Internet marketing expert Nikki Pilkington is owner of NikkiPilkington.com, an internet marketing and search engine optimisation company based in the UK, offering higher google listings, SEO, website traffic generation, Adwords management, email marketing and more.
It’s not just for kids and geeks – Twitter is good for Business too!
November 16, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
5 types of business that should be using Twitter
They’re all talking about it – the online phenomenon for 2009. Forget Google, forget Facebook and don’t even mention Yell.com – Twitter is where it’s at this year!
Founded in 2006 as a way to let fellow members know “what you are doing”, Twitter has expanded way beyond its founders wildest dreams.
2009 is the year Twitter has become more “mainstream”. This has been helped by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Ashton Kutcher and Jonathan Ross espousing its virtues but also by the number of businesses out there realising the marketing and promotional capabilities of Twitter.
However it’s usually when I talk to potential clients about using Twitter as part of their social media marketing, I hear:
“It’s just for kids and geeks”
“Only IT and Marketing bods make money from it”
and other such comments.
With this in mind, here are a random 5 industries, each with 5 ways they could use Twitter to promote their business:
1) HOTELS
Twitter is fast paced, instant communication, ideal for the hotel & hospitality industry.
Hotels could:
- Communicate last minute offers – Use Twitpic to show pictures of rooms – Post customer testimonials – Request feedback from guests
DM Bonus – If your guests have Twitter, why not DM them a special Twitter code if they eat dinner in the hotel?
2) PHOTOGRAPHERS
While Twitter is seen mainly as a textual medium, it can be visual too.
Photographers, why not:
- Use Twitpic to post a “picture of the day” – Tweet about the photo shoot you’re doing today, so people get a feel for your scope – Post links to your blog/website – Use TwTQpon to offer free studio time (specify purchase of X photos) – Ask satisfied customers to retweet the link to their pic(s) in your portfolio
DM Bonus – If your customers are on Twitter, DM them the link to thier pictures on your password protected server, or private group on Flickr/Facebook etc.
3)ASTROLOGIST
It’s not always easy to get people to sign up to a mailing list on a website if you’re in a very niche industry, but it’s a lot easier to get followers on Twitter.
- Use Hootsuite to run 12 daily horoscope accounts – one for each star sign – Post details of astrologically important days/dates/events – Offer a free reading for every 50th follower – ask people to retweet – Post testimonials from satisfied clients – Post celebrity horoscopes on a weekly basis
DM Bonus – Offer free 140 character descriptions of each star sign – have them ready to cut and paste. Offer them by DM only. (People have to follow you to get DM’s)
4) HOLIDAY RESORT/GUESTHOUSE
If SEO is too competitive and too costly, try Twitter – the only cost is your time, and even that can be minimal!
- Use 12 second TV to post short video testimonials filmed on an iPhone or similar – Use Twitpic to post pictures of your resort – Post about local traditions/holidays/etc – Tweet last minute special offers/prices – Use TwtQpon to offer money off local/on site restaurants/bars
DM Bonus – Guests on Twitter? DM them to let them know they can check in.
5) SPEAKERS
It might be written communication, but I know a few speakers doing very well from Twitter, so if you’re a speaker, why not:
- Post links to audio files of you speaking – Autofeed your calender/blog into your Twitter account so people know where you’re speaking – Post a “tip of the day” each day, related to your speciality – Use 12 second TV to post short clips of you speaking then link to the longer version on youtube/your website – Use Twitter search to find people talking about your speciality/niche – ask them if they can introduce you to people wanting speakers
DM Bonus – Offer a free ebook / whitepaper / mention on your website by DM only. The only way to get it is to follow you so you can DM them.
So there you have it – 5 types of business that should be using Twitter, and 5 things they can use it for.
Nikki Pilkington is author of TweetMentor from NikkiPilkington.com, a 100 day hand holding support system to help you through the Twitter maze.
