Email marketing is the best method to reach out to your prospective and current clients and to educate them about your various business offers. Before you intent to send out your emails to your clients and prospects, it is recommended to review everything in order to avoid committing any possible mistake or error. Sometimes, even the experienced email marketers can ignore to include the fundamentals of professional email marketing best practices.

This therefore nullifies the effectiveness of any email marketing campaign. By having a proper checklist, you can make sure your email drives or campaigns are covering all the areas. The below mentioned points would help in avoiding such “otherwise avoidable” errors and aid you in running a successful email campaign.

Create a gripping subject line

A boring subject line is not likely to draw the attention of your subscriber. Creating a compelling subject line is very important in any email marketing campaign. Whenever people receive your marketing email, it may be read or may be left for later viewing. Not to forget, people often delete the marketing emails as it lands in your inbox. However, by having a gripping subject line, you can appeal the readers to read your email.

Write quality content

Once you are through with a catchy subject, it’s time to focus on content part of your marketing email. The body of your marketing email must be similar to what your prospective clients can apprehend from the given subject line. The content must be free from spelling and grammatical errors. The links incorporated in your email should work and must direct subscribers to proper functional web pages. Don’t forget to call your prospect to action, like ‘buy now’, or ‘learn more here’ by making your links easily visible and accessible.

Choose a competent design

The design of your marketing email plays a creative role in allowing your subscribers to continue reading rather tossing it aside. Ignoring the step of creating a competent email design will fail to attract your readers. There are many free templates available over the internet which can be downloaded and used in your email marketing campaigns. Further, avoid going overboard with too many graphics as it will take some time to download at your subscriber’s end.

Check your landing page

You may lose your priceless time, energy and opportunity if the landing page, which your email is directing is down, obsolete or poorly crafted. The landing page must have a professional look and feel. Additionally, it should embark a natural follow up action call as you have indicated in your marketing email content. For instance, if you have asked your reader to register for any business event, then your landing page linked over the email must have the registration form. Any other landing page will not give you the expected result.

Email marketing is an effective way of keeping your current clients posted about your various business offers. They also play a role in strengthening your relationship with your clients and prospective customers. Avoiding mistakes would help you get increased response to your call of action. This would further convert into sales which is the ultimate goal of your email marketing campaign.

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About the author: Alyssa Clarke is a blogger who also happens to be a tech freak. She is always on a hunt for latest tech stuff and is currently looking for some cool Android apps. She is a big fan of concept gadgets and is in love with pcod, a futuristic smartphone.

*Photo by adesigna

Marketing for Dummies the book should actually be called marketing to dummies.

Keeping Marketing Simple

I was making pizza for my children a while back. I’ve made pizza many times before – but this time I actually studied the instructions on the back. The biggest thing that struck me was how SIMPLE the instructions were. Lots of visuals – big letters – and only three steps.

ANYONE – even if they can’t read – could bake this pizza. And it struck me… the problem with almost all marketing is how complicated it is.

Today I got an email from a friend advertising a coming event he was hosting. I visited the website but couldn’t find the date of the event anywhere. I got frustrated and clicked away.

Dummy Proof Your Marketing

Complicating your marketing is stupid. You will lose customers just by making their life difficult for them. Instead – dumb things down. Assume your audience needs every step explained to them in detail.

The goal of your marketing is to remove ANY possible confusion or friction that could cause someone NOT to buy from you.

How To Do Marketing For Dummies

Go overboard in marketing

Be prepared to go all the way to your customers or potential prospects. You are asking them to subscribe to your email list or buy something from you. You need to take the initiative and meet them on their terms. Remember – they are constantly asking the question “What’s in it for me?” Be prepared with a well crafted answer.

Over-explain

One of the best ways to reach out to your market is to overexplain. Don’t assume that they know the technical jargon your company uses. Don’t assume that they know who to call or what to ask when they do.

One of the best pieces of advice that the late Gary Halbert suggested was to get VERY specific with what a customer can expect when calling your phone. He recommended letting them know the name of your receptionist – what color sweater she wears – and how her voice will sound. It’s these details that put customers at ease and allow them to feel like you’ve got the details handled.

Use simple language

Most people have about a 5th grade reading level. Write your marketing materials with this in mind.

Duplicate instructions

Repeat important instructions or any calls to action. If you have a sales letter and you are asking prospects to do something – be certain to ask multiple times during the letter. Repetition is important.

