Should business owners of professional service firms be using Twitter for business development purposes?
Should business owners of professional service firms be using Twitter for business development purposes?
Free Online Articles Directory
Why Submit Articles?
Top Authors
Top Articles
FAQ
ABAnswers
0 && $.browser.msie ) {
var ie_version = parseInt($.browser.version);
if(ie_version Login
Register
Hello
My Home
Sign Out
Email
Password
Remember me?
Lost Password?
Home Page > Marketing > Social Marketing > Should business owners of professional service firms be using Twitter for business development purposes?
Should business owners of professional service firms be using Twitter for business development purposes?
Posted: Jan 23, 2011 |Comments: 0
|
In this article for the business owners of professional service firms we’re looking at the simple question: Should business owners of professional service firms be using Twitter for business development purposes?
The answer is a qualified Yes and the reason for this is that the use of twitter must fit in with some clearly understand reasons for exactly why you are using it;
Twitter is a micro-blogging service that allows anyone to say anything to anybody in 140 characters or less.
What use is that?
Well, twitter is now being used by many of the largest hard nosed commercial firms to achieve clearly defined business objectives, the world over; make no bones about it, you should too because it works just as well in the local/regional context.
So how do you get started with twitter?
If you haven’t got an account then sign up for one. It’s free at: http://Twitter.com/account/create
When you have an account you’ll be given a home page and a profile page; my profile is
http://Twitter.com/skember and my Twitter handle is @skember.
Get yourself an avatar of 100 x 100 pixel image, to use on your profile; this will be useful for many other social media sites, so save a copy.
.
Why use Twitter?
Many professionals scorn the idea of using such a seemingly limited tool used by millions to tell seemingly mindless others about what they had for dinner!
But stop. Maybe there are certain business development objectives that Twitter might be able to help you fulfil. If it does then this might be a useful starting point from which much else might flow.
Could Twitter be a valuable tool for the direct promotion of your business? No. Hardly at all.
But you might be able to use it in a number of other hugely valuable areas.
It can be very useful:
1. if you want to network with others in your sector or in a specific geographic area?
2. Or to get up to date access to what’s being said about your firm, your people or your services? ……………. Or nothing at all, who was it that said there’s only one thing worse than being talked about behind your back and that’s not being talked about at all!
3. You can use it to auto-publish links to your new articles, new blog posts, new videos, and pod casts.
4. You can use it to gain ideas, content, links, resources, and tips focused on area where you need to know more or where you want to keep up to speed by hearing from sector leaders?
5. You can use it monitor what’s being said about clients and their services? And,
6. You can use it to extend the reach of your thought leadership, blog posts, videos and other content?
If there is just one example from this list then it makes good sense to get in there and start using twitter.
Developers are by the day creating evermore apps that allow users to use twitter in evermore functional and creative ways; this is a marketing resource that looks for the minute as if its just going to get better and better.
Twitter can be used to subscribe, share, friend, or follow as many Twitter feeds as you like. In addition, Twitter have a really useful tool that you absolutely must place on your website, it’s the tweet button. This allows you to enable people who find something interesting on your site to immediately tweet it with the click of a button
One of the big questions you must ask of yourselves is How do we decide who to follow? Andhow do we get those we want to be talking to follow us?
Using Twitter to best effect is therefore a double edged issue.
Following someone means that their tweets show up on your home page and vice versa.
Many make really hard work of twitter and as a result they become inundated as they build a huge list of persons they are following and who follow them, don’t do this from the outset unless you have a clearly defined reason for doing so.
This said I have used it to good effect two twitter based services to do research and help locate people that are of direct interest or value to us as a firm.
The first of these is Twellow. This is a twitter directory that sorts people by industry and tells you a little about each person, including how many followers they have.
Twellow provides a link to each person’s profile on twitter so you can click on the link and then go to a Twitter page to register to follow the person and then revert back to Twellow to keep on looking for more people you want to follow.
