Inspired Guides for Finance Professionals
Social Media Marketing 1: Twitter
Welcome to the future
Finance-related stats?
61% of online consumers check reviews, blogs and customer feedback forums before buying a new product or service
8 out of 10 said online recommendations had affected their decisions
Customers value consumer reviews more than professional reviews
Social media is rapidly changing the relationship between brands and consumers. Consumers can now make their own voices heard, interacting within online communities where they listen to each other, rather than to advertisers. The most influential among them have taken on the role of advocates, with the power to make or break product campaigns and brand reputations. And as consumer behaviour changes, the traditional marketing model is in decline.
Marketing is no longer about reach. It’s about trust.
Marketing is no longer about your marketing message. It’s about each customer’s opinion.
Marketing is no longer a dictatorship. It’s a democracy.
So what does social media marketing actually mean?
“Social media marketing also known as social influence marketing is the act of using social influencers, social media platforms, online communities for marketing, publication relations and customer service. Common social media marketing tools include Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.” Wikipedia
Social Media marketing can help you to grow your client base through advocacy; increase loyalty by building relationships; and stay up with market trends as they happen.
We’re going to show you how, starting with the micro blogging service that’s been ruffling a few feathers: Twitter.
Start learning how Twitter can help your business
Welcome to the world of Twitter
First of all, what is Twitter?
You’ve probably heard of Twitter – how can you miss it? You might already have a Twitter account. Or you might not give a flying Tweet. But just in case you’re not entirely sure what it is, here’s what Wikipedia says:
“Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as Tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access.”
In a nutshell, it’s a way to tell the world what you’re doing in 140 characters or less. But there’s a lot more to it than letting people know you’re stuck in a lift or really, REALLY bored. We’re going to show you why you should be taking advantage of Twitter to market your businesses – and how.
"First mover advantage" is still a big opportunity if you move quickly. A host of famous ‘Tweeters’ such as Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross and Barrack Obama ensure a high profile. Numerous high caliber businesses are using it too, from CNN and The New York Times to NASA. Make no bones about it: Twitter is here to stay. But as more and more people and brands clamber onboard, first mover advantage will soon be lost forever.
Why is Twitter so valuable for growing your business?
Twitter was established in 2006 and is now the third largest social media network after Facebook and Myspace, attracting 55 million visitors in March 2009 alone. And that’s just the start. There’s a huge audience out there which you can start connecting with RIGHT NOW – but only if you do it right.
It’s all about gaining followers
Every successful business needs an up to date and relevant mailing list. Well, when you use Twitter, people opt-in to hear what you have to say. They’re called your followers and once they connect with you, you don’t need permission to contact them. You don’t need to stuff envelopes and pay for stamps. And what’s more, you can even get to know them better by becoming their follower too.
10 good reasons to build your Twitter following
• Drive more traffic to your website and raise your profile
• Promote specific events / conferences
• Announce new updates, new initiatives, new services etc.
• Demonstrate a customer centric focus
• Search current trends in real time
• Share best practice, knowledge, ideas and information
• Reach and engage with your targeted audience
• Keep people informed of your latest news
• Turn Prospects into Advocates
• Develop new contacts
So the bottom line is the more followers you have on Twitter, the more people you can talk to.
All you have to do is write very short text messages (called ‘Tweets’), which can be no longer than 140 characters including spaces. (That was 136 characters.)
But even though Twitter provides a pretty straightforward way of communicating short messages, it can still take up a lot of your time.
Learn proven techniques to attract high quality followers - fast
Our simple 7-step guide will include tips to help you grow your business using Twitter. We’ll show you how to attract great quality followers and how to talk to them – in just 15 minutes a day. You’ll find useable, practical ideas, insights and stories on what others are doing to grow their businesses using Twitter.
The power of Twitter – just one example
KFC promoted a free meal voucher on the Oprah Winfrey Show website. This reached the Twitterverse and exploded. Demand became so high the website crashed and restaurants were overwhelmed. Twitter really, really can work for business as well as for pleasure.
Start saving time today
To start turning Twitter into an effective business development tool, just complete the form below. A short series of emails will then take you through our seven step guide, a sort of Quickstart that will get you up, running and well on your way. We’ll only send you a couple of emails each week, so don’t worry about overloading your inbox.
Twitter Tips in association with David White of the Weboptimiser Group - Inspired’s Twitter Partner
