Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’

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Optimizing Your Twitter Presence

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

As the world continues its transition to the digital space, the majority of companies have realized that social media is an essential piece of the marketing puzzle, Twitter being a key player. The site has experienced exponential growth over the past couple years, with 23.5 million unique visitors per month being reported in February 2010. While Twitter still has a long way to go to catch up to Facebook, it has proven itself as a powerful force in the world of real-time communications.

In order to take advantage of all it has to offer, we’ve come up with a key list of tools below:

Personalizing Your Presence

  • In addition to maintaining a wide database of pre-made Twitter wallpapers that you can simply select to install on your account, Twitbacks also allows you to customize a background of your own. This website specializes in helping you create backgrounds featuring a left-hand column that may include your social networks, links, photos, an extended bio, phone number and more.
  • MyTweetSpace is a user-friendly site that offers badges, fancy graphics and themes to help you personalize your Twitter presence. The standard backgrounds with badges are available for $5. In addition, the site offers backgrounds specifically customized for your business for a $79 fee.

Growing Your Account

  • Known as the “Twitter Yellow Pages,” Twellow allows you to search for people on Twitter in specific categories, such as: Real Estate, Green, Football, Teachers, Fashion Design, etc. You can also register yourself on the site and select the category, or categories, that you fit in best.
  • Nearby Tweets is a fun application that enables you to plug in your city, and see who is tweeting in your geographical area. While the standard public Twitter stream is bombarded with up to 12 million tweets per minute, Nearby Tweets gives you a microscopic view of who is saying what in your own community.

Platforms

Tweetdeck for desktop

  • Tweetdeck is a popular Twitter publishing application that is available in both desktop and mobile versions. Having just topped 15 million downloads as of July 2010, theservice sends out approximately 4 million tweets and status updates every day. The value in Tweetdeck comes in the ability to customize your personal Twitter experience by creating different columns, groups, scheduled tweets and searches.
  • Formerly Tweetlater.com, Social Oomph is a desktop-based application that is preferred by many due to the extensive number of features that it offers. The free version includes: scheduled tweets, keyword tracking, direct message inbox purging, extended Twitter profiles and the ability to save and reuse message drafts.

Analytics

  • Twitalyzer is a free service that provides a high-level overview of where you fall in the Twitter-scape and how you are making an impact. When you sign in using your Twitter account information, the site generates a report that shows you your impact, engagement, clout, retweet ratio, follower statistics, personality and more. Twitalyzer also provides a section with recommendations for you to create a bigger impact on the site.
  • TweetStats is a tool that allows you to take a broad look at how many tweets you are sending out monthly, daily and hourly, going back to the first tweet you sent during your first month on Twitter. Once you plug in your username, you will be provided with graphs and tweet clouds that offer an inside look into how you are using Twitter.

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Posted in Marketing, media, social media | No Comments »

Should Interns Run Social Media Campaigns?

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Incorporating social media into your marketing efforts is essential in this digital world. While some businesses have decided to embark on this on their own, by assigning the task to their marketing department, others have turned to what they consider to be the most cost-effective solution – hiring a summer intern.

From the perspective of the Gen Y population, a “deep understanding of social media” or “experience launching viral digital campaigns” is what they do on a daily basis – updating their Twitter statuses every 5 minutes or creating new groups on Facebook.

Source: Business Insider

Image: Business Insider

Sure, these students may claim they are “Social Media Experts” because they know how to upload a YouTube video or follow a Twitter hashtag. But, they may not possess the essential communication skills and strategy experience that are required to move your social media efforts forward.

Below we have listed some of the pros and cons of hiring a college intern or relying on rather than sticking with an external agency.

Pros

· If you are looking to bring on talent at the end of the summer, a summer intern is a great excuse to give someone a trial run before handing over a contract

· Summer interns can provide valuable insight if you are launching a campaign or your company target market is the 18-24 age group

· Low budget

Cons

· College students know how to chat with their friends on Twitter, but they often forget the purposes of managing this for a company rather than for fun

· Students may not be committed to your company the same way that an agency is, especially if they are not getting paid or receiving minimal compensation

· Agencies have worked with numerous companies with various needs, therefore they have familiar with best practices and understand what works better than someone who has only played with social media for personal purposes

· Summer interns require quite a bit of training to educate them on your company’s messages and core values

Interns are great assets for any business, but after you have spent numerous hours, endless effort, and invested valuable resources on building your brand online, it can be risky to leave a public media channel open to someone who is unfamiliar of the foundation of your company. Social media is your company’s face to the world. Make sure you know this face, and most importantly, that the face knows you and your company.