The second is Tweepsearch it too focuses on searching through twitter bios and profiles to help locate people you want to follow.
Twitter themselves in July 30 2010 announced another service that you should take a look at. Its called “Suggestions for You”. this suggest people you don’t currently follow that you may find interesting. The suggestions are based on several factors, including people you follow and the people they follow.
As ever beware of becoming inundated by following too many!
So what to do to get started?
At the beginning the main purpose in using twitter should be to focus on just one or two objectives and not to get bogged down in a mass of content that is not relevant to your purpose
A good way to start things going is to try to get feedback having secured a small group of persons who are following you by asking questions which can stimulate a conversation;
You might ask about issues folk would like to hear covered in your blog; or in a video or maybe you’re thinking of holding an event, or speaking at a conference or a luncheon and are looking for ideas for presentation content; twitter can be great for such things
It’s a good idea to do some filtering to track what’s being said about any search term you like:
By doing so you could for example can see about what is being said about you personally, your company or services your competition or any other matters you have an interest in.
Using Twitter search you can focus on keywords such as your company name or a product or service and twitter will provide you with tweets on these subjects as they happen in real time.
This enables you to respond [should you wish to] immediately;
With Twitter search you can create RSS feeds from your searches so you can have them sent directly to your RSS reader; but again focus on priorities; keep it manageable
If you are to make the most of twitter you have to get to grips with mining it for the information and contacts you’re really interested in because if you don’t and you just let things run and run you’ll soon be swamped, you’ll be getting nothing out of it of value as you’ll be disregarding the vast amounts of tweets that will be coming in!
If you are to mine twitter then you should use their advanced search facility.
This superb as it: really helps you to drill down to generate searches relating to exactly what you want to hear about at the level of your town or city, niche, people, company or service. And it helps to identify really hot leads really easily
People are asking questions all the time and love to hear from someone who can provide an answer locally.
Work at it and you can set up a series of tweets that might turn up leads; that’s to say people with needs you can satisfy; but take care not to spam; do this by opening up a conversation with folk and answering their questions appropriately;
Remember as with all social media sites they’re all about build rapport and relationships. This builds trust, trying to sell using the social media kills it and risks you getting banned
So how do you Control your Twitter account activity? Having got going you simply must take control of your twitter activity.
One piece of free software that might help is TweetDeck, which has many other functions you may wish to take advantage of. It can be used as your personal real-time browser, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook, , LinkedIn, and other social media sites you use.
This software runs on your desktop. You can post tweets from it, respond to replies from others and, set up searches as well as get updates in real time when someone tweets on a subject or phrase you are researching or wish to keep tabs on;
There is another really useful tool in Twitter called a hash tag. When you use a # tag it, it acts as way to create categories, groups, or topics for tweets that others can use as well as you at the same time. Using this tool tweets can be grouped together when using the search.Twitter.com feature.
Anyone can create a hash tag by simply using a # in front of a phrase, This can prove really useful in a number of ways:
1. Let’s say you’re attending a conference and tweeting notes in real time. If everyone at that workshop were asked to add something like #cf123 to their tweets, everyone present] can view the notes and share in the insights, all at one place on twitter.
2. You can also promote your events or service launches using the #tag;
3. You could use hash tags as a way for remote employees to use Twitter as a communication tool for all the stuff you want people to stay on top of; and
4. You can use a hash tag for any live webinars you run and afterwards tweet attendees to ask questions via Twitter.
You can see many more articles like this at our Online Video for Professionals blog.
(ArticlesBase SC #4090417)
Watch your traffic increase just by submitting articles with us, click here to get started.
Liked this article? Click here to publish it on your website or blog, it’s free and easy!
Stephen Kember -
About the Author:
Stephen Kember is Proprietor at Online Video For Professionals; a firm dedicated to supporting the business owners of professional services firms in the UK and France with their online marketing using online video and the social media to establish relationships, build trust and get more of the right sort of clients.
