We've talked a lot about Twitter here on the Email Yogi over the last year, but there are still some folks who still haven't taken the plunge. Perhaps you're still trying to wrap your head around how you can use it? Here are a couple of ideas that other folks are using and finding success with.
- Solicit Feedback - Some folks have been using Twitter as a miniature survey tool, asking simple questions of their followers for feed back. Ask for feedback on products. Ask how people are using your products. Even ask people to vote on which email subject line you should use. You'll be surprised at how much of a response you'll get.
- Highlight exclusive offers - Each day, feature a special deal on an item of the day. Amazon does a great job of this across it's different stores, such as their MP3 Downloads.
- Address Customer Service Issues - Comcast has done an outstanding job addressing customer concerns via Twitter. They're able to monitor what people are saying about them by searching for instances where their company name comes up, then addressing the issue in full view of everyone on Twitter. Solicit customer feedback if they've experienced issues with customer service.
Twitter is all about joining the conversation. You talk and you listen to feedback. It's a great way to interact with customers that are tuned into you as a brand.
If you still aren't convinced that Twitter is for you, consider this: according to this article from Wired (which talks about Twitter's business model or lack there of), Dell made well over $500,000 in the last year from their outlet on Twitter. $500,000 isn't much for a large company like Dell, but that's still an impressive amount of revenue for a free form of promotion. How many dollars are you leaving on the table by not using Twitter?
If you're ready to get started, consider our "how to" guide on starting with Twitter for your business.
can someone explain to me how the comcast example works - newbie with twitter trying to get how these people are "following"
Sure - basically customers who have a Twitter account can sign up to "follow" you. When ever you update your Twitter, those customers who are following you will receive the information.
In the Comcast example, people can ask Comcast a question by typing in @comcastcares, and the Comcast folks will know the message is directed at them. They're also able to see what people are saying abotu them with Twitter Search, and they can likewise respond to those people.
Good advice for companies of all sizes. Last night I published an article on my blog that identified several recent articles on how brands could use Twitter in their marketing communications, http://twittermaven.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-on-brands-that-get-it.html. I wish I had seen your post then. :)
Our company hasn't come to terms with it yet, so I went ahead and set up a Twitter account a couple months ago to squat on the name @PaulFredrick
So far, I've only been posting the sale info that goes out in our emails and we haven't pushed it at all, but we have 4 chance subscribers and more will wander in.
Best case, the company decides to use it and they take it over from me with subscribers already in-hand. Worst case, it never gets taken over, but we still draw a couple extra sales from the exposure.
PLUS,not mentioned above, Twitter is a free way to create an RSS feed, so if you have people that subscribe to feeds, you can slip your Twitter to them and get more attention even from non-tweeters. ;)