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Posted in Branding, Marketing, Strategy, media, social media | 2 Comments »

Twitter: Launching Your Small Business in the Social Networking World

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Posted by Sumontro Roy.

With the growing popularity of Twitter and major brands already interacting online, it’s important for Small Businesses to understand the value of “becoming social.”

How important is it to be socially active?twitter-network

Ah, but it is extremely important! Building strong relationships with your target market is more important than ever before. Having the chance to listen, stay in touch and connect with thousands of people instantly is the real value of this new channel of instant communication.

However, you must clearly outline how to launch your brand in this social world before you jump on the social media bandwagon. Here are some key things to remember and ask about your business before going “live”:

  • Treat your brand as a
    person, define your personality
  • Identify your values and beliefs (Brand Identity)
  • What does your brand say that is different from others? What conversations can you join and make a real contribution? (Differentiation)
  • How can you make your conversation relevant to your business? (Promotion Strategy)

Remember, that, as human beings we like people who know how to listen to us, those that show us how much they care – that ultimately wins our trust. Building relationships is about having a rational and emotional connection and this is what your business now has the chance to do: Socialize and build loyal, lasting relationships with your customers, without even picking up the phone!

Importantly, social media is an extremely cost-efficient media selection for small businesses. And, given that a lot of such small businesses need to make the best possible use of their limited funds, it becomes that much more important to select, develop and implement an effective social media strategy.

Check out these Twitter tools that can help you identify your target market, join conversations that you want to be part of and deliver content based on your business strategy and expected ROI:

http://www.smbceo.com/2009/03/25/top-27-twitter-applications/

Video Link: http://smallbiztrends.com/2008/10/how-why-twitter-small-businesses.html

Feel free to contact the Team at Perks for developing an effective and efficient social media strategy for your business – we look forward to hearing from you!

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The Aftermath: Post-Networking Event Follow Up

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

people-networking2So, you did your research and attended a networking event that you were well-prepared for. What’s next? Networking doesn’t stop when the cracker plate is empty and everyone has gone home. The steps you take after a networking event are an essential part of effective networking. Next time you return from a networking event, follow these steps to make the most of your new found contacts.

1.      Reflect on your experience. Make note of what you did well and what you need to improve on. Networking events can be a great learning experience!

2.      Add all new contacts and their info into your Rolodex or contact management system. All details that you remember are important such as where they work, how long they have worked there, any common connections and noteworthy attributes.

3.      Send a follow up email to all new contacts and reach out to them on social media. Further explore their networks on social media to see if your networks overlap by looking for your new contacts on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. Also remember to send a thank you to the host of the event if applicable.

4.      You can also post about the event on your blog or tweet about it.  Post any photos you may have taken from the event as well.

5.      Begin to strategize on how you can make the most of your new connections. What can you do for them? Can they do anything for you? Perhaps you can work together on an upcoming project. The possibilities are endless.

6.      Begin you plan of attack for the next networking event you are attending. If you don’t already have one scheduled, now is a great time to do some more research and start networking!

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Keeping Up to Speed: The Art of Online Research

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

There’s no doubt about it, the world is a busy place. With the evolution of the ways we receive news and the overabundance of information, it seems impossible to keep up. And you’re a busy person. So, how do you keep up to date with all of the occurances in your business, in your market, in your industry and in the world? It seems like a daunting task, but here are a few tricks and tools to keep you in the know in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world.

1. Have the News Delivered to Youpicture-7

Using RSS Feeds such as Google Reader and setting alerts allow you to follow your favorite online publications.  These tools let you to set certain keywords and alerts you when an update surrounding that topic occurs. Editions of your favorite online publications are aggregated into one location and news about your favorite topics are delivered right to your email inbox, which saves trees and time.

2. Keep Up with Your Social Media

picture-8Believe it or not, more and more people are getting their news for social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook.  Log in to your social media at least three times a day (once when you arrive at the office, once on your lunch hour and once before you leave). Tools like TweetDeck allow you to keep your social media open all day long and notifies you when members of your network make updates.

iphone_cat_scan_630x3.  Go Mobile

Now you can take the news with you via mobile phones. The iPhone and Blackberry have become the Swiss Army knives of mobile devices and allow you to check your email, receive news and updates your social media all from the palm of your hand.