Questions and Answers
Ask our experts your Social Marketing related questions here…
200 Characters left
What’s your take on Twitter banning 3rd party clients as a Twitter user and as a business professional?
What are the Main steps required to develop a professional advertising strategy for a product or service?
How is each one advantageous to the business owner ?
Rate this Article
vote(s)
0 vote(s)
Feedback
RSS
Print
Email
Re-Publish
0) {
ch_selected = Math.floor(Math.random()*ch_queries.length);
if(ch_selected == ch_queries.length) ch_selected–;
ch_query = ch_queries[ch_selected];
}
}catch(e){
ch_query = document.title;
}
]]>
Article Tags:
twitter, marketing with twitter, online marketing with twitter, twitter marketing strategy, twitter local marketing, guide to twitter marketing, secrets of twitter marketing
Latest Social Marketing Articles
More from Stephen Kember
Cyber Monday, a Massive Marketing Scam – Loaded 11.29.2010
Angry Birds will soon unwrap a Christmas theme, a French channel launches 3D pornography on demand, and why Cyber Monday is just another chance for marketers to push deals up your nose. (02:56)
How to Use Twitter as a Marketing Tool
www.geovantage.net/training How To Use Twitter As A Marketing Tool is what every business is struggling to figure out. This training gives you 4 steps to learning the process of using Twitter as a marketing tool. (05:32)
How to Get a RSS Feed from Twitter
How to grab an RSS feed about what’s being said about you and your market on twitter to enhance your social media marketing plan.
(01:31)
1-minute video on Twitter From Softscribeinc.com
When it comes to getting your company name in front of your customers and prospects + increasing sales, you have many marketing options from which to choose. How do you decide where to put
your time and money? By knowing whats available, including new media
venues like Twitter. Once a quarter, I will post a one-minute Marketing Snack that covers a new media option where your customers may already be talking about you and your company. (01:19)
Why You Can’t Ignore Twitter in Marketing
Austin Bankhead leads a panel of experts discussing how marketing has changed since the financial crisis. They focus on two main areas: how to retain old customers while still attracting new ones and how to leverage social media to stay competitive. (02:45)
Cost Effective Small Business Marketing Strategies and Tips – Part 5
In my last article on Cost Effective Marketing Strategies for small businesses I discussed how you can use Mass Media on a small budget very effectively. In this Part 5 article I will concentrate on Marketing Tactics, Customer Based Marketing and Important Marketing Elements.
GREAT MARKETING TACTICS
Free Consultations: Provide a free half hour or hour long consultation to prospects giving them advice and information. Follow up
By:
urbaniak hamsherl
Internet>
Internet Marketingl
Dec 26, 2010
Social Media Strategy – Why Should You Have One?
Social media is currently unavoidable in the marketing world. You can either stay in the dark ages or you can get with the times, and judging by the very real and impressive results some companies are getting, we would recommend the latter.
By:
IkrohSEOl
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
Jun 02, 2010
A vegivore is a person who craves or has a special fondness for vegetables. This need not be because the person has an aversion to eating meat but solely due to an intense craving for vegetables. To a vegivore, meat products may only seem like an accompaniment to add flavour to the dish. He/she will find the vegetable dish more satiating than the meat dish.
By:
Mr. Ashok Sharmal
Arts & Entertainment>
Literature l
Jan 23, 2011
The Facebook ATM Review – Making Money on Facebook
Would you like to learn the secrets of making money on Facebook using The Facebook ATM system? This course promises to help its members make at least $1,000 every month and beta testers have all been able to achieve that goal by looking at the income results that they have gotten. Do not buy The Facebook ATM until you read this shocking review article…
By:
Antton Stratonl
Internet>
Internet Marketingl
May 18, 2011
Grow Your Coaching Business Using Social Media
The reach your messages can have allows you to create interest from all corners of the globe; quickly and easily instead of just confining you to your local area.
I have clients from all corners of the world, right down to ones in my own village, all found using social media.
