Twitter is a social Web site that allows its members to share small 140-character snippets about news and current events, daily activities, special events and anything else users can think to fit into 140 characters.
Not everyone in the Twittersphere will see every tweet. Only tweets from users following each other will be seen on each Twitter home page.
Web sites like Twellow help Tweeps – another name for Twitter users – to find new followers in the topic area of their focus.
Why Tweet?
Twitter users post all kinds of things in their tweets – from what they had for breakfast to a link to the latest news story or product.
The idea behind Twitter is to get a name out there and recognized so others see posted links and other information.
Twitter is like a ‘gateway drug’ to social media networking. Katy Lynch, Twitter expert and community manager and marketer for the online company Where I’ve Been, says Twitter is a great tool to drive traffic to the Where I’ve Been Web site and get people involved.
“I spend a lot of time tweeting every day, and it’s great because it gets my followers to check out links I post and interact through Twitter and the Where I’ve Been Web site,” Lynch said in a direct interview.
Lynch tweets under the name @whereivebeen, and currently has more than 7,500 followers. She is following more than 8,000 other Tweeps, and she tweets about 15 times each hour during her workday.
“For businesses with a strong Web site and prevalent online presence, Twitter can do wonderful things,” Lynch said. “So many companies are starting to hire people specifically to tweet – like Starbucks and Coca-Cola.”
For smaller businesses, Twitter can have a strong effect also, as long as the 140 characters allowed are used to their fullest potential and other users are convinced that the tweet is worthwhile. Twitter can drive traffic to Web sites and increase profits, according to Lynch.
Who Is on Twitter?
According to a Twitter survey, 49 percent of Twitter users are marketing professionals. Many Tweeps use each other to increase their following.
Twitter allows Tweeps to respond to other tweets, and search for specific terms. By connecting on Twitter, Tweeps are able to increase brand awareness and further their reach in the online community.
There are several individual tweeters in the Twittersphere as well, and it has become an outlet for celebrities to communicate with fans and voice their opinions. Lance Armstrong is a good example of an avid celebrity tweeter.
How to Tell if Twitter Is Working as Intended
Bit.ly and HootSuite are two of many tracking sites that Tweeps can use to track how many clicks are made on links they post within their tweets.
These services allow users to manage multiple Twitter accounts at once, and keep track of followings, followers, replies and clicks on tweets.
While the exact value of Twitter marketing is not easy to measure, based the success of companies like Where I’ve Been and community manager Lynch, there is no doubt the Twittersphere is growing, and it’s a great place to market a product. It’s free, and it sure can’t hurt.