Pictures are worth 1000 words

Have you ever tried to assemble a product without a diagram and only written instructions? Next time you order from Ikea – try it. It’s hard to do. Add in a few pictures and people can SEE what you mean by the written instructions.

Imagine Simplicity For Dummies

Imagine how powerful your marketing would be if your customers could access your information, products and services without any friction.

Today’s 10 Minute Action Step

Spend the next ten minutes going through your website. Watch to see where it might be difficult for people to find your phone number – email addresses – contact information – or even what it is that you are selling. Remember to ask yourself as you look … “What’s in it for my prospect/customer?”

Now go take action.

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Joel Mark Witt is the Publisher of Folk Media. He is a producer, author, speaker and social media marketing coach who consults with businesses on how to use social media in marketing and communications. Get more from Joel on Twitter.

Facebook fan pages are a great marketing tool. With a fan page, you meet your customers where they are–on Facebook–and you engage with them in hopes of making them a lifetime customer. Sometimes, it isn’t always that easy.

Just as any other marketing campaign, you need to make sure that your Facebook fan page is aligned with your priorities and strategy. Are you setting out to honor your fans by giving them great Facebook-exclusive deals? Make sure your fan page reflects that purpose. Are you trying to build an army of advocates that will help your business grow? Organize your fan page to accomplish your goal.

There are two parts to a fan page, the design and the content. To make things a little easier, I’m going to provide you with two awesome posts about this topic, one post for each part.

Let’s cover the design aspect today and we’ll hit the content portion at the beginning of next week.

The design of your Facebook fan page speaks volumes about your commitment to your online marketing campaign, so make sure it’s what you want to portray.

Here are four design tactics you need to consider when constructing (and reconstructing) your fan page:

Profile Picture – Your “default” profile picture is uber-important when designing your page. It is one of the most critical aspects of your page because it is what draws users to you and your business, no matter your purpose.

If I am searching “Bob’s Plumbing” or “Chicago’s Best Pizza,” the only way I will know that I have found the correct company is by looking at the images in the search result. If your logo or face isn’t prominent and easily recognizable, I’m not going to find you. It’s like finding Nemo in the ocean; it can be done (obviously) but it’s going to take a lot of hard work.

Do you want to put your potential fans, customers, or clients through that tough search?

Text Box Blurb - Facebook gives you a small section of retail space below your profile picture to put something about yourself or your business. Most people underestimate the great value of this space. In essence, this is your 30-second elevator pitch to anyone visiting your page for the first time.

Make your words count and allow them to authentically tell what you’re all about. If you’re about gaining more customers, talk about your wonderful food, catering, or roofing work. If you take pride in supplying your customers with sweet deals on your stuff, say so in this box.

Use this box to amplify your business and to alert customers of your purpose for the fan page.

Tabs and Applications – Facebook and developers have provided a boat load of content that can be added to your fan page to boost your image and the page’s functionality. The applications you have enabled will tell users exactly what your intent is on Facebook.

By default, you are given the option to include various applications, such as media sharing and customer reviews. Depending on your choice of add-ins, viewers can tell the main purpose of the fan page. If you are including the Reviews application, you want to give customers or clients a place to brag or diss your company or product. In the customer’s mind, you’re focused on customer service. No matter your enabled applications, your viewers will be able to tell your goals and focuses.

It’s also important to note that if you want to give off the image that you’re more than just a once-a-week-fan-page-administrator, include applications that ARE NOT automatically enabled when you sign up for your fan page. This shows initiative and customers love it.

FBML (Facebook Markup Language) - FBML is a great way to take the next step in managing and improving your fan page.

FBML is a programming language that Facebook uses to create its pages. With certain bits of code, you can customize your fan page to really have an impact on your visitors. With FBML, you can do some interesting things, such as include an email opt-in form on your page, track your fan page using Google Analytics, and post additional media, such as Flash videos. If you’re looking to take the next step and WOW your visitors, upgrade your page using FBML. It speaks volumes when you take initiative and show that you are dying to interact and engage with your audience.

Here are some pages with free resources regarding FBML:

7 FBML Examples To Rock Your Facebook Fan Page
How To Customize Your Facebook Page Using Static FBML

Your fan page is a critical marketing tool to manage. If you don’t advertise and present it appropriately, you and your reputation will suffer. In today’s world, it’s critical to ensure that your online presence is saying the right things about you.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by stucklo6an

This post was written by guest author Tracy Terry. Find out more information about Tracy below.

