How to Promote Your Business
and Your Brand Using 

In the ever-expanding universe of technology, there's always something new around the corner. The latest way to keep in touch with your customers and your community is with Twitter, a microblog that is taking the world by storm. Think of it as instant messaging on crack. This handy, Internet-based social networking tool can help you:

• Keep you and your business top of mind
• Deliver you leads and referrals that can boost your business
• Stay connected with your community
• Manage a project and keep track of key players
• As Dale Carnegie used to say, make friends and influence people

Some business owners see it as a huge boost, others a bother. Here's some information to help you decide if it's a help or a hindrance.

The Basics

Getting started on Twitter couldn't be easier. Log on to www.twitter.com and sign up for a profile. The program asks you one basic question: What are you doing right now? You have to answer in 140 characters or less.

The program will ask your permission to go through your address book to find others who are on Twitter. Instead of your peeps, Twitter refers to your friends who follow you as "tweets." You can also follow others as well. You can update it as frequently as you like but most people refresh their answer between 1-3 times a day. You can set it up so the responses come to your Web page or mobile device (i.e. iPhone, BlackBerry, PDA, etc.)

"The key (to maximizing Twitter's effectiveness) is to make sure you are following the right people," said Jessica Valenzuela, principal of Mavin Digital who uses Twitter to promote three of her businesses (see case study below).

Is Twitter for You?

To decide whether you need Twitter or not, ask yourself these important questions:

1.    Do my customers use Twitter?

If you want to use Twitter to drive sales and customer awareness, it's imperative that your customers use Twitter as well. How do you find out? Simple, ask them. You can also search for a handful of your key customers on Twitter and see if they come up.

2.    Do my peers use Twitter?

Twitter can supercharge the art of networking with colleagues. For example, one entrepreneur who landed an important role as a moderator for a national conference Twittered about it and within minutes several "tweets" contacted him about the work they were doing. The result, several of the tweets were selected to be on a panel presenting their work at an industry conference.

3.    Who are the most influential people within my community that I'd like to stay in constant contact with?

Rather than sharing vital business news or asking questions one at a time, Twitter capitalizes on the one-to-many concept by being able to share your information with a core group at one time.

Here are seven ways you can use Twitter

• Promote something new in your business or other media products by listing your URL.
• Ask your community for a resource, survey your community or ask them about a referral or contact. Think of your tweets as your own brain trust.
• Ask your customers what they think of your product or service.
• Ask your customers what their challenges are?
• Respond to news. Financial analysts and insurance agents can use Twitter to reassure their clients about the stock market ups and downs.
• News organizations are asking readers, viewers and listeners to send in news tips via Twitter. You can even send in pictures.
• Angel investors use it to keep track of what their beneficiaries are spending their time and money.

Want 50 more ways to use Twitter? Read Chris Brogan's post on using Twitter for Business.

Is Twitter too much? Matt Richtel, technology writer for The New York Times and author of best-selling book "Hooked" is Twittering his second novel, "Twiller." Despite the fact that Richtel is on the cutting-edge of technology devices and applications, he wonders where this is all heading. "Everyone is talking but how many people are listening? Is Twitter part of the conversation or is it a broadcast medium?" he asks.

"Who has the time to do all this?" asks Kate Bacon of Well Dunne Talent.

If you feel like you're on tech overload and can't learn one more device, consider some of the alternatives. Using an e-zine provider to produce postcards or short, frequent notes to your customers can provide a similar hit of information. As always, make sure everything you send to your customers provide value.

Follow Alison and Lena on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/alisonwoo and www.twitter.com/lenaclaxton  

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Written by Alison Woo, Chief Media Maven. Contact her at 704-780-1968 or at alison@newmediamavens.com. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2008.