irun twitter for business intro july10

© Peter Lisney and Irun Business Intelligence 2009

Social Networking For Business Is It All Twaddle?


Today’s Workshop• Brand Awareness Through Social Networking• What is Twitter• Why Tweet• Examples of Business Successes via Twitter• Getting Started• Do’s and Don’ts• Tools – Critical for Efficient Use• What Else Should You Be Doing?• What Next?


What brand name comes to mind when I say ‘hamburger’?


What brand name comes to mind when I say ‘soft drink’?


What brand name comes to mind when people think of your product or service?

• Your Name?• Or Your Competitor’s


Staying Top Of Mind

• Social Media can help you or your brand stay ‘top of mind’ with your prospects and customers

• This can lead to sales ‘conversions’ when user is in the market

• Is time spent on social networking a cost or an investment?

• It depends on the results


What is Twitter?

• Social network• 900% increase in users over past year• Social Media Revolution Video • Each post no longer than SMS text

message• Is being used as a search engine• Ideal if blog requires too much time or

article writing skills

http://bit.ly/atjzXT


Why Tweet

• Get to know other local businesses• Learn from others Worldwide• Share your ideas and experience• Find new suppliers• Find new customers (Sales!)• Find new employees• Huge Brands using Twitter

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/16-examples-of-huge-brands-using-twitter-for-business/7792/


The Jargon

• Tweet• Following• Followers• @IRUNCanterbury• RT or Re-Tweet• #tags• Reply• Direct Message (DM)• Lists• Favourites


IRUN and TwitterCorporate Policy & Strategy

• All offices to use Twitter• Corporate Twitter ‘skin’ & naming convention• IRUN Twitter ‘gurus’


3 Steps To Twitter Happiness:

Start Conversations

Exchange Information

Build Relationships


Examples of Local Successes• Found out about Medway Council tender for

large-scale web project via Twitter• Got involved in launching and running

4Networking Canterbury area via Twitter• A well-known local hotel we work with has

tracked £12K direct new Twitter business• Found new Virtual PA for IRUN via Twitter• IRUN has gained local clients around the

country via Twitter (e.g. Fallowfields Hotel).• IRUN Barnsley appointed as a local business

advisor through Twitter contacts, and granted £28K funding for 10 new clients. Sales!


Examples of Local Successes

• Organic Farmers & Growers


Examples of Local Successes• Maidstone Symphony Orchestra


Examples of Local Successes


Examples of Local Success


The Result…


Examples of Local Success


Getting Started

• Set objective– Local – National– International

• Brand– Your name or your company’s

• Setting Up an Account


Step 1 – Create An Account


Step 2 – Find & Make Friends


Update Your Settings

• Your Location • Your URL (Website

address)• Your One Line Bio• Don’t ‘Protect my

tweets’• Picture• Design


Find People


Twitter Lists

• Use other people’s lists to find relevant groups of tweeters you may be interested in following

• As the number of people you follow grows, create your own lists to group similar people

• You can also do this in Tweetdeck


Do's and Don'ts

• Do– Ask questions– Answer Questions– ReTweet interesting Tweets

• Don't– Try to sell on your first contact– Be spammy– Be dull– Let Twitter consume you!


Twitter Tools

• SocialOomph• Twollo• Twello• Tweetdeck or Hootsuite• Twitterfeed• Bit.Ly


Socialoomph.com (formerly Tweetlater)


Twollo.com

Warning -Make sure you have posted at least 50 Tweets before going heavy on Twollo.


Twellow.com


Tweetdeck.com


Twitterfeed.com (for advanced users)


Hootsuite.com

• Filters tweets using chosen criteria (columns)• Can manage multiple accounts• On multiple social networks• Manage lists• Schedule tweets• Integrates Facebook, LinkedIn etc into one

panel.


www.Bit.ly – URL shortener


Plan Your Tweets

1. Choose Your Preferred Audience2. Decide How Many Tweets You Want to Send Daily3. Decide How Long You Want to Make Your Tweet

Plan4. Find the Keywords You Want to Use on Twitter

(Keyword Analysis / Research)5. Choose Different Formats for Your Scheduled

Tweets6. Write Your Timeless Tweets7. Choose Your Times8. Schedule Your Tweets


What Else Should You Be Doing?


Linkedin.com – professional relationships


Ecademy.com – good for search engines


4Networking.biz – good regionally


Start a Blog – Wordpress.com


FaceBook page for fans


What Next?

• Register on Twitter• Let us know your email address now so we can

send you this presentation• Email us back with your Twitter username• We’ll email a list of everyone's Twitter

usernames in a few days time so you and future Kent workshop attendees can follow each other


Any Questions

irun twitter for business intro july10

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