twitter regularly – it is Real Time – things change very quickly
12. Only be a Twitterer if you are prepared to spend some time – it’s not marriage, but it is an engagement
Using Twitter as a networking tool can be extremely productive but only if you have very clear objectives and are prepared to commit to using it.
Twitter can build you a good contact network and provide a great forum for you to spread the news about the things you want to talk about providing (and this is a very BIG providing) that it is what your network wants to hear about too and that you return the favour regularly.
Collecting people with interests common to yours is important. Even if you have cross interests (for example mine are training, writing and music), this can still be productive as long as the mix of your tweets addresses all of your audiences. Many trainers are authors, and many people have an interest in music. And people like to know people – so don’t just be a faceless ‘corporate’ on line, be a living representative of the organisation.
You can play the ‘I’ve got more followers than you’ game if you want – but it is more productive to have 300 really relevant followers who are interested in what you say than 30,000 who ignore you because your output is not of interest. Let’s create a fictitious example:
MrCarWidget (I made the name up, apologies should anyone subsequently adopt this identity) sells Widgets for Car Mechanics. He finds lots of people on Twitter and follows them and, because they are curious, they follow him back. MrCarWidget advertises his fantastic Widgets nonstop. They are great widgets! But, for some reason, followers disappear... why?
1. Were the people he chose to follow and who are following him interested in Car Mechanics?
2. Was he doing anything other than ‘selling’ at them?
3. Did he provide valuable references and resources?
4. Did he bore everyone silly with what you ate for breakfast?!
If you were MrCarWidget, you would get best value from Twitter by:
1. Finding followers and following people with an interest in car mechanics
2. Creating interesting articles on car mechanics and offering links to them
3. Finding interesting articles on car mechanics from others and offering links to them
4. Make special offers to your Twitter friends, don’t just sell to them, give them a unique offer that they can take advantage of
5. Re-tweet your followers articles that will be of interest to your followers
This may sound weird, but once you have spent some time on Twitter, it will make sense. You will get used to terms like Retweet, Twitterverse, Following, Apps, # @ etc... but let’s not confuse you! Here’s some handy resources to start you off:
How to speak Twitter: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_64/s0904046705853.htm
The Training Zone Guide to Twitter: http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=197206
Top 13 Twitter Don’ts: http://shaunstanislaus.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/top-13-twitter-donts/
Mashable Twitter Resources: http://mashable.com/category/twitter-lists/
On Ramp 101: http://chep2m.wordpress.com/2008/05/08/ten-top-twitter-tips/
Chris Brogan: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/
And remember, it may be the ‘in thing’, but if you are not able to commit resource to it and take advantage of the opportunity it is, then perhaps you don’t need to do it. As well as an excellent business tool, it is quite possibly a very good way to waste a lot of time!
There are social uses for Twitter too – but that’s another story and one I certainly don’t have time for - I’m running a business!
Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/completetrainer
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