How to make money using social networking websites
November 14, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Most of the people use a number of online technologies and tools to connect with buddies and families and to exchange info. But what are people really using social networking websites for? The most important motivators in online social interaction are to avoid stigma and to enhance prestige. The more friends you have on a social site, the more important you will become and the higher your status will become within the network (think of the Twitter profile of Ashton Kutcher with more than a million friends). The majority of the users of social networks use the social site for basic things, such as for getting to know people, for fun, to exchange pictures and once in a while to organize an event. Just a small number of the users – and these are the really smart business users – are using social networking to support their marketing and their business plans. However, it is extremely hard to do this the right way without a good knowledge the do s and don ts while using social sites.Social websites draw huge amounts of users per month and social sites with that much traffic have the potential to draw enormous amounts of cash for business people who can play the social website the right way. You can get visitors from social networking sites in two ways: you can buy promotion or you can get personally involved in the Web 2.0 network. When you buy advertising you will get lots of visitors, depending on your budget, and you will hopefully make a good amount of cash from the visitors. However, since there are so much visitors on the site there will also be a lot of adversaries for the best advertising windows, which means that eventually you will have to pay a higher price for the traffic. When you decide to get involved with the social website as a user it will not cost you any money, but you will have to spend lots of days online. This can be compared to adding a ’support is now online’ button to your online business, which will stimulate potential buyers to get your products because they can contact your business immediately. However, it can take lots of time to accomplish an online presence and get a decent brand name loyalty.According to the latest stats Twitter.com is one of the most popular social websites of 2009. There are lots of Twitter softwares available that can thrive enormous loads of visitors to your online business, increase your amount of buddies (read potential buyers 
) automatically and eventually make you a decent amount of money. Three of the most celebrated Twitter softwares are:
Extra resources:Twitter online system reviewTwitter Rockstar
Want more tips about getting traffic from Twitter? Visit my blog now!
It’s not just for kids and geeks – Twitter is good for Business too!
November 14, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
5 types of business that should be using Twitter
They’re all talking about it – the online phenomenon for 2009. Forget Google, forget Facebook and don’t even mention Yell.com – Twitter is where it’s at this year!
Founded in 2006 as a way to let fellow members know “what you are doing”, Twitter has expanded way beyond its founders wildest dreams.
2009 is the year Twitter has become more “mainstream”. This has been helped by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Ashton Kutcher and Jonathan Ross espousing its virtues but also by the number of businesses out there realising the marketing and promotional capabilities of Twitter.
However it’s usually when I talk to potential clients about using Twitter as part of their social media marketing, I hear:
“It’s just for kids and geeks”
“Only IT and Marketing bods make money from it”
and other such comments.
With this in mind, here are a random 5 industries, each with 5 ways they could use Twitter to promote their business:
1) HOTELS
Twitter is fast paced, instant communication, ideal for the hotel & hospitality industry.
Hotels could:
- Communicate last minute offers – Use Twitpic to show pictures of rooms – Post customer testimonials – Request feedback from guests
DM Bonus – If your guests have Twitter, why not DM them a special Twitter code if they eat dinner in the hotel?
2) PHOTOGRAPHERS
While Twitter is seen mainly as a textual medium, it can be visual too.
Photographers, why not:
- Use Twitpic to post a “picture of the day” – Tweet about the photo shoot you’re doing today, so people get a feel for your scope – Post links to your blog/website – Use TwTQpon to offer free studio time (specify purchase of X photos) – Ask satisfied customers to retweet the link to their pic(s) in your portfolio
DM Bonus – If your customers are on Twitter, DM them the link to thier pictures on your password protected server, or private group on Flickr/Facebook etc.
3)ASTROLOGIST
It’s not always easy to get people to sign up to a mailing list on a website if you’re in a very niche industry, but it’s a lot easier to get followers on Twitter.
- Use Hootsuite to run 12 daily horoscope accounts – one for each star sign – Post details of astrologically important days/dates/events – Offer a free reading for every 50th follower – ask people to retweet – Post testimonials from satisfied clients – Post celebrity horoscopes on a weekly basis
DM Bonus – Offer free 140 character descriptions of each star sign – have them ready to cut and paste. Offer them by DM only. (People have to follow you to get DM’s)
4) HOLIDAY RESORT/GUESTHOUSE
If SEO is too competitive and too costly, try Twitter – the only cost is your time, and even that can be minimal!
