Both Facebook and Twitter have revolutionised the world of communication. In fact, this revolution has been unparalleled. The word “tweet” has become a regular part of our vocabulary now, meaning the ability to send or broadcast a short message of 140 characters or less through a particular networking vehicle.
Apparently, something in the region of 65 million tweets are sent each day on every single subject under the sun. It really is remarkable what you can say in 140 characters or less, but in business terms the main draw is the fact that you can attach a special type of link to a particular webpage, essentially “for further information.”
As such, so many people engaged in the business world have not been slow to recognise the opportunities associated with having an account. Yet as this medium is still developing and as people are really still coming to terms with such a new form of communication, many business owners are simply not sure how to approach it.
Some of the more successful online marketing campaigns over the past few years have involved forthright, open and honest customer service. Rather than treating customer service as a delicate and very personal interaction between business and customer, those on the cutting-edge of this marketing revolution understand that there may be significant branding and positioning opportunities associated with honest and open interaction with a client.
As business owners we may well have seen that the very ethos behind customer relationship marketing is in the process of a significant change. Businesses are now expected to be more contributory and more of a good “citizen,” especially when they are seen to be interacting within what is still basically a social media platform.
There are many sophisticated tools available to help configure and set up Twitter to any particular liking. It is, for example, infinitely possible to locate people who have specific interests and who could represent good marketing prospects. You can proactively use the fact that you have a Twitter account in your outgoing marketing, so that your existing clients can opt to receive tweets from you, enabling you to keep them in touch with important developments.
Twitter is indeed an amazing bridge in our global communications network. People from around the world can literally make news when they tweet in messages of less than 140 characters and we have seen this in spectacular style during major world news events in recent years. Thus we can see the power of real-time interaction and communication and can start to see how important a business presence should be.
There are many programmes and tools available for your virtual assistant to use as he or she helps you to maintain a dedicated presence online. Whilst it’s fair to say that there is a significant amount of “noise” and a lot of information that is simply not of interest, there is nevertheless clear potential for exposure. The secret is coming up with a strategy and making sure that it is regularly developed and maintained.
Has Twitter helped you win business? I’d love to read your thoughts.
