Social media including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube also enable businesses to announce events, sales and specials and get instant feedback from patrons, as merchants in Lodi, Calif., have discovered.

Merchants such as Larrazolo are using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other online outlets to connect with customers, build relationships and save money. The sites also enable businesses to announce events, sales and specials and get instant feedback from patrons.

http://tinyurl.com/2ar97vw

Twitter announced today that the number of total mobile users has jumped 62% since mid-April, thanks to the release of Twitter for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. These apps existed before – Twitter for iPhone is just a rebranded version of the third-party client Tweetie – but they weren’t recruiting new users.
“We did iPhone user tests and confirmed that even though there was a plethora of third-party Twitter apps, people were having trouble finding and selecting one because none were called ‘Twitter.’ This kept them from using Twitter at all,” CEO Evan Williams wrote.

Have you heard the buzz about Yammer?

Yammer is the first company to bring micro-blogging into the enterprise. At its launch in September 2008, Yammer won the TechCrunch50 Conference. Mark Benioff, CEO of SalesForce.com and TechCrunch50 panelist, said he would even invest in the company. In the following weeks, thousands of companies started their Yammer networks. Publications dubbed the new service “Enterprise Twitter” or “Twitter with a Business Model”. In January 2009 the New York Times named Yammer one of “Nine websites IT pros should master in 2009.”

Yammer is the answer to the question that many companies have asked “Is there something like Twitter that we could use for internal communication only?” Yammer is a “private Twitter” where only those with the same e-mail domain (ie, @yourcompany.com) can join and post updates. ( Fill the Funnel – September 28, 2009 )

Yammer is an online tool used to communicate, share, and stay in touch with others in a company or organisation through the exchange of short messages. In geek speak Yammer is an internal micro-blogging tool, or to put it another way, a business version of Twitter. Yammer gives you a private network (locked down using company organisation email address), messages are not limited to 140 characters and documents and images can be attached to messages. Plus there are features like profiles, RSS feeds, organisational charts and the recently added ‘Likes’ and threaded message view. Yammer is hosted as Software As A Service (SaaS) so can be accessed easily from both inside and outside your network. (from Intranets: Now and the Future – September 13, 2009 )

1. Google Makes Grab for Hollywood Dollars – Advertising Age – Digital http://tinyurl.com/2cs4cn5 ~49:10 AM Sep 2nd from HootSuite
2. Why Social Media Isn’t Living Up to the Hype (Yet) – Advertising Age – DigitalNext http://tinyurl.com/29gk3oc ~48:45 AM Sep 2nd from HootSuite
3. Google’s Gmail goes down for at least half an hour; Twitter lights up | Technology | Los Angeles Times http://tinyurl.com/2b76hya ~23:10 PM Sep 1st from HootSuite
4. Fall shows tuned in to Twitter marketing http://tinyurl.com/2elcal6 ~22:03 PM Sep 1st from HootSuite
5. RT @nicolefincham: 3 Great Sites for Following Conversations on Twitter http://tinyurl.com/232dbk3 ~127:47 PM Aug 28th from TweetDeck
6. Foursquare – Location Based Coupons – The Next Twitter? << Brent Purves http://tinyurl.com/2dbupdo ~109:46 AM Aug 28th from HootSuite
7. Twitter Effect rattles Hollywood http://tinyurl.com/2f2h5nm ~10 people will twitter during opening credits and leaving when they don’t like them.9:22 AM Aug 28th from HootSuite
8. What marketers need to know about real-time search http://tinyurl.com/23unyp2 ~109:03 AM Aug 28th from HootSuite
9. Twitter Advertising: Like It or Not, You Have to Behave on Twitter http://tinyurl.com/27bssbv ~21:44 PM Aug 25th from HootSuite
10. Googlers More Loyal than MicroHoo Searchers http://tinyurl.com/22sauzs ~21:41 PM Aug 25th from HootSuite
11. Screen Casts For Twitter – Create screencasts and screen recordings the easy way http://tinyurl.com/269go5o10:39 PM Aug 21st from HootSuite
12. TWEET IDEAS: 13 Things to Do on Twitter Besides Tweet http://tinyurl.com/2be8v2z10:37 PM Aug 21st from HootSuite
13. Coke ‘Freestyle’ Taps Twitter, Facebook, RFID 08/18/2009 http://tinyurl.com/28x34fm2:50 PM Aug 21st from HootSuite
14. Twitter’s Geo-Targeted Trojan Horse http://tinyurl.com/274qean2:50 PM Aug 21st from HootSuite
15. Twitter to Go Commercial with Commercial Accounts http://tinyurl.com/25e7yxp2:48 PM Aug 21st from HootSuite
16. Facebook Releases The Twitter Exporter Tool http://tinyurl.com/28scrkl10:32 AM Aug 21st from HootSuite
17. Canadian Forces take aim with Twitter http://tinyurl.com/2a4rcs310:07 AM Aug 21st from HootSuite
18. Vodka Social Media Marketing -Flash, Facebook & Twitter Marketing http://tinyurl.com/2bsdq5y – geotargeted web imagery. 3600 fans 1200 twit follows10:03 AM Aug 21st from HootSuite
19. Twitter Grows Uncomfortable With The Use Of The Word Tweet In Applications (Updated) http://tinyurl.com/2f9jjou9:55 PM Aug 20th from HootSuite
20. Sponsored Tweets – Will writing “today’s tweets sponsored by x” be sufficient? Twit ads inevitable Twitter evolution? http://tinyurl.com/25sbt38 ~812:19 PM Aug 13th from HootSuite
21. The Best Time to Tweet for Maximum Exposure | Twitter Marketing Agency http://tinyurl.com/2g4t9tt ~512:22 PM Aug 12th from HootSuite
22. What Facebook Lite Actually Is. Hint: It’s Not Twitter Or FriendFeed. http://tinyurl.com/265wxlk ~512:20 PM Aug 12th from HootSuite
23. GM’s Lutz Plans “Whole Lot More…Social Media & Webpage Stuff… Clever YouTube stuff…good enough to get passed on” http://tinyurl.com/24fckbm ~35:07 PM Aug 4th from HootSuite
24. A Portable Version of Your Social Network: Get Glue: The Network That Sticks With You http://tinyurl.com/2eouy5a ~35:00 PM Aug 4th from HootSuite