I find it interesting that there are so many similarities between Facebook marketing and unlearning everything you were ever taught growing up as a child.  To be a successful Facebook marketer, you must forget everything your mother taught you.  You will then be ready to successfully market your business on Facebook.

Here are few examples of some childhood lessons you will need to unlearn:

1. Don’t Talk to Strangers.  Drop this lesson instantly!  You definitely want to unlearn this one.  You will want to converse and share with as many strangers as possible.
2. Don’t Write on the Wall.  Throw this one right out the window.  When it comes to Facebook, you will need to write on many walls.  You won’t just be writing on your own wall, either.  You will also be writing on other people’s walls as well!  This is starting to sound fun and rebellious, right?
3. Be Seen and Not Heard.  In Facebook marketing, you will not just want to be seen, but you will also want to be heard as well.  You will need to find valuable, interesting information to engage your Facebook audience.   Another lesson here we can learn as an adult is to listen.  Often we are telling our own children to be seen and not heard.  Then, we proceed to speak while they listen.  In Facebook marketing it will be the other way around.  You will be listening more than you will be speaking.
4. Don’t Leave the Door Open.  You certainly will want to keep your door open on Facebook.  This will allow you to gain new contacts, clients, and business partnerships.  Accept all friends through your door and learn from your peers and clientele.
5. Don’t Talk Back.  Bet you couldn’t wait for that one!  During your Facebook marketing you will want to respond to writings on your wall.  You should try to create conversations with your Facebook friends as much as possible.  It is a “social” network, you know.   Create content that sparks engagement on your own wall and respond when necessary.  Be sure to respond to any positive and negative comments toward your business when appropriate.   Feel free to also partake in conversations on the walls of your friends.  Allow your community to get to know the personal side of your company.

These are just a few of the life lessons you need to unlearn to be a successful Facebook marketer.  I feel that number one, don’t talk to strangers, is a major step for some people when beginning their marketing campaign on Facebook.  Don’t be afraid to reach out and introduce your business to prospective clients and partners.  You will soon find your winning combination.  Start talking to strangers and writing on walls and you will begin enjoying an increase in leads, business partnerships, and sales!

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Tracy Terry is the President of Trust eMedia, an inbound marketing agency located in Lake Geneva, WI. Tracy is a inbound marketer helping businesses grow their leads and sales. She enthusiastically engages in blogging, social media community management, speaking, and training. Tracy has been certified in Inbound Marketing, SEO and SEM. She won Hubspot’s Inbound Marketer of the Month Award for June 2010 and is an Inbound Marketing Educator. She brings a passion for excellence into her marketing endeavors. Find out more about Tracy on Facebook and Twitter.

*Photo by PinkMoose

This post was written by guest author John McGrann.

Is social media networking in conflict with, or complementary to, traditional networking?

The reason I ask is because I have recently joined a formal networking group here in Dubai. I am noting many similarities and some differences with the basics of social media networking. I also sense that generally there is a belief that you engage in one or the other. It’s the ‘old’ versus the ‘new.’ But maybe in the future the best way is to engage neither social media networking nor traditional networking alone – but in ‘total networking’.

Social media networking and marketing is the process of promoting your website or business through social media channels such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and many more. It is a powerful strategy that will bring you connections, attention and increased amounts of website traffic and ultimately leads for your products or services. It is powerful in building business partnerships locally and globally. Social media networkers need to have a systematic approach to building a large network and targeting their niche audience within it. It includes selecting the best media sites, establishing a presence, growing your virtual network and nurturing relationships. If all that works then keep those plates spinning!

Traditional networking involves formally structured groups meeting on a regular basis with well proven successful processes in place. Most activities take place within the group or chapter. However, connections can be made to other chapters within a reasonable distance. Other members of the group will act as your salesperson generating referrals and new business. Membership is paid annually but should be recouped early.

Both forms of networking generate new connections and new business. They are both based on the premise that we wish to do business with people we know, we like and we trust. They each have a softly approach to engaging connections in our sales process. Strategies are long term and hard sellers and spammers are not welcome.

There are differences, of course. Social media sites are free and accessed from the comfort of your home or office. Building networks and targeting audiences is much easier via social media sites. This applies to customers and business partnerships alike. Joining relevant customer conversations, sharing knowledge and getting help is also much easier online. But traditional face-to-face networking is so powerful and nurturing relationships online is THE serious weakness of social networking. The proven structures and processes in traditional networking yield great results too. Social media prospecting without a system can be time wasteful and frustrating.

