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TweetDeck for Business Twittering

tweetdeck_128If you’ve decided to Twitter for your business, you may now be a bit overwhelmed with the influx of tweets.  How do you filter through them and keep track of contacts and conversations that matter?  TweetDeck is an excellent tool for business twittering that will bring some order to the chaos.

The genius behind TweetDeck is multiple panels that can be configured to make it easy to keep track of conversations.  First you have a panel that has the feed from all the people you are following.  Next there are panels for replies and direct messages, respectively.  To keep track of certain people, you can create groups and quickly add anyone to a group.  Lastly, to see what is hot in the Twitterosphere (Tweetosphere?), you can add a TwitScoop panel which will give you a tag cloud of the hot topics.

Managing contacts is also easy.  Clicking on the name under a tweet will bring up a user’s profile right inside a panel where you can see all their information and tweets, follow/unfollow them, or add them to a group.  There’s also a little plus sign under a tweet which will allow you to quickly add a person to a group.

Twittering (tweeting?) is easy with a update section that includes a way to shorten urls and add twitpics. With each tweet you have the option to retweet, favorite, direct message or reply, making having conversations a cornerstone of TweetDeck’s functionality.  And using Twitter for business is all about having conversations.

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Twittering for Business Startup Guide

bookslinpernilleYesterday we discussed some issues you should consider when deciding whether or not to twitter for your business.  Once you’ve decided to go forward, here’s how to get started:

Choose a Name

You’ll need a twitter name so that people can find you.  Usually businesses choose a name related to their company name or a particular brand.  If your name isn’t available, contact twitter.  According to their TOS, companies can gain control of names they own.

A little about you….

The bio and website information will give people an idea of what you do and why they might want to follow your updates.  These are especially important when people are searching for people to follow by keyword.

Publish your tweets

Setup your twitter feed on your blog and website, add your twitter address to your emails and other correspondence.  Twitter is a great way to quickly add snippits of information to your websites and keep in touch with your customers.

Welcome tweet

Even without any followers, make sure you at least have a welcome tweet.  People won’t follow you don’t have any tweets.

Find people to follow

You can use the twitter search to see if your customers already are on twitter, or find people to follow on blogs you read.  Many people will also follow you back when you follow them.

Listen & Respond

Listen to what’s being said and monitor twitter for mentions of your company and brands.  Politely respond to any concerns people have and to any questions you can be helpful with.

Be Relevant

Share relevant information with your customers via twitter.  Links to articles or posts of interest can be twittered.  Retweeting information others find can be a great way to connect too.

Keep Tweeting

You probably won’t find a twitter audience overnight, so keep sharing relevant information and use Twitter as another tool to connect with your customers.

Don’t Spam

While you need to keep providing good content, don’t overdo it.  Tweets should only be every so often else they get really annoying.  How often you can tweet depends on the tolerance of your audience, so it’ll take a bit of trial and error.  A few tweets per day should be safe.

Be Patient

It takes time to realize the benefits of Twitter.  Keep at it, keep listening and stay in the conversation.

What Twitter tips do you have?  Please share in the comments.

(photo by Lin Pernille Photography @ Flickr CC)

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11 Ways to use Social Media for your Business

socialseier

Now that you know a little more about what social media are, how do you use them for your business?

  1. Listen to what your customers are saying, not just about you, but what their concerns and problems are.
  2. Network with other companies and customers in your industry.  Get to know people.
  3. Connect with potential customers and partners.
  4. Share your expertise and information valuable to your niche.
  5. Answer questions and help others.
  6. Leads, for your company, but also for others in your network.
  7. Market subtly within your areas of expertise by being a part of the conversation.
  8. Reputation building, both for your company and for your personal brand.
  9. Content to add to your website, blog, resources, etc.
  10. Research what people think, what the next big thing will be, how to position yourself for the future.
  11. Traffic being directed to your blog and website.

How do you use social media for your business?  Please add to this list in the comments section.

(photo by seier+seier+seier @ Flickr CC)

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