Twitter® Marketing For Dummies®

Chapter 13. Relating to the Public

In This Chapter

• Managing your reputation on Twitter

• Promoting live events on Twitter

• Setting the proper tone

Public relations is in some ways becoming both easier and more difficult. It's more difficult because as more newspapers are consolidating or closing down completely, and TV and radio stations are shedding their local stories in favor of the more cheaply produced national ones, people are turning away from traditional media for their news. And as public relations becomes more popular and sophisticated, more PR pros are competing for fewer column inches and air time.

At the same time, the public is starting to get its news and information online — from blogs, alternative news sites, YouTube, online TV and radio, and online sites for print newspapers. Thanks to search engines and social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, you can reach the public yourself and skip the media middle man.

Managing Your Reputation

Your reputation is one of the most important factors in running a successful business. It's how your customers and potential customers perceive you. If you have a reputation for bad customer service, people will avoid you. If you have a reputation for great value, people will seek you out.

How you act online is just as important. Do you provide useful, helpful information, or are you an Internet troll who flames everyone who slightly disagrees with you? The helpful people get new business and referrals from clients and social-networking ...