Can Micro-blogging (Twitter and such) Help Your Business?
You have probably heard the term ‘Microblogging’ thrown around a lot lately. But what exactly is it, and more importantly, how can you utilize it for your business?
If you have been around the Internet for any amount of time over the last year or two, you’ve probably already heard of some forms of Microblogging. A Microblog is a brief update that is 200 characters or less. Some of the most Microblogging popular sites, where you’ll find the most users, are Twitter, Pownce, and Tumblr. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Bebo are also places where you can Microblog.
With the rising popularity of Smartphones such as the iPhone and Blackberry, users have the capability to send snippets of text from anyplace at anytime. Users are also able to receive updates in real-time, from Microblogs to which they have subscribed. Herein lies the true power of Microblogging as a tool for marketing your business. When you gain a following of people who have self-selected to receive your updates, you will have a ready-made base of potential customers at your fingertips. Think of it as an incredibly powerful, not to mention cost-effective, interactive mailing list.
Creating and maintaining a Microblog account is obviously the first step. The next is to grow your subscriber base. Start by adding your friends, joining groups, and in general interacting with other users that have similar interests. Make updates frequently but not too frequently, (users will eventually block you if you flood them with messages), and aim for a balanced mix of personal and business-related updates. This lets your followers know you’re around, and also helps potential followers find you.
So what are some ways to gain a large number of subscribers to your Microblog, and then, once you have, say 2000+ followers, what are some effective ways to utilize this new potential customer base?
Contest: Here’s a great way to gain more new followers on twitter who may be interested in your business, service or product. Create a contest or giveaway. Announce to your followers that they if they follow and re-tweet a message (@username is having a contest for…) to their followers, they’re entered into the giveaway. When a user re-tweets the message, their followers are now seeing the message, then one of their followers re-tweet and so on. Each user who joins will have to follow you, inflating your follower count for future announcements. There’s even a service called Twiveaway that tracks this kind of contest for you so you don’t end up being overloaded with new followers.
Promotions: Closeout a product line by announcing sales to your followers. Possibly include a coupon code for free shipping for a certain percentage off. This is effective and gives incentive for your followers to visit your website.
Community outreach: Companies such as Whole Foods and Popeye’s Chicken used Twitter for emergency information announcements during Hurricane Gustav. Whole Foods announced store closures and openings and Popeye’s “tweeted” emergency information to their followers. These companies were able reach people outside their customer base who were searching for keywords such as “hurricane” or “evacuation”, and they were able to gain priceless social cred for showing support for this cause.
Being accessible: Customers love to have questions answered immediately, especially if they’re asking about a specific product or service. If you’re easily accessible, you can turn this person into a customer and now you’re able to market to them for future promotions, sales etc. This is also useful from a branding perspective because if someone has a good experience, they’re going to share that with others.
Some other things to note: Make sure your updates are in line with your website. If you push a promotion, make sure your website reflects that promotion. And create a Microblog widget on your site so that people know they can follow you on your Microblog network.
These are just a few of the ways to take advantage of the popularity of tools such as Twitter and Facebook. When used effectively, Microblogging can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool for your business.