- Use 12 second TV to post short video testimonials filmed on an iPhone or similar – Use Twitpic to post pictures of your resort – Post about local traditions/holidays/etc – Tweet last minute special offers/prices – Use TwtQpon to offer money off local/on site restaurants/bars
DM Bonus – Guests on Twitter? DM them to let them know they can check in.
5) SPEAKERS
It might be written communication, but I know a few speakers doing very well from Twitter, so if you’re a speaker, why not:
- Post links to audio files of you speaking – Autofeed your calender/blog into your Twitter account so people know where you’re speaking – Post a “tip of the day” each day, related to your speciality – Use 12 second TV to post short clips of you speaking then link to the longer version on youtube/your website – Use Twitter search to find people talking about your speciality/niche – ask them if they can introduce you to people wanting speakers
DM Bonus – Offer a free ebook / whitepaper / mention on your website by DM only. The only way to get it is to follow you so you can DM them.
So there you have it – 5 types of business that should be using Twitter, and 5 things they can use it for.
Nikki Pilkington is author of TweetMentor from NikkiPilkington.com, a 100 day hand holding support system to help you through the Twitter maze.
Internet marketing expert Nikki Pilkington is owner of NikkiPilkington.com, an internet marketing and search engine optimisation company based in the UK, offering higher google listings, SEO, website traffic generation, Adwords management, email marketing and more.
The Increasing Popularity Of Twitter
November 10, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Twitter.com seems to be hogging all the social networking and web 2.0 news these days. Every other day, one reads/hears something or the other about Twitter in the newspaper or on TV. Ashton Kutcher and Oprah have taken Twitter to the mainstream. Oprah has already interviewed the Twitter bosses on her show and tweeted for the first time on the show. Now, she already has over a million followers who read every tweet of hers. Ashton Kutcher, the hollywood actor already has over two million followers. He is known to post witty and funny Twitter posts which everyone likes to read.Dell computers has done over $2 million in sales from their Twitter only deals. They post special deals in their tweets. Isn’t this something new? Two years back, no one would have thought of something like this. Some airlines like Jetblue have started interacting with passengers via Twitter. People who have garnered many hundred followers have started selling ad space. On the background image of their profile, any image advertisement can be displayed for a certain period. One or two companies have begun ad agencies on these lines. Twitter.com has been experiencing the fastest growth these days because everyone worth their salt is jumping on the bandwagon.Many many websites have started to offer something or the other for the community of users. Some are offering custom Twitter backgrounds for a price, while some are doing it for free. There are sites offering picture uploading, url shortening, creation of polls, desktop apps, mobile apps, etc. Someone has also connected a few plants with wires, and now plants have also started tweeting. Can you believe it? The funny part is that the main website itself has no advertisements. They aren’t generating any revenues, at least it looks like that. But the company is still valued around a billion dollars. It has been in the top hundred websites of the world since a long time now. Lets wait and see where the phenomenon leads us.
The author likes to write text messages and advises for internet and social networking content like twitter backgrounds and myspace graphics. He also writes quizzes on subjects like career, personality, etc.
All About the Twitter Phenomenon – Part 1
November 10, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Twitter.com seems to be hogging all the social networking and web 2.0 news these days. Every other day, one reads/hears something or the other about Twitter in the newspaper or on TV. Ashton Kutcher and Oprah have taken Twitter to the mainstream. Oprah has already interviewed the Twitter bosses on her show and tweeted for the first time on the show. Now, she already has over a million followers who read every tweet of hers. Ashton Kutcher, the hollywood actor already has over two million followers. He is known to post witty and funny Twitter posts which everyone likes to read.
Dell computers has done over $2 million in sales from their Twitter only deals. They post special deals in their tweets. Isn’t this something new? Two years back, no one would have thought of something like this. Some airlines like Jetblue have started interacting with passengers via Twitter. People who have garnered many hundred followers have started selling ad space. On the background image of their profile, any image advertisement can be displayed for a certain period. One or two companies have begun ad agencis on these lines. Twitter.com has been experiencing the fastest growth these days because everyone worth their salt is jumping on the bandwagon.
