Some business owners are even choosing a twitter account as a first step online ahead of a website.  There are some very good reasons for this choice.  As you know the internet is not a build it and they will come structure where once you have a website people flock to your pages.  You must strategically position your website in front on your audience with a carefully choosen domain, site structure, keyword research, and all the fancy stuff that I do for business owners to get their websites ranking well in the search engines.

Upon the first follow on twitter, a business owner is able to connect with real people.  Then if necessary give the follower the ability to go to the company’s website through a link in the profile and a customized twitter background.

To read the full article which includes testimonials from business owners. Mom-and-Pop Operators Turn to Social Media

Hmm!  24 hours of microblogging could equate to the movie being 20 million dollars off initial projections.  Time magazine is crediting or blaming Twitter for the drop in revenue from Friday to Saturday.  With movie goers leaving the movie and using Twitter to share their opinions on the movie others may have decided to save their money or see another movie.

Either way a business must be mindful and actively manage their online presence.  Because 140 characters could be the difference of 20 million.

And if that is not enough,  3 days later with Bruno still being a trending topic (which means most popular) on Twitter.

This movie proves the point that once again a business must be where the people are and the people are on social media sites.

You can read the Time article here.

And honestly, I would have to agree that tweeting without a purpose can be a bit silly.  And there is no doubt that twitter or any other social media format can be a big time waster if not used properly.

BUT, if you use twitter with a purpose you can build your business, make new friends, learn new things, and have fun all at the same time.  I like to have fun in whatever I do so twitter works well for me.

One of the ways twitter can bring you leads for your business is to use the search function on twitter to see who is talking about your area of expertise.  In this way, you can answer questions that people may have.

This morning I typed  ‘cincinnati’ into the twitter search to see what people were talking about.  I quickly learned that one bank is hiring a commercial appraiser and one person is looking for a realtor.  This was in the first 10 tweets that I read.  Both money making opportunities for someone.  And yes, businesses are posting job openings on twitter!

Here is the exact tweet to show you.

“Does any1 kno a good real estate agent in Cincinnati, Ohio? I need som1 that will help find what I need in a home n think long term n regards 2 the investment”

And in case you are wondering if my spellcheck is not working, this is the actual tweet.   Many people abbreviate words and spelling on twitter so the translatioin is ‘any1′ is the word anyone.

Having a twitter account is just another tool for networking and business development.  If used properly it can bring you lots of business contacts and business.
Happy Tweeting!

For business owners, social media is no longer an option. It is a necessary part the marketing plan. Marketing is defintely shifting right now and it is so important to stay in front of the curve.

After sharing the success of the pizza shop the article outlines some great guidelines which we also follow and teach our clients to follow.

1. Track every sale. If you do not track, you do not know what works.
2. Twitter is very immediate. Your tweets can be over looked so it is only for real time communication.
3. Be a part of a conversation. Do not just blast your followers – add value to the conversation.
4. Use twitter to sell last minute inventory.
5. Alert followers when you are on the go. Stay connected with your followers.

You can find the entire article at this link.
Twitter Proves Its Worth as a Killer App for Local Businesses

Happy tweeting!