The way ahead is to engage in both forms as total networking. Using the strengths of each to address the weaknesses of the other seems the way to go. Add some enablers such as Instant Messaging and Online Meeting software to the mix too. So which form of networking is the best? I don’t know – nor do I care.

They are two sides of the same coin.

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John McGrann is a certified social media specialist and owns Drive ERP, a company geared toward helping businesses with Oracle, SAP and other ERP needs. He has also has experience in finance and business leadership/marketing. Find out more about John on Twitter or his blog.

*Photo by foxumon

This post was written by guest author Baltimore Chop.

Everyone knows that social media users tend to be pretty savvy, at least about social media topics. What escapes most business though is that they’re also the most savvy customers you’ll ever encounter. As a business, brand, band or non-profit you need to be equally savvy. Its not quite as easy as just creating a few profiles and promoting as hard as you can. Many businesses are unwittingly turning customers off with their poor social media tactics.

Here are ten common mistakes that businesses make online every day, and which the savvy marketer will avoid at all costs.

1. Always Be Closing. It can be tempting to use social media to do nothing but sell, sell, sell all day every day. You must keep in mind though that your customers generally use social sites for fun and relaxation. If they’ve given you the privelege of connecting with you online, don’t abuse it by over-selling to them.

2. Offer ’specials’ that aren’t special. Lots of thirsty people would be glad to hear about a $1 beer special, but if all you’ve got to offer is $4 Guinness’ on Tuesday from 4-7 pm, all you’re really doing in producing noise and static. When you promote specials, make sure your customers are actually getting a deal. The rest will take care of itself.

3. Overscheduling. There’s one certain non-profit here in Baltimore that holds fundraisers once a month. They’re a great cause and very web-savvy, but they spend a month promoting April’s event, and then immediately begin promoting May’s event, which becomes tedious quickly. Schedule special events carefully and promote them with increasing frequency as the date approaches.

4. Begging for attention. There’s an ongoing trend in which large foundations will grant money to the non-profit or project that garners the most support in a poll. While this works in theory, it often devolves into a rigged-up popularity contest, and can result in donor fatigue the same way repeated appeals for donations can. Try to never appear desperate online for any reason.

5. Treating social media as one-way communication. Everyone understands the importance of being able to talk to customers, but just as important is the ability to listen. If you’re not hearing and responding to feedback online, you’re making your customers feel un-valued and missing out on potential future sales and ideas for improvement. If they talk to you, talk back.

6. Market behind the curve. Don’t wait until Sunday morning to mention you’re serving brunch. Don’t promote your band’s Saturday gig on Friday. If your customers have already made plans, they’re not likely to change them on your account. Anticipate people’s needs and fill those needs before the customer finds someone else to.

7. Competing with the competition. It sounds counterintuitive, but you should absolutely cooperate with the competition online. When a Baltimore nightclub flooded on a recent weekend, it was easily able to move it’s events to other venues, in part because it had those venues as co-operative contacts on social media sites. This example holds for all types of business. If you send someone else customers, they’ll probably send some your way as well.

8. Being unaware of the competition. This can easily lead to redundancies and confused customers, sort of like two women at a party wearing the same dress. It’s important to be aware of what others are doing in your field and plan your strategies accordingly. This is true both online and off.

9. Poor site design. Many social media sites like Twitter and Myspace give users a lot of control over their page design. Use this as an opportunity to re-inforce your brand, but don’t overdo it. Some pages can take forever to load, and when they do they’re virtually un-readable. If your page is hard to read, people will not read it. Period.

10. Fail to update regularly. If your contacts want to know what’s going on with you, they may not surf over to your website, but if they’re already on Facebook, they may look you up there. If the newest information they find there is two weeks old they’re going to be unimpressed, and likely turn their attention somewhere else. Using social media has to be an ongoing and constant commitment.

What can you do? Take a few minutes today to look over your social media pages and try to identify these specific problems. Look at them they way you imagine a customer would, or better yet, ask some actual customers if you’re guilty of these social media sins. Asking customers to criticize you can be painful and uncomfortable, but will be worth it in the long run.

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The Baltimore Chop is an anonymous blogger based in North Baltimore. The Baltimore Chop Blog is updated daily and covers Baltimore’s indie scene, cultural events, and the people and places that make Baltimore the Greatest City in America. .