Many many websites have started to offer something or the other for the community of users. Some are offering custom Twitter backgrounds for a price, while some are doing it for free. There are sites offering picture uploading, url shortening, creation of polls, desktop apps, mobile apps, etc. Someone has also connected a few plants with wires, and now plants have also started tweeting. Can you believe it? The funny part is that the main website itself has no advertisements. They aren’t generating any revenues, at least it looks like that. But the company is still valued around a billion dollars. It has been in the top hundred websites of the world since a long time now. Lets wait and see where the phenomenon leads us.
Twitter- Why Has It Succeeded?
Why should Twitter succeed? Facebook and Myspace were already there with many other social networks competing for eyeballs. Throw in social bookmarking sites and we thought that nothing more was needed as far as online networking was concerned. But then came Twitter and changed all the equations. It made everyone rush to see what was happening on twitter and why.I think that the limit of 140 characters gave a unique appeal to twitter in the beginning. It is like- you use a soap because of its perfume and not because it washes well! Because of the limit in characters, there was no way one could write something that was confusing. Nobody had the time to read long posts on the blogs anyway. So twitter saved all of us from boring and lengthy conversations on blogs. We could open our page and see what was new quickly. So with Twitter if you follow somebody, you are immediately told about what the other person wants to say. Please read further in part two of this article series.
The author likes to write text messages and advises for internet and social networking content like twitter backgrounds and myspace graphics. He also writes quizzes on subjects like career, personality, etc.
It’s not just for kids and geeks – Twitter is good for Business too!
November 7, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
5 types of business that should be using Twitter
They’re all talking about it – the online phenomenon for 2009. Forget Google, forget Facebook and don’t even mention Yell.com – Twitter is where it’s at this year!
Founded in 2006 as a way to let fellow members know “what you are doing”, Twitter has expanded way beyond its founders wildest dreams.
2009 is the year Twitter has become more “mainstream”. This has been helped by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Ashton Kutcher and Jonathan Ross espousing its virtues but also by the number of businesses out there realising the marketing and promotional capabilities of Twitter.
However it’s usually when I talk to potential clients about using Twitter as part of their social media marketing, I hear:
“It’s just for kids and geeks”
“Only IT and Marketing bods make money from it”
and other such comments.
With this in mind, here are a random 5 industries, each with 5 ways they could use Twitter to promote their business:
1) HOTELS
Twitter is fast paced, instant communication, ideal for the hotel & hospitality industry.
Hotels could:
- Communicate last minute offers – Use Twitpic to show pictures of rooms – Post customer testimonials – Request feedback from guests
DM Bonus – If your guests have Twitter, why not DM them a special Twitter code if they eat dinner in the hotel?
2) PHOTOGRAPHERS
While Twitter is seen mainly as a textual medium, it can be visual too.
Photographers, why not:
- Use Twitpic to post a “picture of the day” – Tweet about the photo shoot you’re doing today, so people get a feel for your scope – Post links to your blog/website – Use TwTQpon to offer free studio time (specify purchase of X photos) – Ask satisfied customers to retweet the link to their pic(s) in your portfolio
DM Bonus – If your customers are on Twitter, DM them the link to thier pictures on your password protected server, or private group on Flickr/Facebook etc.
3)ASTROLOGIST
It’s not always easy to get people to sign up to a mailing list on a website if you’re in a very niche industry, but it’s a lot easier to get followers on Twitter.
- Use Hootsuite to run 12 daily horoscope accounts – one for each star sign – Post details of astrologically important days/dates/events – Offer a free reading for every 50th follower – ask people to retweet – Post testimonials from satisfied clients – Post celebrity horoscopes on a weekly basis
DM Bonus – Offer free 140 character descriptions of each star sign – have them ready to cut and paste. Offer them by DM only. (People have to follow you to get DM’s)
4) HOLIDAY RESORT/GUESTHOUSE
If SEO is too competitive and too costly, try Twitter – the only cost is your time, and even that can be minimal!
