Twitter: powerful communication and marketing tool

In a prior post, Local coupons and social media, we discussed examples as to how you can promote your business using social media and distributing your coupons online to build a network. Currently, Twitter is one of the most important of the available social media. Recently, Twitter announced that soon “tweets” will include an additional piece of information to the typical 140 characters: location.

If you are not a Twitter user yet, here is a brief introduction:
Twitter was founded in 2006 and is a free social networking tool; it’s very simple and easy to use because, as a user, you can only send or read messages know as “tweets” — text-based messages of up to 140 characters.

Twitter has become very powerful because it allows users to share real-time messages. From earthquake updates, to New York’s Hudson River airplane incidents, to news about your favorite artists…Twitter changed the communication industry in a compelling way. But as an individual, an employee, a business owner — how can Twitter help you?

From the business perspective, Twitter has become a good customer support tool. Many Fortune 500 companies are using it to assist their customers. With the new location option, businesses can easily track specific keywords in a targeted zone and can closely follow users who might be interested in their services or products. Previously supplied geographical profiles were not always correct, so this new feature will be much more precise.

Think of it this way: you can connect with many people easily and you can access instant and cutting-edge knowledge within your domain. When you have a question that requires expert input, Twitter is actually one of the greatest tools to get others’ feedback. Most experts are using Twitter; as standard good Twitter practice, most people are tracking keywords in their industry, so when you ask a question on a certain topic, you will find many who are willing to help you and give you guidance.

Many researchers and educators started using Twitter to share ideas with their students as well as with the rest of the world. Most topics discussed this way may be considered authentic because you can see who actually tweeted them. Following certain experts will provide high-quality tweets and serve as a great resource of information. Twitter can also drive traffic to your website, whether you are having a special promotion or created your first video or blog post. Now, you can communicate that with hundreds or even thousands easily once you build a network.

Beware of one common mistake: Avoid trying to follow too many people by using automated tools. It is true that you can build a network that way, but you are well advised to make sure that the person actually exists and is someone with credible tweets.

Twitter Lexicon
Tweet: Your (up to) 140-character message
Followers: People who are following you and receive your tweets
Retweet: Forwarding someone’s tweet to your followers
Twittering: The act of sending your tweet

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