It’s here, there and everywhere. The popularity of social networking is climbing by the week with virtually every age bracket, right up to seniors.

Today 110 million Americans, or 60% of the online population, use social networks, according to a new study by Anderson Analytics. That number is conservative, because instead of counting unique users or everyone who has an account, the Anderson study counted only people who have used a social network at least once in the past month.

Read the full article >

Twitter has a new section on their website offering information on how businesses are using twitter for marketing and customer service.

This Twitter & Social Media Marketing Guide includes recommended books, Twitter definitions, and case studies of businesses using Twitter for marketing:

When people working in the Empire State Building twittered that they were craving ice cream delivery, New York local chain Tasti D Lite was there to listen and meet their need. When electronics buyers look for good deals, the Dell Outlet Twitter account helps them save money with exclusive coupons. When Houston’s coffee drinkers decide where to get their daily dose, many choose Coffee Groundz, which lets them order via Twitter.

The guide addresses topics such as “So how do businesses use Twitter?” and “Twitter Best Practices”.

Read more of the Twitter Social Media Marketing Guide on Twitter here:

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101

Read Twitter Marketing Case Studies here: http://tinyurl.com/kpp3vt

There are many ways to use Twitter to market your organization, business or services.

Twitter is commonly used as a quick and easy way to microblog in 140 characters or less about the goings-on of one’s personal life. More and more businesses and organizations, however, are coming up with creative ways to use Twitter for effective online and word of mouth marketing.

First and foremost, Twitter is an interactive publishing medium. To use Twitter well for marketing you have to write, write often and write strategically.

Here are some high-level steps you need to take to use Twitter for marketing your organization, business or services

1. Get on Twitter – setup an account with a name that makes sense, is easy to spell and matches the name of your organization, business or services. If someone is already using your name then you have to get creative and come up with an alternative spelling or add a dash between two words etc.
2. Create a Twitter Marketing Strategy – Figure out how you can best use Twitter to your advantage and come up with a plan for how you’ll roll out your strategy including how you’ll get followers, the types of people/companies you’ll follow, posting frequency, posting content type, landing pages, on and offline promotion, etc. Some common Twitter strategies are:

• Post regular specials or sales on Twitter
• Use Twitter to search for people Tweeting questions you can answer as a way to build relationships and potential future customers
• If your business is mobile you can use Twitter to post your daily location
• Encourage word of mouth between your followers
• Post quality content with the aim to get others to Retweet and spread it to their followers
• Notify followers about events you’re attending or putting on

3. Start Following People on Twitter – Start following others on Twitter who are working in your industry or who are somehow related to your industry. See who those people are following. Follow some of those people too. Don’t go overboard following thousands of people right away or your account will quickly start looking like one of the many Twitter spammer accounts out there that follow thousands, have no followers and only post affiliate or viagra links
4. Setup URL Tracking using hootsuite or bit.ly or tinyurl so you can track which links you post get the most clicks
5. Use Proper Twitter Tools  & Twitter Etiquette – make sure you use good third party Twitter tool such as TweetDeck to enable you to post and read posts of those you’re following quickly and easily. Remember to not just post about yourself, how great you or your services are. Instead, interact with people, retweet useful & relevant content posted by those you’re following.
6. Setup Twitter Landing Pages on your company or organization’s website to optimize conversions when you drive people from your twitter page to your website.
7. Promote Your Twitter Address on your company or organization’s website, facebook page, in your email signature, etc. Even consider having your tweets publish directly to a section of your website or have your website blog posts publish directly to your Twitter account
8.Record, Measure & Assess Results. Keep doing what’s working. Stop doing what’s not working. Don’t be afraid to ask your followers for feedback along the way

What ways have you or others you’ve seen used Twitter to promote yourself, your organization, business or service?