- Use 12 second TV to post short video testimonials filmed on an iPhone or similar – Use Twitpic to post pictures of your resort – Post about local traditions/holidays/etc – Tweet last minute special offers/prices – Use TwtQpon to offer money off local/on site restaurants/bars
DM Bonus – Guests on Twitter? DM them to let them know they can check in.
5) SPEAKERS
It might be written communication, but I know a few speakers doing very well from Twitter, so if you’re a speaker, why not:
- Post links to audio files of you speaking – Autofeed your calender/blog into your Twitter account so people know where you’re speaking – Post a “tip of the day” each day, related to your speciality – Use 12 second TV to post short clips of you speaking then link to the longer version on youtube/your website – Use Twitter search to find people talking about your speciality/niche – ask them if they can introduce you to people wanting speakers
DM Bonus – Offer a free ebook / whitepaper / mention on your website by DM only. The only way to get it is to follow you so you can DM them.
So there you have it – 5 types of business that should be using Twitter, and 5 things they can use it for.
Nikki Pilkington is author of TweetMentor from NikkiPilkington.com, a 100 day hand holding support system to help you through the Twitter maze.
Internet marketing expert Nikki Pilkington is owner of NikkiPilkington.com, an internet marketing and search engine optimisation company based in the UK, offering higher google listings, SEO, website traffic generation, Adwords management, email marketing and more.
7 Strategies to Finding Your Target Market on Twitter
November 6, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Copyright (c) 2009 OnlineBizU.com
Social networking using Twitter seems to be the most popular way to connect today, from celebrity Ashton Kutcher’s challenge to Oprah to reach one million friends first (Ashton won) to a U.S. State Department official contacting the co-founder of Twitter to delay upgrading the Twitter system so as not to interrupt election dialogue in Iran. More and more news agencies are using Twitter to keep their audience up-to-date, and local businesses are also jumping on the Twitter bandwagon as an immediate way to connect with their customers, as well.
How can you make the best use of Twitter in your business? It all starts with having followers in your target market. No doubt you’ve been inundated with email offers of things like “10,000 Twitter followers in 60 seconds for only $19.95!” Trust me — 1000 followers that are members of your target market are much more useful to the growth of your business via social networking than 10,000 followers that come from anywhere.
How do you find members of your target market on Twitter? Here are my top 7 strategies:
1. Add people you know in your industry. Twitter permits people to use fictitious names or business names as their Twitter identity, rather than their given name. So, it may be difficult at times to find the person you’re seeking, especially if she goes by “ShoeDiva” on Twitter and you know her as Miranda Smith. Try Twitter Search, http://search.twitter.com or Advanced Search, http://search.twitter.com/advanced to help you in your quest.
2. Find others with the same interests or serving the same target market. The online yellow pages of Twitter users, Twellow.com, permits users to list themselves by industry and interests. If your business isn’t currently listed on Twellow, take a few minutes to do that right away.
3. Follow those in the same geographic region. If marketing to your local area is an important part of your business, find local members of your target market by using Twellowhood.com or TwitterLocal.com and find the top movers and shakers in your region, as well as some members of your target market. If you want to meet fellow Tweeps face-to-face, search local Tweetups at TwtVite,com, or create your own gathering.
4. Get relevant recommendations. The free service, MrTweet.com, will provide you with info on recommended people to follow based on your current Twitter profile. You do have to follow MrTweet in order to participate. Once you’re logged in, you can see your recommendations, along with how these recommendations are connected to your list of followers. You can evaluate your recommendations, and MrTweet will make changes in your recommended list accordingly.
5. Follow those who follow you. It’s considered good Twitter etiquette to follow those people who’ve chosen to follow you. And, to prevent being labeled a Twitter snob, ideally you should be following more people than are following you. I have automated my ability to follow my followers by using a free version of TweetLater.com.
6. Look for keywords. Another way to find relevant followers is to keep track of people mentioning certain keywords in their Tweets. I do that through the free version of TweetLater.com. I use this same service to keep track of any mentions of me or my company on Twitter in the very same way I use Google Alerts.
7. Find groups. Twibes.com permits you to find groups by industry and interest and join them and/or see the members of each group. And, if you so inclined, you can create your own Twitter group, as well.
