What Is Twitter?
Twitter is a social networking tool often described as microblogging at its best. With tweets (otherwise known as posts) limited to 140 characters, brevity is a polished skill in the Twitterverse.
Why Should I Use Twitter?
So why would such an itty-bitty writing space be of value to a business? The short answer is that a vast majority of professionals use Twitter to converse, trade information and articles, and discuss professional development. Tweeting is akin to a networking event in which you may wander the room making introductions and building connections – only Twitter is available 24/7 rather than the once-a-year networking event.
What Can Twitter Do For My Business?
Not only does Twitter offer networking opportunities, tweets can be even more valuable to a business when you follow a live event. If you are unable to attend a conference, meeting or other professional development activity, many organizations keep a running dialogue open on Twitter by using specific hash tags to direct the conversation.
For example, if you wanted to participate in the Twitter conversation of the State of the Union Address given by the President, you would type in #SOTU and it would take you to all tweets related to the Address. Not only does this allow you to participate in live events, it creates an invaluable resource to revisit later. Discover what industry leaders in your market are thinking about and talking about by following their discussions on Twitter.
How Can Twitter Help With Marketing?
Twitter also builds strong business practices by creating a forum to market business-related ideas, products and services.
Speaking directly to customers (and competitors) through Twitter is a powerful way to reach new clients and maintain long-standing relationships with current clients. Tweeting promotional material is a popular choice on Twitter as well as recent news and other business updates.