TOP DRAWER ARTICLE

Tweak Your Business With Tweets
by
HL Carpenter

Even if your business is running smoothly, in these tough times you’re probably considering ways to generate publicity. Old-school methods might work - an advertisement in a newspaper, a bigger message in the phone book, an updated brochure.

Or you could try something more modern, like microblogging.

What is microblogging? It’s defined as brief updates sent to your contacts via social media sites such as Twitter. Businesses from auto manufacturers to airlines to food companies and coffee shops tout their wares on Twitter.

Are you ready to give Twitter a try? If so, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Twitter is the website. Tweets are messages. Messages contain 140 characters or less (yes, that’s right, not words, characters). There is a Twitter vocabulary, with new definitions added constantly.

Once you’ve signed up for a Twitter account, you create a profile. Add your business contact information, a picture of yourself or your business card. Make the data as unique as possible.

Next, find other people on Twitter who might be interested in your product. Follow them, respond to them, help them solve problems. Balance these tweets with promotional items. Share what your business is doing by tweeting links to tips you’ve posted on your blog, white papers you’ve published on your web site and offers of promotions, coupons or other discounts. Use your imagination. Make your tweets interesting, informative, funny, useful.

Finally, remember Twitter is just one marketing tool among many. There’s no need to abandon old-school methods. Effective promotion includes both the tried-and-true and the up-and-coming.

And that’s advice short enough to tweet.

Originally published July 2009.

Last update: December 30, 2009