Remember, finding your target market is just the beginning. Once you’ve found them, you need to begin to build relationships with them. This means paying attention to what they say so that you can respond when appropriate either with a direct message (DM) or an @ reply that is public or retweeting (RT) their message to your followers when you feel someone has great info that would be useful to those who follow you. Take 10-15 minutes per day to keep yourself informed about what’s happening with your Tweeps and watch your business grow!
Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps baby boomers create profitable online retirement businesses by demystifying the steps needed to successfully market a baby boomer business online. Would you like to learn the specific Internet marketing strategies that get results? Discover how to increase your visibility and get found online by claiming your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, at ==> http://www.OnlineBizU.com
The Secret to Successful Twitter Marketing
November 6, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
The world is all abuzz about Twitter. Everybody from the mainstream media to celebrities to your Great Aunt Millie has at least heard of Twitter. Twitter has been used for everything from a critical communications link to the outside world during the Iranian Elections to Ashton Kutcher sharing a picture of Demi Moore in her underwear. The opportunities presented by this captive audience and its almost fanatical fan base should have you drooling!
Guess what? You are not the only one with that idea and thousands of would be Twitter marketers are trying to grab their share of the gold rush before the claim pinches out. Most will fail. The ‘average’ Twitter user is becoming jaded when it comes to Internet Marketing and thus even choosier on who they follow. Let’s ensure your next Twitter campaign is a successful campaign. In this article I will provide you with the secret to successful Twitter marketing in 2009.
Twitter’s enormous popularity, like all social media, is built on implicit trust. As an example of that implicit trust mechanism, Twitter only allows you to DM (Twitter shorthand for direct message) those that follow you. The (truly) brilliant minds at Twitter assumed that if a person trusts you enough to follow you, that they trust you enough to accept a direct message.
The trust mechanism built into Twitter ensures that the only successful method of marketing on Twitter requires followers. Surely you’ve heard from the Twitter gurus who recommend that you go out and buy an expensive tool, usually from their affiliate link, and mass follow complete strangers, hoping they follow you back and Twitter doesn’t ban your account? So how does my method differ? Notice that I said marketing on Twitter requires followers. Those followers don’t necessarily need to be YOUR FOLLOWERS. Don’t get me wrong, having your own legion of loyal followers is definitely an asset, but many Twitter marketers do not have that luxury when they are first beginning to utilize the Twitter system for marketing.
The true secret to utilizing Twitter as a marketing tool is to embrace the viral nature of the Twitter itself. You might only have 100 followers, but if each of those followers has 100 followers, now you have the basis of a campaign. One problem remains however, those followers still don’t have any reason to trust you. You need to find a way of reaching the followers of your followers (or website and / or blog visitors). You need a bridge to get over the trust chasm that divides you from the hordes of faithful minions that follow your followers.
The best Twitter strategy to build that bridge and complete the chain of trust is to get your website visitors to retweet (RT in Twitter shorthand) your message to their followers. For example, provide a form on your website or blog that encourages your visitors to tweet your message. This is where your creativity needs to come into play. Craft a compelling Tweet with a subtle, but effective, call to action and then promise your visitor (and deliver) a free report or discount coupon after they complete the act of retweeting your message. For example, a very popular method currently is to conduct Twitter contests. In exchange for an entry into your contest, your website visitor agrees to retweet your message. One company just completed a contest in which they gave away one Macbook a day for ten days. During the span of the contest, this company’s retweets trended higher than Michael Jackson’s death!
Even the most experienced Internet Marketers forget this one simple concept – viral marketing is successful marketing! Your website or blog visitors trust you. The Twitter followers of your visitor trust them. By encouraging your visitors to retweet your message to their followers, there is now an implied trust in you and your message; the trust chasm has been bridged!
Marketing with Twitter virally also had an added benefit. If the follower of your visitor agrees with your message, they will happily follow you! Thus not only are you fully exploiting the very viral nature of Twitter, but you are also building up your ever important followers list, readily available for future efforts!
