Twitter And Your Business

We have all heard the expression "A little birdie told me" but with the rise of the social media site Twitter and it's associated applications this is becoming true on a daily basis, and the information available can be crucial for your business.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Twitter it is an online social networking site and service that allows users to post comments up to 140 characters long with links to files and images associated with your comment. Not a particularly cutting edge concept but this form of "micro-blogging" is quick and simple enough for users to post up to date information without having to take time out of their daily routine. With the popularity of Twitter hundreds of desktop and mobile applications have been released allowing for almost real time comments to be posted.

Twitter shot to public fame recently in the UK with comedian and presenter Steven Fry being stuck in an elevator and posting images and comments about his experience. In turn many other BBC presenters, media personalities and celebrities joined in to post about their daily experiences to their fan base. Whilst it is a useful tool for keeping up to date on shows and celebrities it also has an a significant number of benefits in other business sectors and an invaluable for the modern marketing strategies.

Up To Date Information

As a provider of a product or service it allows you to keep your clients up to date on the latest events of your organisation in simple short comments without having to write in depth articles. At Work Interactive our designers and developers are using Twitter to keep up to date on the latest technologies, trends and industry related news as part of their day to day work flow. It has also become an invaluable source for Rafael to keep abreast of the latest gardeing tips from experts in the field.

Initially technology and new media industry has embraced social media sites with more and more companies are using Twitter and other social sites such as Facebook to alert users to future developments, bug fixes, tips and inside "scoops". In the modern hectic work environment it can be difficult to read or keep up to date on the services that you use or wish to push out to your clients. Using these short bursts of information are easier to write and digest. The concept of reading and controbutiong leads us to the next benefit.

Interaction and Community

Twitter, like many of its competitors, allows users to respond to comments with suggestions, questions and responses. The interaction between provider and user creates a relationship, hopefully positive, that can be used to create a better product awareness. As Twitter fame has grown a more diverse range of companies are using Twitter to reach out the consumer, Home Depot for example uses its Twitter as an online "suggestion box" for its stores and products. How you make use of your Twitter account for your own business will vary depending on the industry but it allows a quick and free way to build up a strong user and knowledge base around your product. If you area able to act upon feedback, advice and recommendations from your client base the users feel they are part of the process and start to feel more affiliated with your company.

Industry Status and Market Leader

Sites like Topsy allow users to search through Twitter posts in the same way that Google searches the web for content, and we are all aware how many users do that. If you or your company is twittering regularly about a specific topic or product you will increase your searchability as a "top author". In turn it is a simple and cost effective way to gain free traffic to your website from users who may come across your site by accident or recomendation from other users.

This article serves as a simple and brief introduction into how Twitter as one many social media tools can benefit your business. If you continue to follow our blog or subscribe to the Work Interactive newsletter we will be providing regular tips and advice on the latest social media services. Whilst Twitter, and other social media applications, may not suit ever industry they do offer new and inexpensive avenues for marketing and putting your company or product in-front of wider global audience.

If you topic of this article has got your mind thinking off possibilites for your business then why not speak to out of the Work Interactive marketing team about our range of services.