Sure, there’s a lot of information, but there are just as many tools and tricks to keep you up to speed when you’re on the go!

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Navigating the Social Media World: Tricks and Trends

Monday, September 14th, 2009

social-media-wagonSocial Media is THE word, THE trend, and THE future of our world. Just like the internet, it’s here to stay. It’s an unstoppable movement and it’s everywhere! Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, You Tube. Young kids use it, college students, CEOs, entrepreneurs, moms and dads: social media stretches across all ages, all places, and it has ultimately changed the way people communicate, how business is operated and how the world goes round.

Food for thought:

  • 100,000,000 – number of YouTube videos viewed per day.
  • Facebook had 250 million users and 35-and-older was the fastest-growing segment.
  • Social networks and blogs are now the 4th most popular online activity ahead of personal email.
  • In June, the top 10 social media sites had 480 million unique (individual) visitors.

Social media provides a venue where people can communicate on a social or business level like never before. From a business standpoint, social media’s accessibility, transparency and widespread reach allows companies to engage with their specific niche market and communicate directly with their consumers.  The user-generated content and managable publishing techniques is non-discriminating and can be practiced by nearly anyone.

Social media has created a venue where interactive marketing becomes attainable. This platform permits companies and consumers to interact with one another almost immediately (in real time), and feed off one another in order to get the best results. Social media is the future of marketing and its vital for company growth. In today’s economic state, social media is a cost effective way to increase public awareness, buzz, and brand recognition. By using social media platforms, small businesses can get in the foreground and build their brand with their target audience and expand their business.

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Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »

Social media for social change

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

twitter-for-treesA recent article in Time magazine, focused on the way Twitter has changed the face of the communication landscape.  Though criticized at first for being superficial and lacking substance, Twitter conversation has taken a more meaningful turn lately. Believe it or not, Twitter has evolved from an outlet for those with increasingly short attention spans to a platform for social change and relevant conversation.  And this has expanded beyond business endeavors to the nonprofit, and even political, arenas.

No one is really sure why this sudden change has taken place. It could be  the American presidential election, the controversy surrounding social media in China and Iran, President Obama’s call to service or even simply the recent explosion of social media as a popular form of communication.  Whatever the reason, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Twitter is being used to promote social causes as well as popular brands. Twitter has become the newest form of Cause Related Marketing.  You don’t have to work for a nonprofit to promote a meaningful cause. Just pick a cause that fits your brand image and you can use Twitter to make a difference. Here’s how:

1.  Connect with fellow advocates from around the word.bigstockphoto_internet_network_7433611

One of the greatest gifts social media and ever-changing technology has given us is that we are able to create a  virtual “global village.” Your  audience truly is just a tweet away. Entrepreneurs, social change activists and consumers or donors from Dubai to Sydney, from Rio de Janeiro to Beijing are literally at your fingertips.  Find others who believe in the cause you are promoting and engaging in relevant conversations with them via Twitter.  You  never know just how far one tweet can take you.

2. Host a social media event.

The evolution of video technology has enabled us to engage with people across the country and around the world.  Twitcam and other Twitter-based video applications are allowing us to host meetings and events via social media.  Use these applications and resources to host conversations with contacts in different cities, states or even countries.  Take your fingers off the keyboard and bring the conversation live without ever having to leave your chair.

twitter4603. Take the conversation with you.

Use iPhone and mobile device applications to take social media with you anywhere you go.  Trick out your phone with the latest applications and your cause never leaves you.  Relevant conversations, events, products and ideas are literally in the palm of your hand and you can make major social change from your phone. What a world we live in!

The world is changing and you can either resist it or embrace it.  Be a part of the change and use the power social media to promote a busienss or a cause or anything that means a lot to you and make a difference in the world around you.

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Why bother using Twitter?

Monday, May 18th, 2009

So, now you know what Twitter is and how to use it. Great!  But WHY should you use Twitter? Of all the social media platforms out there, why should Twitter be at the top of your list?

Here are three quick reasons why to use Twitter.

1. Twitter is Everywhere!twitter-international_web_traffic1

A common misconception is that social media is “an American fad” that holds no weight in the international community. Actually, the complete opposite is true. Sixty percent of Twitter web traffic comes from outside the United States. Countries like Japan, Spain, the UK and even Taiwan are large contributors to Twitter web traffic.  Twitter has become the newest way to cross international borders and create the proverbial “global village” online.