Do Not Self Promote on Twitter! Promoting your own message is the easiest way to lose followers and potentially get clobbered by the dreaded Twitter ban hammer. Don’t let others lead you to believe that Twitter itself is dead. Twitter profits are still there for the taking, however now is the time to get creative and rethink your Twitter marketing strategy to fully exploit the very viral nature of the Twitter that makes the service so popular to begin with!
C. Robert Dillon is a social media marketing consultant and maintains a personal” target=”_blank”>www.crobertdillon.com”>personal blog on the subject.
Rob is also an accomplished software developer whose latest project, Tweetricity, allows folks to easily integrate viral twitter marketing into their website or blog.
It’s not just for kids and geeks – Twitter is good for Business too!
November 4, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
5 types of business that should be using Twitter
They’re all talking about it – the online phenomenon for 2009. Forget Google, forget Facebook and don’t even mention Yell.com – Twitter is where it’s at this year!
Founded in 2006 as a way to let fellow members know “what you are doing”, Twitter has expanded way beyond its founders wildest dreams.
2009 is the year Twitter has become more “mainstream”. This has been helped by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Ashton Kutcher and Jonathan Ross espousing its virtues but also by the number of businesses out there realising the marketing and promotional capabilities of Twitter.
However it’s usually when I talk to potential clients about using Twitter as part of their social media marketing, I hear:
“It’s just for kids and geeks”
“Only IT and Marketing bods make money from it”
and other such comments.
With this in mind, here are a random 5 industries, each with 5 ways they could use Twitter to promote their business:
1) HOTELS
Twitter is fast paced, instant communication, ideal for the hotel & hospitality industry.
Hotels could:
- Communicate last minute offers – Use Twitpic to show pictures of rooms – Post customer testimonials – Request feedback from guests
DM Bonus – If your guests have Twitter, why not DM them a special Twitter code if they eat dinner in the hotel?
2) PHOTOGRAPHERS
While Twitter is seen mainly as a textual medium, it can be visual too.
Photographers, why not:
- Use Twitpic to post a “picture of the day” – Tweet about the photo shoot you’re doing today, so people get a feel for your scope – Post links to your blog/website – Use TwTQpon to offer free studio time (specify purchase of X photos) – Ask satisfied customers to retweet the link to their pic(s) in your portfolio
DM Bonus – If your customers are on Twitter, DM them the link to thier pictures on your password protected server, or private group on Flickr/Facebook etc.
3)ASTROLOGIST
It’s not always easy to get people to sign up to a mailing list on a website if you’re in a very niche industry, but it’s a lot easier to get followers on Twitter.
- Use Hootsuite to run 12 daily horoscope accounts – one for each star sign – Post details of astrologically important days/dates/events – Offer a free reading for every 50th follower – ask people to retweet – Post testimonials from satisfied clients – Post celebrity horoscopes on a weekly basis
DM Bonus – Offer free 140 character descriptions of each star sign – have them ready to cut and paste. Offer them by DM only. (People have to follow you to get DM’s)
4) HOLIDAY RESORT/GUESTHOUSE
If SEO is too competitive and too costly, try Twitter – the only cost is your time, and even that can be minimal!
- Use 12 second TV to post short video testimonials filmed on an iPhone or similar – Use Twitpic to post pictures of your resort – Post about local traditions/holidays/etc – Tweet last minute special offers/prices – Use TwtQpon to offer money off local/on site restaurants/bars
DM Bonus – Guests on Twitter? DM them to let them know they can check in.
5) SPEAKERS
It might be written communication, but I know a few speakers doing very well from Twitter, so if you’re a speaker, why not:
- Post links to audio files of you speaking – Autofeed your calender/blog into your Twitter account so people know where you’re speaking – Post a “tip of the day” each day, related to your speciality – Use 12 second TV to post short clips of you speaking then link to the longer version on youtube/your website – Use Twitter search to find people talking about your speciality/niche – ask them if they can introduce you to people wanting speakers
DM Bonus – Offer a free ebook / whitepaper / mention on your website by DM only. The only way to get it is to follow you so you can DM them.
So there you have it – 5 types of business that should be using Twitter, and 5 things they can use it for.
Nikki Pilkington is author of TweetMentor from NikkiPilkington.com, a 100 day hand holding support system to help you through the Twitter maze.