Need help creating or implementing a Twitter marketing strategy? Contact us at Twitter Marketing Agency today for a free consultation and strategy session.

Some see social media tools such as Twitter as sophisticated marketing platforms reserved only for the Coca-cola and Proctor & Gamble’s of the world. For many small businesses with no marketing budget who are struggling to survive in a difficult economy, Twitter has become their sole marketing strategy.

Small business owners around the world are discovering the benefit of using Twitter to speak with customers just as they would in person. Small businesses often get half of their business from word of mouth, so Twitter acts as the perfect digital word of mouth marketing tool. In fact, some business owners find it’s easier to setup and maintain a Twitter account than a business website, and the short 140-character posts offer a quick and easy way to stay in touch with clients and soon-to-be-clients.

Curtis Kimball opened a creme brulee cart in San Francisco not really knowing the purpose of Twitter. Now, with over 5000 Twitter followers who wait for him to post his daily cart location, Twitter helps keep his business flourishing on a daily basis.

Umi, a sushi restaurant in San Francisco, gets many new customers every day as a result of people finding them via Twitter. Umi staff tweet about the latest fresh fish of the night and offer specials to patrons who mention Twitter.

The Woodhouse Day Spa in Cincinati tweets discounts for manicures and massages. They prefer Twitter to email because it’s quick and can be sent from a cell phone.

Have you ever wondered if ANY of your Twitter followers even see some of your Twitter posts? Are you just posting into a black hole when you tweet on Saturday afternoon?

Studies show that for many Twitter users, Tuesday is the most active Twitter day. Wednesday and Friday have the second highest Twitter activity. Monday and Saturday are the slowest days. There are also general trends that people will check their Twitter accounts when they first get to work, at lunch time, and/or near the end of their work day.

Twitter is Global

Remember that your Twitter followers are likely from all around the world, so if you post to Twitter from Los Angeles on Wednesday at 12:00 noon,  it’s Wednesday 3PM in New York, Wednesday 8PM in London and Thursday 3AM in Beijing. If you’re trying to reach a certain geographic region, plan your posts to match high Twitter activity times in their timezone. A good free timezone tool is available at http://www.timeanddate.com/

Twitter Marketing Experiment: Find The Best Time For You To Tweet

Want to find out the best time for you to Tweet to get maximum exposure and/or clicks on your post links? Try an experiment by reposting a few different high-quality retweet-worthy twitter posts over a couple weeks — reposting them on, say, tuesday, wednesday, thursday and friday in the morning afternoon and evening — using a trackable url shortener system (ie bit.ly or hootsuite) to determine when your experimental posts are clicked on the most. Repeat the experiment a few times with different content and look for trends. Some suggest it’s worth repeating important tweets up to 4 times in about 18 hours. Typically, that would be evening, late evening, next morning and then the afternoon. You need to not overdo it and turn your readers off, so post carefully and don’t hesitate to ask your readers for feedback.

I’m posting this to my blog (which auto posts to my twitter account) at ~4pm on Tuesday. Lucky me.

]]> http://twittermarketingagency.com/uncategorized/twitter-marketing-tips-the-best-time-to-to-twitter-tweet-for-maximum-traffic-exposure-clicks/feed/ 0 http://twittermarketingagency.com/twitter-marketing/marketing-with-google-wave/ http://twittermarketingagency.com/twitter-marketing/marketing-with-google-wave/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:40:52 +0000 admin http://twittermarketingagency.com/?p=174

Google Wave Marketing? Wait a Minute, What is Google Wave?

Coming late 2009, Google Wave is a mashup of communications tools provided by Google to make it easier for people to work and communicate online. (Read more about Google Wave)

What Could Google Wave Change for Internet Marketing and Social Media Marketers? 

• Google Wave could further fragment online audiences and limit the number and growth of today’s large social networks.
• Dave Coursey of PC World says “Google Wave as a mash-up of chat, e-mail, and document sharing, it’s really something else: Google Wave could be the Twitter that everyone really wants. Maybe it’s the Facebook, too.”
• Brands and social media marketers will need to dive deeper into authentic conversations in niches, to invite customers into personal and sometimes real-time conversations, collaborations, product testing & development.
• Along with Google Profiles, Google Search and Gmail, Google Wave will provide Google an even deeper look into our digital lives. Privacy advocates may not like it but marketers will love the ability to run very tightly focused Adwords campaigns in Wave.
• iPhone, Blackberry and Android mobile phone app developers and mobile marketers will likely concoct and use collaborative Wave-technology-based, multi-editor, real-time events in rich media and interactive apps as means to build customer loyalty and brand exposure, to get instant product testing feedback, to enable live user participation in webisodes and online reality, augmented reality events and products.

What do you think?