2. Everyone has Twitter!

wwwninthlinkcom1

Everyone from President Obama to Ashton Kutcher to my next door neighbor is on Twitter.  Since 140-character bite-sized Tweets are the main form of Twitter communication, no one can say that they don’t have time to Tweet. Since everyone is using Twitter, having a large number of “followers” ensures that you have a large audience. And if you can communicate your brand message in 140 characters, you’ll have a captive audience.

 

3.  People visit Twitter

This may sound just like Reason #2 but there is a slight difference.  Often, social media will have a huge spike in membership at its launch, but the number of hits (or unique visitors to the website) will dwindle after the novelty has worn off.  With Twitter, the exact opposite has happened. Twitter has simply exploded since it was first introduced. In fact, a recent study has shown that Twitter.com has more visitors than the websites of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal! Twitter is even giving Google a run for its money!

The long and short of it is that Twitter is a unique and emerging platform that people are using. So, don’t be afraid to jump right in and have fun on Twitter!globalprojectshelpwebscom

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Twitter: How to Optimize your Brand

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

“I googled it” – I bet you $10 that you’ve heard that phrase before.  twitter-seopic-for-blog1

Google’s search engine has become such a large part of our lives it has become a noun. When you need to search for something on the Internet you head straight for Google right? Wrong! According to many, Google may well be shaking in their swanky offices for fear of Twitter taking part of their market.

 Gyuate Park from Winning the Web, declares Twitter “definitely has the potential to be the ‘next big thing’ and gain enough market share for certain social queries to put a dent in Google’s search business.” 

Is he right? Perhaps. And the fact that one is even contemplating that perhaps mega market monsters Google could have a potential dent is more than significant.

So, how can Twitter be used to optimize your brand? Here are a couple of easy tips:

  1. Stand for something. If you are using Twitter as a business tool, there really isn’t any merit in letting your consumers know that you ate a mushroom omelet for breakfast. (Unless your business is that you are a mushroom omelet connoisseur of course) To be honest, no one cares. Focus on what your message is and stick to it. Now this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be personal – far from it! You want to have your own voice and presence, but keep it relevant.
  1. Personalize your profile. Okay so I guess the blue background… or even the brown one… looks kind of cute, but this says nothing about you or your business. If you have a logo – use it. Create your background to include the colors of your brand. Show a little effort and people will be much more receptive.
  1. Get Chatting. This one is easy! – Follow people who are relevant. Let them follow you back. Talk about interesting things. Engage in conversations to develop these relationships and make them solid. Through this community, you’ll create that essential buzz about your brand, raise your SEO and increase traffic to your website.

So what do you think? Are you a Tweep on Twitter? Has your brand benefited? Is Google a Gonner? Let us know your thoughts…

 

 

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Posted in Marketing | 2 Comments »

Twitter 101: The Basics of Tweeting

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Twitter? What’s that?

 

twitter-bird

If you are asking yourself this question then you must have been living under a rock for the past few months. But that’s okay – we’ll get you up to speed and no one will ever know your recent abode.

Twitter is THE new social media tool about today. I know I know, “there is always some latest fad that won’t last”… but Twitter is different. Honestly. It’s growing at a rate much faster than Facebook (gasp!) and is proving rather profitable to many brands in the business world. So pay ‘attweetion’ (ha) here’s a quick “Twictionary“ 101: 

 

1. Tweeps = Members of Twitter

2. Tweets = The sentences (or “micro-blogs”) you write that can be no longer that 140 characters long

3. Tweetup = An event created through Twitter

4. Twerd = A Twitter Nerd

 Okay – so now you know the lingo, how do you actually use the site? Here are a few basics:

1.    Twitter – A site dedicated to micro-blogging that resembles the “Status update” of Facebook

2.    Followers – People who have asked to be your friend on Twitter that, once accepted by you, can read your tweets on your profile

3.    Following – People you are friends with of whom you can read their tweets on their profile

4.    D – The symbol used to “Direct Message” a follower, allowing them to read your message but no-one else

5.    RT – The symbol used to “Re-Tweet” a tweet on your profile that you copied from someone else’s profile

6.    @[enter followers name] - The symbol used to reference a re-tweet (see above) or to reply to a particular follower’s tweet.

 So there you have it – everything you need to know about Twitter from a functionality point of view. Check out our next post where we’ll give you the low down on how Twitter can be used to optimize your brand…

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Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »

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