The thing is the problem isn’t about just getting followers. The key is to use a strategy that will attract bona fide interested followers who are more li
By:
daer glistal
Internet>
Internet Marketingl
Nov 03, 2010
How to Go About Promoting Your Book
Promoting your book doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It can be fun, but must be executed with precise planning. Promoting a book in the proper manner will generate interest. People will start buying the book, and you will reap the benefits of your hard work through money and popularity. When promoting your book, the possibilities are endless. The more creative your methods are, the more likely you are to catch people’s attention.
By:
rydolph fellsl
Internet>
Internet Marketingl
Dec 14, 2010
2011 Restaurant Business Predictions
As we attract the fresh season, we will tackle some sort of danger of couples everything that the longer term has got waiting for you for the Resto Business. When we should possibly be right in your research, produce your own . the fact that many of these forecasts do not be realized as they signify it’s going to be more demanding for just a fine dining entrepreneur to create cash and to prevent the cash these people come up with to their fine dining home business. Restaurant Business Prediction
By:
Cindy Anne Floresl
Business>
Entrepreneurshipl
Feb 21, 2011
Combine SEO and Social Marketing
There are many strategies to optimize your website with and the great thing about it is that you can execute such methods without investing any monetary amount. All you need to do is exert your time and effort in running your online marketing campaign.
By:
montaser mahranl
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
May 21, 2011
Custom Trading Pins Are Popular In Many Youth Sports
Custom trading pins have become an increasingly popular aspect of youth league sports of all kinds. Young players from all over the world have become fast friends through the magic of custom trading pins. From Little League Baseball to other sports, there are trading pins for virtually any team sport.
By:
John Parkerl
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
May 21, 2011
Order Trading Pins NOW To Get Them In Time
Trading pins are an important part of youth league baseball for players, parents, coaches and officials. If your team needs trading pins for the 2011 season, now is the time to order. Make sure you order early to avoid the summer rush.
By:
John Parkerl
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
May 21, 2011
There Are Countless Things Like Facebook Privacy Settings
Many people use social networks every day. There are countless things like facebook privacy settings, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter and more, where people from photos, videos and information about their daily lives. Many have a facebook privacy settings setting for a little more private, but can we really expect, please?
By:
ghanashyaml
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
May 21, 2011
Better Results On Facebook Privacy Settings
Since facebook privacy settings has yet to give priority to the search functions are in place it still want to make some problems for the dealer, things such as events and community pages
By:
ghanashyaml
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
May 21, 2011
Increase with facebook privacy settings Page to your visibility and income is easier than you said…
By:
ghanashyaml
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
May 21, 2011
The Case Of Facebook Privacy Settings?
It’s really hard to believe that the largest social networking website in the world could not be popular. facebook privacy settings users enough that one of the largest countries in the world. However, it could be in danger? facebook privacy settings is still very popular, went big business still good.
By:
ghanashyaml
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
May 21, 2011
The Issues Of Safety And Prevention Tips FACEBOOK
With the growing popularity of facebook privacy settings, the privacy of millions of users with a risk that users are a number of security risks. As a coin have two sides, with facebook privacy settings as two facets – fun and danger.
By:
ghanashyaml
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
May 21, 2011
Should professional service business owners be putting themselves forward when using online video
In the viral marketplace that is web 2.0, relationship development is all. Putting yourself forward as the presenter of a video is really important. ‘People buy People 1st’. This article explores the issues and helps you decide what video format to use given differing objectives for the preparation of the video.
By:
Stephen Kemberl
Marketing>
Marketing Tipsl
Jan 23, 2011
Why use Online Video to drive your professional service marketing
Online Video for business professionals. The use of online video in the Web 2.0 era is a must for business owners of professional service firms. But what should be a firm’s online video marketing priorities? Indeed, why video Marketing? Video marketing services can be fraught, what should be the focus?
