By Charlie Wollborg
June 4, 2009
First things first. What the heck is Twitter?
The geek answer: Twitter is a social networking and microblogging platform that enables users to send and receive text-based posts of up to 140 bytes in length via the web, sms or third party application.
Lost? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. That definition usually evokes head scratching.
Here’s a much better, “human” response: Twitter is like an online cocktail party. Ahhhh, that’s a bit easier to digest. Who doesn’t like a good cocktail party?
Twitter is a mishmash of conversations about work, life and the news of the day with folks you know and need to meet. Sure, there’s plenty of navel gazing and mundane talk on Twitter (is it any different than your office water cooler?). But it’s also a powerful tool for sharing knowledge, spreading ideas and building businesses.
Why should I care?
Because Twitter users are early adopters and influencers. They blog. They recommend new sites. They download new applications. And they love to try new products. If you’re a fan of The Tipping Point you understand the benefit of having the mavens enamored with your brand. Twitter users are cool hunters, opinion leaders. They hunger for what’s now, what’s new and what’s next. If your business relies on reaching new customers to meet its sales goals, you need to take a second look at Twitter.
The other big reason?
Twitter posts (called tweets) are showing up in the top of the stack on Google. Here’s why: Google loves fresh content. There isn’t much fresher than what’s happening right now. News breaks on twitter before it makes CNN. Important blog posts, photos and videos first see the light of day on twitter. Your best customers are having conversations right now on Twitter. If garnering higher search engine rankings is good for your business, get tweeting.
Five tips to get the most out of Twitter
1. Let us know who you are. Complete your bio, add your link, upload your photo. List your real name, company name and city. Brand your background. Get listed on wefollow.com, justtweetit.com, twellow.com and twibs.com
2. Listen to the Twitterstream. Search for your brand, competitors, prospects, industry and keywords at search.twitter.com.
3. Shine the light on others. It’s not just about you. Help spread important ideas. Retweet good content. Introduce tweeps to each other. Respond to every @ reply and DM.
4. Check your stats. Part CPA. Part Carnac the Magnificent. Part Twitter Analytics. Keep an eye on twittercounter.com and twitter.grader.com but don’t get hung up on them.
5. Give your tweet wings. Be engaging. Be insightful. Be helpful. Be provocative. But if you want to be retweetable, do it in less than 120 characters. Use truncators like tinyurl.com and url.ie
Bonus Tip
Microvideoblogging is the new microblogging. What would a cross between Twitter and YouTube look like? Try you hand at 12second.tv or seesmic.com.
Charlie Wollborg is chief troublemaker and founding partner of Curve Detroit Advertising, Marketing and Design Community Builder of Motor City Connect. He helps growing brands stand out from the clutter and can be reached at charlie@curvedetroit.com. You can follow Charlie’s Tweets at http://twitter.com/CharlieCurve.