*Photo by Ilco

This article was written by guest blogger Chris Tompkins.

Do you have a Google Adwords campaign that is a total stinker? How about a great click rate on your ad but the conversion on your site is less than stellar? Believe me, we have all been there. This can be especially true if you have many different products you are trying to promote in different ads and then visitors become confused and don’t stick around on your site. It can really leave you pulling your hair out.

This is why I suggest trying out a landing page. If done correctly, it can maximize your conversion rate and your budget. Rather than “clicking through” to your website, you will send viewers to a dynamic product/service specific landing page.

A landing page (also known as a “squeeze page”) is a web page that is best used to convert leads from media and online advertising, direct mail offers, methods of promotion. You might consider using a landing page rather than your website because the landing page will sell or promote a specific product or service – the item your visitor is interested in. For example, rather than featuring all of the services you offer at your toy company like your website would, your landing page would focus only on your strategy board games for teens.

Here are some quick tips about setting up your landing page:

• It should be hosted at a different domain than your business (so instead of www.thetoybox.com/teenstrategygames, the landing page domain would be simply www.teenstrategygames.com).
• Since you are not confined to the design structure of your website, you have full freedom to create a new layout and design.
• The copy is written to be much more compelling and sales oriented than your business site and blog in order to convert a prospect.
• Offer at a minimum one or more incentive(s) to drive conversion.
• Your landing page will contain (sometimes numerous) opt-in boxes that support conversion.

The most important part of the landing page is arguably the copy. When writing the copy for your landing page, keep your Google Adwords advertisement handy. Your landing page needs to be the natural progression from the prospect clicking on the ad to reaching your “landing page.” Remember, in this day and age, “bait and switch” techniques are old hat.

Make sure that your headline reflects the message on your ad. For example, if your Google ad says about “The Secret to Wrinkle Free Skin” then the headline on your landing page needs to be “Want to Learn the Secret to Wrinkle Free Skin in 7 Days?”

Make sure that your landing page is full of valuable information that builds the credibility of you and your business. Make liberal use of quotes from famous clients, testimonials, video, graphs, press coverage, awards…basically anything that makes you stand out among the crowd. If you have a lot of this information to share, it could result in a long page – but not to worry. Even with longer pages, the effects can be astounding. In the same manner, short and powerful landing pages can be just as effective!

Since your page is built around an offer, there are two things you need: an attractive incentive and opt-in technology. Free evaluations, free consultations, eBooks, eCourses and reports can work wonders in terms of attracting consumers.

For a short, one screen landing page, one opt-in box is sufficient. As a rule, for every screen length, you should add one and a half opt-ins to the body copy of your landing page. This is a good measure as to how many times you should request this information. Don’t worry if it seems redundant. People scan the copy on landing pages, so many times they will not read every word you have written. With that in mind, you want to make sure you don’t miss one opportunity to generate a lead!

However, remember that nothing is full proof. You must keep a close eye on the effectiveness of your pages. A simple headline tweak, color change, or testimonial addition can swing the conversion rate either way. View your landing page as a “real time” experiment and make sure to install Google Analytics to track the activity. Measure one week against the next, and tweak where needed. Also, note that there is no such thing as too many squeeze pages. If you have 100 products, you can make 100 squeeze pages. Overall, the goal is to be as targeted and completely aligned with the messages of your marketing plan.

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Chris is the CEO of Go! Media International, LLC – an integrated marketing firm specializing in cutting edge social media strategy and online marketing campaigns. Chris is a fundamental supporter of education in the online marketing technology sector (for companies and individuals) and speaks at national and international conferences alike. If you’d like to find out more, visit his blog or follow him on Twitter.

*Photo by PinkShot

This article was written by Chris Tompkins

I often notice individuals jumping headfirst into online marketing, whether it be social networks, blogs, micro-blogs (like Twitter) and other online channels. The main issue with this strategy is that many times their shared communications seem canned, the tone is a bit off, the message is not cohesive and the approach, at times, can be rather aggressive.

You know who they are.  When you encounter someone like this, you say things like: “Why are you just barging into my universe?” “Stop selling to me!” “Spammer!”

It isn’t just you. A lot of people feel the same way.  And, in the online world, they shout it so everyone can hear. Loudly.

