I Am Now An Official "Twitterer"

You might say that I am "Twitterpated" now that I have latched on to one of the newest Internet marketing tools called Twitter.

Left In the Dust
Back in February, when I started contemplating taking my business BTK & Associates full time, I started realizing that, as a marketing & sales consultant, it would be my responsibility to stay up to date on the most current trends and share them with my clients. That was going to be a bit of a problem.

Admittedly, technology passed me by at warp speed over the past two years as I was pigeon-holed in a stagnant bank marketing environment. We couldn't spend money and we sure weren't allowed to implement any new marketing tools - or very many traditional ones, for that matter. I can't believe how much the marketing landscape changed around me. It was like I went into hyper-sleep for 24 months only to awaken to find all of this new marketing technology.

Being Resourceful
As a self-proclaimed "marketing junkie", I am constantly reading and researching marketing & sales information. Whether it's speed reading a book while drinking a latte at a nearby Barnes & Noble bookstore or perusing the Internet, I am constantly on the lookout for new ideas and technology. I can't tell you how many Internet groups, forums and blogs I subscribe to currently. One of those sources is Larry Chase's Web Digest for Marketers. It's a great resource for news about new and emerging marketing tactics.

This week, he wrote about "Twitters". How people come up with terms like blogs, bloggers, widgets, blidgets and now, twitter and twitterers I'll never understand. But, Twitter technology has a lot of merit and promise as a corporate marketing and sales tool.

What is a Twitter?
In my own definition, a Twitter is a miniature blog that allows people in a group to establish a social network and communicate via email and cell phone by sending short messages called "tweets". You might say, "Well, we already communicate via email and texting." Not like this.

For example, when I build an email list for my business using a service like Constant Contact or Exact Target, which I pay for, I include clients, prospects, friends, family and neighbors. Depending on their email settings, my emails may not get through their spam filters. And, I have no way to know if they are really taking the time to read them before they end up in the trash. And when it comes to sending a text message, I have to set up my text message list and then type the message separately from my email message. Twittering solves all of these problems by combining the tasks...and it's FREE.

With Twitter technology, I simply invite clients and prospects to subscribe to my tweets. Or, other twitterers can become "followers" of my Twitter because they did a topic search and decided they wanted to stay in contact. Twitter networks can be set up for families, neighborhoods, friends, sports teams, support groups and more...it's limitless.

Marketing Benefits
So, how can your business benefit by using Twitter as a marketing tool? Let's say that you own a seafood restaurant. Your supplier offers you a great deal on Alaskan Sock-eye salmon. You can send a tweet to your list announcing your menu special in an effort to boost reservations. Your "followers" receive an instant email notification as well as a message sent to their mobile phone. A bank may use Twitter to alert customers to special interest rate. A Realtor may tell clients about a new home listing. Your company may release details about registration for a seminar or conference or news about a new product release or upgrade. Twitter is ideal if you want or need to communicate timely information with your customers and/or prospects to elicit a buying response.

Who's Twittering?
So, how popular is Twitter? Here are the names of just a few familiar companies and brands that use Twitter as a marketing & communication tool.

• CNN
• Computer World
• Fox News
• Carnival Cruise Lines
• Southwest Airlines
• MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Amazon.com
• Apple Computers
• Dell
• Monster.com
• Notre Dame
• Michigan State University
• Ford Motor Company
• General Motors
• Forrester Research
• Cincinnati Art Museum
• San Fransisco Zoo
• Smithsonian Institute
• Comcast
• M&Ms
• Barack Obama

And there's thousands more...

I encourage you to visit Twitter.com and see for yourself how you can join the Twitter craze. If you'd like to join my Twitter network, I can be found at http://twitter.com/btk_marketing.

If you'd like help setting up a Twitter and developing a strategy built around this new technology, visit www.btkmarketing.com or email me at brian@btkmarketing.com