Twitter Is More Useful Than You Might Think

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Twitter Is More Useful Than You Might Think

• with LAUREN DUGAN

Editor and analyst, AllTwitter.com
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Why use Twitter? Some Stats

• Tweets
• 3 years, 2 months and 1 day. The time it took
  from the first Tweet to the billionth Tweet.
• 1 week. The time it now takes for users to send a
  billion Tweets
• 6,939. Current TPS record, set 4 seconds after
  midnight in Japan on New Years Day.

• Accounts
• 460,000. Average number of new accounts per
  day over the last month.
• 182. Increase in number of mobile users over
  the past year.

Source The Twitter Blog (http//blog.twitter.com/
2011/03/numbers.html)
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Why use Twitter? Business vs. Personal

• It isnt enough to have one or the other
  Twitter blurs the line
• Business accounts often features headshots,
  personal accounts are tied to a business blog
• You must be comfortable sharing some (not all) of
  who you are as a person on your business Twitter
  account
• But avoid oversharing keep it professionals

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Why use Twitter? 7 Ways Business Can Get the Most
from 140 Characters

• Branding and visibility
• Customer support
• Customer outreach/feedback
• Networking
• Internal communication
• Lead generation
• To support other online presences

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Twitter Basics Targeting your Profile

• Bio pic logo or headshot?
• Bio target the right audience
• Include your interests, and why you are on
  Twitter
• Prioritize
• Keywords
• Include a link to your company website, blog,
  LinkedIn etc.
• No more than one

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Twitter Basics Finding Accounts to Follow

• Follow accounts that are in your niche
• Search for keywords related to your niche
• http//search.twitter.com/advanced
• Use tools
• Twollo (free complimentary 2 keyword account)
• Who Follows Whom
• Just Tweet It
• Listorious
• Use Twitters Who to Follow
• http//twitter.com/!/who_to_follow
• Participate in FollowFriday

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Twitter Basics What to Tweet

• Ideas
• Value
• Engagement
• Interaction
• Opinion
• Questions
• Hashtags

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Twitter Basics How Often and When to Tweet

• No one-size-fits-all solution
• More than once per day, at least
• Dont be afraid of trial and error
• Make sure you monitor your efforts
• Tweet Effect
• ChirpStats
• monitor your _at_mentions
• Tweet when your audience is listening
• Timely
• TweetStats
• Repeating tweets is OK sort of

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Twitter Basics Common Mistakes

• Leaving your account dormant
• Not engaging your audience
• No personality
• Too much personality
• Tweeting too close together

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Advanced Tweeting Your Tweet Schedule

• What is a Tweet Schedule?
• Pre-written, staggered, evergreen
• Offer useful information not restricted by time
  or place
• Why use a Tweet Schedule?
• Helps keep your Twitter message targeted
• Keeps Twitter account active with little
  maintenance
• How to Set up a Tweet Schedule
• Use a dashboard like HootSuite
• Write 10-20 tweets at a time, targeted
• Dont schedule them too close together
• Intersperse them with your real-time tweets

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Advanced Tweeting Monitoring the Conversation

• Monitoring Twitter is just as important as using
  it
• How to Monitor Twitter
• Define your keywords
• http//search.twitter.com/advanced
• Make a schedule
• Find the right tools
• Follow the re-tweets
• Add to the end of any bit.ly link to see its
  retweet stats
• Wash, rinse, repeat!

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Advanced Tweeting Monitoring the Competition

• Use a Twitter dashboard/management tool
• Follow the competition shhh!
• Find out what people are saying about the
  competition
• Search for their _at_username
• Search for related keywords
• Who is the competition following? Whos following
  them?

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Advanced Tweeting Using Hashtags

• Hashtags form the core of conversations on
  Twitter
• Get to know your hashtags
• Explore Trending Topics
• Use WhatTheTrend.com
• Hashtags organize your tweets
• Hashtags target your audience
• Hashtags get you more retweets
• Following hashtags
• TweetChat
• Hashtag chats get to know the ones in your niche

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Twitter Tools and Resources

• Twollo
• http//www.twollo.com/
• Who Follows Whom
• http//whofollowswhom.com/
• Just Tweet It
• http//justtweetit.com/
• Listorious
• http//www.listorious.com
• Tweet Effect
• http//tweeteffect.com
• ChirpStats
• http//chirpstats.com/
• TweetStats
• http//tweetstats.com/
• Bit.ly
• http//bit.ly/
• Friend or Follow
• http//www.friendorfollow.com
• What the Trend

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AllTwitter.com Articles

• 7 Ways Businesses Can Use Twitter
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/7-ways-busin
  esses-can-use-twitter_b3994
• Setting up a Business Account
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/everything-y
  ou-need-to-know-about-setting-up-a-business-twitte
  r-account_b580
• 3 Tips for Writing a Killer Twitter Bio to get
  Targeted Followers
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/3-tips-for-w
  riting-a-killer-twitter-bio-to-get-targeted-follow
  ers_b133
• Advanced HootSuite Techniques
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/advanced-twi
  tter-techniques-scheduling-monitoring-and-managing
  -with-hootsuite_b2694
• 25 Interesting Things You Can Tweet (Besides Blog
  Posts and Retweets)
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/25-interesti
  ng-things-you-can-tweet-besides-blog-posts-and-ret
  weets_b3459

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AllTwitter.com Articles

• Why You Need to Create a Tweet Schedule Now
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/why-you-need
  -to-create-a-tweet-schedule-now_b1514
• How to Monitor Twitter
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/how-to-monit
  or-twitter-for-businesses-of-all-sizes_b136
• Use Twitter to Spy on the Competition
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/how-to-use-t
  witter-to-spy-on-the-competition_b1807
• Why Use Hashtags
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-101-
  why-use-hashtags_b2571
• 5 Useful Tools to Monitor Hashtags
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/5-useful-too
  ls-to-monitor-twitter-hashtags_b977

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AllTwitter.com Articles

• How to Join a Hashtag Chat
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/how-to-join-
  a-twitter-hashtag-chat_b1650
• 15 Hashtag Chats
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/15-hashtag-c
  hats-you-should-be-following_b1646
• 6 More Hashtag Chats
• http//www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/6-more-hasht
  ag-chats-you-should-be-following_b3633

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Questions?

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Thanks for joining us!