First things first: the wonderful world of online marketing is different than the wonderful world of traditional marketing. Although they have many things in common (target markets, messages, distribute collateral, market research), the approach is vastly different.

The difference is that social networks and online communications are not just pushing the message through the channel.  Instead, they are about building relationships and having conversations. Read that sentence again. Relationships and conversations.

With that in mind, here are two steps you need to follow to stay in the game. If you have been entrenched in social media marketing for quite some time, then these tips will keep you fresh. Brand new and desperate to see what everyone is talking about? These two resolutions should help you enter the online marketplace with more ease.

Step 1:  Listen, Watch and Monitor the Activity Before Joining the Discussion

The mistake many of us make is that we don’t listen before we leap. Our gut instinct is to stick to the same communication style as our email blasts, corporate website or our “business speak.”

I’m not saying its a bad way to go, but if you are going to talk that way then you better make make sure everyone else is speaking your language.

Go to sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and look around. Go into the groups section on LinkedIn and Facebook and use the search function to find groups relevant to your professional interests. Look at the discussion topics, how people are conversing in each topic, and check the level of activity. Anyone providing links to video or audio? Click, watch and listen.

Also, LinkedIn and Facebook have a main micro-blog wall (they call it “Status Updates”). See how people are interacting, watch how they speak.

Twitter is more tricky; my tip is to download TweetDeck. It is a third party platform that helps you listen in a fast and efficient way. You can search for people talking about relevant topics to your business, your company and even you! Before you send out your first “tweet”, check out TweetDeck and size up the playing field.

Step 2: Plan Before You Dive

If you are going to begin engaging with the global online audience, it’s important to get your act together first. Stop and think for a minute. Would you execute a branding or PR initiative without at least a plan outline?

Sit down and identify what you want to get out of this. This can be the hardest step. Without full knowledge about what you can expect, it is hard to identify what your goals should even be. My advice is to be realistic, honest and take into consideration what the medium is all about. If you are thinking about SEO, direct response advertising or pay-per-click Google ads, then you will think in terms of hits to your online point-of-sale. The social media market has elements of this, but the purpose is to position yourself as an expert, increase visibility to you and your brand, build relationships that will in turn build your business and more.

Think about your purpose, your field of expertise and what value you can offer to others. Once you pinpoint that, you can identify the sites you want to focus on, the methods you want to employ and targets you want to hit.

Wrap it up

I really can’t stress how important it is to take the time to check out the playing field before you jump in headfirst. I think the real point here is that you wouldn’t sink $100,000 in a direct marketing initiative without making sure of the integrity of the mailing list. You would never spend $15,000 a week on an English speaking call center who is calling a Spanish speaking market.

At the end of the day it is Marketing 101. Learn where your market is, what they are saying and then plan how you are going to join the conversation. Then start talking.

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Chris is the CEO of Go! Media International, LLC – an integrated marketing firm specializing in cutting edge social media strategy and online marketing campaigns. Chris is a fundamental supporter of education in the online marketing technology sector (for companies and individuals) and speaks at national and international conferences alike. If you’d like to find out more, visit his blog or follow him on Twitter.

*Photo by Watje11

Why You Need To Sell Twitter To Your Boss

Your boss (or executives) stand between you and your organization using Twitter. Before you can get your boss to buy-in – you need to arm yourself with the facts.

Ask any professional or business owner why they use Twitter and you will get many different answers. Here are a few ways people are using Twitter.

Distribute Company Info

Every organization has information they need to get out to the public, employees, stockholders, or constituents. These include press releases, memos, news items, etc. Twitter is a great mechanism to use for these short, informal alerts.

Get feedback

Twitter can be used as a feedback loop for your organization. It is great for asking for comments and responses from clients, customers, and prospects in real time.

Search the current conversation

Twitter is a giant public text conversation. The text is short, concise, and searchable. When you have the power to search what millions of people are talking about right now, you wield power for your organization’s marketing and communication efforts.

Twitter automatically lists the current top trending topics on your main page. You can scan over these and begin to see trends and how they catch on with Twitter users.

Search your industry or competitors

You can bet that other businesses and organizations are harnessing the power of Twitter. Because of Twitter’s powerful real-time search features, you are able to keep track of your industry including your competitors. Also you can search for product announcements, company news, and key leaders in your industry.

What The Heck Is Twitter Anyway?

Twitter is sort of like a hammer

Much like a hammer, Twitter is a tool. It is an online tool for posting short messages (140 characters in length) to the internet. That’s it. Nothing more – nothing less.

