Chapter 10. Microblogging: Social Media Marketing in 140 Characters or Less
TWITTER: A LITTLE BIRD THAT STARTED A REVOLUTION
A question I am often asked is, "What is Twitter?" Often this is followed by, "How do I use Twitter for business?" I plan to answer both questions in this chapter.
Let me say at the outset that Twitter is an amazing application with manifold uses. Companies as large as Dell and Zappos have created business models around it. (We will talk about their success later in the chapter when we get to case studies.) Small business owners and solo entrepreneurs are also proving its value as a channel for business development.
In fact, a recent survey said that most users (89 percent) of Twitter agree that companies should engage their customers there. Over 80 percent indicated they also have a better impression of companies that use Twitter for customer service (81 percent).[80]
Businesses are using Twitter to:
Network with others in their industry or community
Stay connected to customers and prospects
Monitor what is being said about their company, products, services, industry, and competition
Gather valuable feedback about products or services
Raise awareness about the company, product, or service
Find answers and get advice
Offer proactive customer service
Promote events, products, and services
Drive traffic to the company Web site or blog
Incite word of mouth among customers and ...
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