Internet marketing expert Nikki Pilkington is owner of NikkiPilkington.com, an internet marketing and search engine optimisation company based in the UK, offering higher google listings, SEO, website traffic generation, Adwords management, email marketing and more.
It’s not just for kids and geeks – Twitter is good for Business too!
November 4, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
5 types of business that should be using Twitter
They’re all talking about it – the online phenomenon for 2009. Forget Google, forget Facebook and don’t even mention Yell.com – Twitter is where it’s at this year!
Founded in 2006 as a way to let fellow members know “what you are doing”, Twitter has expanded way beyond its founders wildest dreams.
2009 is the year Twitter has become more “mainstream”. This has been helped by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Ashton Kutcher and Jonathan Ross espousing its virtues but also by the number of businesses out there realising the marketing and promotional capabilities of Twitter.
However it’s usually when I talk to potential clients about using Twitter as part of their social media marketing, I hear:
“It’s just for kids and geeks”
“Only IT and Marketing bods make money from it”
and other such comments.
With this in mind, here are a random 5 industries, each with 5 ways they could use Twitter to promote their business:
1) HOTELS
Twitter is fast paced, instant communication, ideal for the hotel & hospitality industry.
Hotels could:
- Communicate last minute offers – Use Twitpic to show pictures of rooms – Post customer testimonials – Request feedback from guests
DM Bonus – If your guests have Twitter, why not DM them a special Twitter code if they eat dinner in the hotel?
2) PHOTOGRAPHERS
While Twitter is seen mainly as a textual medium, it can be visual too.
Photographers, why not:
- Use Twitpic to post a “picture of the day” – Tweet about the photo shoot you’re doing today, so people get a feel for your scope – Post links to your blog/website – Use TwTQpon to offer free studio time (specify purchase of X photos) – Ask satisfied customers to retweet the link to their pic(s) in your portfolio
DM Bonus – If your customers are on Twitter, DM them the link to thier pictures on your password protected server, or private group on Flickr/Facebook etc.
3)ASTROLOGIST
It’s not always easy to get people to sign up to a mailing list on a website if you’re in a very niche industry, but it’s a lot easier to get followers on Twitter.
- Use Hootsuite to run 12 daily horoscope accounts – one for each star sign – Post details of astrologically important days/dates/events – Offer a free reading for every 50th follower – ask people to retweet – Post testimonials from satisfied clients – Post celebrity horoscopes on a weekly basis
DM Bonus – Offer free 140 character descriptions of each star sign – have them ready to cut and paste. Offer them by DM only. (People have to follow you to get DM’s)
4) HOLIDAY RESORT/GUESTHOUSE
If SEO is too competitive and too costly, try Twitter – the only cost is your time, and even that can be minimal!
- Use 12 second TV to post short video testimonials filmed on an iPhone or similar – Use Twitpic to post pictures of your resort – Post about local traditions/holidays/etc – Tweet last minute special offers/prices – Use TwtQpon to offer money off local/on site restaurants/bars
DM Bonus – Guests on Twitter? DM them to let them know they can check in.
5) SPEAKERS
It might be written communication, but I know a few speakers doing very well from Twitter, so if you’re a speaker, why not:
- Post links to audio files of you speaking – Autofeed your calender/blog into your Twitter account so people know where you’re speaking – Post a “tip of the day” each day, related to your speciality – Use 12 second TV to post short clips of you speaking then link to the longer version on youtube/your website – Use Twitter search to find people talking about your speciality/niche – ask them if they can introduce you to people wanting speakers
DM Bonus – Offer a free ebook / whitepaper / mention on your website by DM only. The only way to get it is to follow you so you can DM them.
So there you have it – 5 types of business that should be using Twitter, and 5 things they can use it for.
Nikki Pilkington is author of TweetMentor from NikkiPilkington.com, a 100 day hand holding support system to help you through the Twitter maze.
Internet marketing expert Nikki Pilkington is owner of NikkiPilkington.com, an internet marketing and search engine optimisation company based in the UK, offering higher google listings, SEO, website traffic generation, Adwords management, email marketing and more.
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