But like any tool, Twitter can be used for various purposes. The same hammer can be used to hang a picture in your living room or build a house. The tool itself is neutral. It is inanimate.

Twitter is the same way. It can be used to keep in touch with friends or family, get on-the-ground breaking news from reporters, or be used to market products and services.

Watch a short video: What Is Twitter?

But Twitter is more than a tool – it’s a platform for leadership.

For the smart PR professional or marketer, Twitter is a PLATFORM that gets your ideas and thoughts to the world. Much like Oprah uses television to reach her audience or Stephen Covey uses books, you can use Twitter to become a thought leader in your industry. This is powerful.

Twitter Is A Distribution Platform

Simply put – Twitter allows you to DISTRIBUTE information to people who follow you. This information can be links, resources, tips, ideas, questions, etc.

Twitter Is A Discussion Platform

But Twitter is also a feedback platform. You can get response, in real time from those who you are connected to online.

How You Can Sell Twitter To Your Boss

You must first sell to yourself

It goes without saying, that you must first realize the power of Twitter before you can boast the virtues to others. Spend the time absorbing the benefits. Understand Twitter and its power for yourself.

Twitter is where the people are. That’s worth repeating. Twitter is WHERE the PEOPLE are. If your business reaches out to people – then this is the platform you need to be using.

Show your boss metrics (keep score and show the points)

Metrics are key to showing your boss the value of Twitter and social media. There are many tools that you can use to track Twitter click through rates – and online mentions.

Feedback

Imagine having a superpower that allows you to listen when people talk about you behind your back. It is possible. Twitter Search will allow you to do just that. It is easy to work up searches that show your boss what people are already saying about your business or industry. People are most likely talking about you or your industry. Show your boss the data.

Highlight some key organizations who are using Twitter

There is nothing like good old competition that will motivate bosses at any level. Show your boss the competition and how they are using Twitter. Search for competitors and industry leaders. They are out there. Your boss won’t be able to resist.

Show your boss how people are engaged with online media

Don’t forget – social media is more about engagement than numbers. You may launch your official company Twitter and end up with low numbers at first.  But, keep in mind, the people who are visiting may tend to be targeted and more valuable. Plus when your audience is engaged, they end up becoming long-term readers and customers.

It is important to explain this to your executives. Success in online social media takes time and investment. Your biggest role as “social media champion” for your organization is to educate those around you. They may not understand the power and value of social media like you do.

You need to give them statistics, examples, case studies, and proof that social media is not a waste of time. In fact, in the current economic climate, social media may end up saving many businesses who can’t afford to advertise like they once did. Who knows – maybe you’ll be the hero who took some risk and saved your company. That’s worth a raise and promotion – right?

Consider risking your job for the sake of your career

If all of the above suggestions fail and your boss won’t budge, consider risking your job for the sake of your career. Most likely if your boss is that opposed to Twitter and social media, then he/she has no clue about how it works. So you can probably get away with posting to Twitter and they will never know. At the same time, you will be building up your company and your own career in the process. It is risky – but what good things in life don’t involve some risk?

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Joel Mark Witt is a producer, author, and speaker who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. He is also the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership Send him an eMail: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.

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Get the book “21 Days To Twitter Leadership” The Step-By-Step Guide To Get Twitter Followers And Position Yourself As The Leader In Your Industry In Less Than 10 Minutes Per Day.

*Hammer Photo By Darren Hester
*Tightrope Photo By frankh

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People think in stories and narratives – not in data and facts. Is your business taking advantage of the storytelling abilities online? In this audio series we cover the four “C’s” of building a business narrative: Content, Characters, Crowd, and Capitalize.

Here are five social media strategies recorded last week during my daily audio updates on Utterli. (Utterli is a free voice recording service that allows you to record a message using your cell phone and then post that message to the web). .

Monday: Building A Business Narrative

Tuesday: Business Narrative: Content

Wednesday: Business Narrative: Characters

Thursday: Business Narrative: Crowd

Friday: Business Narrative: Capitalize

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Joel Mark Witt is a producer, speaker, and new media leader who writes about social media and its impact in the business world. He is also the Founding Director of Folk Media. Send him an eMail: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.

Subscribe to the Folk Media Insider eNewsletter. It’s a free monthly newsletter packed with tips, tools, strategies and resources to take your business to the next level online.

*Photo by Olivander