By:
Stephen Kemberl
Marketing>
Viral Marketingl
Jan 23, 2011
Professional service marketing is not easy in a fickle Web 2.0 marketplace
Many business owners of professional service firms reflect on the fact that their marketing is falling short; that they’re not getting the number of leads coming through they once did, and a strong ROMI is a thing of the past using traditional promotions! The last few years have brought big changes in the way people receive their information, the way they communicate, the frequency of their communications & what they communicate about. Knowing how to tap in, this is the key to success.
By:
Stephen Kemberl
Marketing>
Marketing Tipsl
Jan 23, 2011
Its getting tougher to market professional services! What’s to be done?
In a professional business marketplace that gets tougher and tougher by the year, what should be the business development priorities? Just how do you stand out. The answer is to start communicating in ways that the modern market wants to be communicated with; its them not ourselves as professionals that are in charge. This guide to internet marketing takes you through some of the important considerations and those areas where you really should focus.
By:
Stephen Kemberl
Marketing>
Marketing Tipsl
Jan 23, 2011
Guide to internet marketing: Getting listed in online directories
Online directory marketing secrets: When choosing to use online directories as a means of driving traffic to your website and for generating quality back links there are a number of things to bear in mind if you are to take full advantage of the opportunity.
By:
Stephen Kemberl
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
Jan 23, 2011
Search engine optimisation or SEO for business professionals
Search engine optimisation of their website is one of the biggest shortcomings of many professional service providers! On the one hand, your site just can’t be found because it hasn’t been keyword optimised . If you’re not going to be found what on earth is the purpose of using online marketing? And on the other hand your site just hasn’t the staus for the search engines to give you a high ranking! What’s to be done?
By:
Stephen Kemberl
How important is having a blog?
A blog is vital to any professional service firms business development and social media marketing; yet so many fail to have one or to use it to best effect. Your social media marketing is all about building relationships and establishing trust; a blog has a central role in this process; its also where the business gets done. Use it well and you can make great progress, use it badly, or not at all,and a great opportunity is being lost.
By:
Stephen Kemberl
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
Jan 23, 2011
Just which of the internet marketing services, i.e. the search engines and social media should you, the business owner of a professional service firm be focused upon and should you be using online video? Just where should you prioritise your business development efforts? Which of the search engines! Which of the social media sites! There are so many: twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, the social bookmarking sites & forums, then there’s all this talk about online video for professionals; where to start
By:
Stephen Kemberl
Marketing>
Social Marketingl
Jan 23, 2011
Add new Comment
Your Name: *
Your Email:
Comment Body: *
Verification code:*
* Required fields
Submit
Your Articles Here
It’s Free and easy
Sign Up Today
Author Navigation
My Home
Publish Article
View/Edit Articles
View/Edit Q&A
Edit your Account
Manage Authors
Statistics Page
Personal RSS Builder
My Home
Edit your Account
Update Profile
View/Edit Q&A
Publish Article
Author Box
Stephen Kember has 18 articles online
Articles Categories
All Categories
Advertising
Arts & Entertainment
Automotive
Beauty
Business
Careers
Computers
Education
Finance
Food and Beverage
Health
Hobbies
Home and Family
Home Improvement
Internet
Law
Marketing
News and Society
Relationships
Self Improvement
Shopping
Spirituality
Sports and Fitness
Technology
Travel
Writing
International Marketing
Marketing Tips
MLM
Press Releases
Social Marketing
Viral Marketing
Need Help?
Contact Us
FAQ
Submit Articles
Editorial Guidelines
Blog
Site Links
Recent Articles
Top Authors
Top Articles
Find Articles
Site Map
Mobile Version
Webmasters
RSS Builder
RSS
Link to Us
Business Info
Advertising
Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2011 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved.
Stephen Kember is Proprietor at Online Video For Professionals; a firm dedicated to supporting the business owners of professional services firms in the UK and France with their online marketing using online video and the social media to establish relationships, build trust and get more of the right sort of clients.
Related posts: