Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows you to answer the question: “what are you doing?”, by sending short message 140 characters in length, called “tweets” to your friends or “followers”.
Why do people use twitter?
It keeps you connected with:
• Your community
• Your industry
• Your friends
• Your world
How do businesses use twitter?
Twitter helps businesses to:
• Raise awareness
• Offer proactive customer service
• Answer questions
• Promote events, products and services
• Network and partner
How Sandwich Baron have utilized twitter as an effective sales resource:
Sandwich baron is a company that produces fresh snacks and sandwiches on order and holds no ready-made products in stock. They target companies with the supply of basic lunchtime platters and other food stuffs enjoyed by that market. The uniqueness of their concept coupled with the layout and overall service given by Sandwich Baron to their customers has led to them being the fastest growing lunchtime supply chain of its type in South Africa. Sandwich baron have jumped onto the social media train and started daily promotional product “tweets” on twitter, which allows their followers to attain large discounts on their meals. They do this by asking certain general knowledge questions which relate to their menu and brand, a “follower” who then answer these questions correctly and first is offered a discount on their order. This promotional product push has been highly successful for the company who now has over 200 followers on twitter and nearly 1000 fans on their Facebook page! This goes to show that any company large or small can definitely use social networks like twitter to promote their products and brand! With millions of twitter uses the opportunities are endless!
Twitter – terminology and tools
- Jargon:
- Tweets = 140 Character updates on twitter
- Follower = A user interested in your updates
- Symbols:
- @ = Public conversations
- # = Adding a tag to a tweet
- RT = Retweeting is sharing tweets with others
- D = Direct message, similar to an email
Top 10 Twitter tools:
1. Autopostr
- Integrates your Flickr account with your Twitter account.
- Automatically post a new tweet in your Twitter account
- Whenever you have added new images it appears in your Flickr account.
2. Twiddeo
- Update your Twitter via videos instead of words.
- Upload your video and a short description about it.
3. Twit Wall
- Got frustrated with 140 limited characters.
- Login with your existing Twitter account.
- Now you can write Tweets that are over 140 characters.
4. Twhirl
- A Messenger- like software, free to download and install.
- Post Tweets like sending messages using instant messenger software.
- Also see Tweets from those whom you’re following on twitter.
5. Group Tweet
- Allows you to set up a Twitter group, get your friends, customers etc.
- Broadcast your Tweets visible to your group members only.
6. Twellow
- A Yellow Pages like service for Twitter.
- A Search engine for Twitter.
- One is able to add other social links like Facebook, Linkedin, Digg etc, which they belong to.
7. Twitscoop
- Find the hottest topic people are tweeting right now.
- Allows allow you to either enter a keyword or a person’s twitter name to track a conversation,topic or conference.
- Results refreshes every 20 seconds.
8. Twitterless
- Tells you who stops following you and graphs your follower history overtime.
- See all of your followers or friends on one page. Filter them by keywords in their description.
- See where your followers are in the world on a Google map and find out where your follower base is strongest.
9. Mr.Tweet
- Get relevant followers by recommending you to them.
- Discover great people relevant to your current needs.
- Improve your Twitter usage via useful statistics.
10. Tweet Deck
- Personal browser for staying in touch with happening around the world.
- Update Facebook and follow your Facebook friends.
- Columns to create personal dashboard.
“Those who criticise use of Twitter at work haven’t seen the tectonic plates moving…
…social networks such as these are the way businesses will be run in the future…”
Victor Keegan, The Guardian
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