Approaching Twitter Users: Dancing the Fine Line Between Promotion and Spam

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I hadn’t expected a reply to a recent tweet post made regarding cupcakes. In a moment of good humor, considering my recent weight loss, I posted to my account a link to a news story about pastry giant Cinnabon branching into the cupcake business. Given my weakness for cupcakes and the potential damage they do to my diet, I let forth a curt vent (“Damn you, Cinnabon!) followed by the link. Later that day, to my shock, I received an @replay from the official Cinnabon Twitter.

Just goes to show, people with brands do monitor what is being said, even in jest, and may be inclined to follow-up. While many of us can page the likes of Conan O’Brien, Demi Moore, and the host of other celebrities and bigwigs using this social network, the odds of finding a reply or – gasp – a direct message may be slim. As a business using Twitter to market products and services, however, you have a golden opportunity to reach consumers who share their feedback, or else put out feelers for information relevant to your company. Succeeding in Twitter marketing involves not only tracking those people, but communicating in a manner that doesn’t come off like a hard sell.

Tracking on Twitter

As you monitor the performance of keywords that bring visitors to your main site, it would make sense to track those same phrases on Twitter to gauge overall interest in products and services relevant to your brand. Whether you cater to local or national markets, you have the means to search what people are tweeting without necessarily refreshing Twitter’s search engine. E-mail, web-based and desktop clients allow for ease of researching multiple key phrases, and many of them are free.

A sample TweetDeck search on "Virginia Beach"

TweetDeck, a popular desktop client that can collect the feeds of multiple social media accounts, may be set up to run feeds of a specific nature. Simply add a new column to the screen and program a search. Choose the keywords, and watch the results.

To receive Twitter searches via e-mail, TweetBeep offers the means to track the activity you want to browse. Similar to Google Alerts, TweetBeep delivers the information directly to your inbox. This is handy tool to use if you want alerts sent to your phone.

The popular web-based program Monittor presents up to three real-time feeds of key searches. One advantage to Monittor is that is permits for geotargeting – you can search tweets within a specific distance of any city, and RSS capability allows you to aggregate the results into your favorite reader. Twitter itself offers a similar method of tracking in its widget functionality, where one can create an ongoing feed of trending tweets, though geographical parameters cannot be set.

Once you’ve determined how to find potential consumers and clients through Twitter, there comes the challenge of approaching them. Just because a Twitter user does not protect his/her feed from public view doesn’t necessarily mean an invite to relentless hustling. If you see an opportunity to recommend your products and services to somebody who appears to want them, you don’t want to give the impression that your Twitter account is used mainly to distribute ad copy.

Engage the tweeter first with a question for confirmation. Are they looking for what you have to sell…are the specific designs or benefits they want? Would they be interested in a discount if they ordered online? Can you answer any questions they might have? Don’t let the distance of a computer screen distract you from the fact that behind that Twitter avatar is a human being who is social, and may likely use Twitter to recommend you in the future.

Using widgets and search clients to help with leads can cut your Twitter research time significantly, giving you more time to perfect your social media skills.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting clients with social media optimization and travel social media services. Clients include Gainesville hotels, European hotels, and Virginia web design firms.

Should You Monetize Your Twitter Account?

It’s natural, as you sign on to a new site or social network, to gravitate toward like-minded people or others working in your area of expertise. As a writer and social media specialist, I tend to follow colleagues and experts in the published and SEO fields to keep up on rumors and events. Ultimately, I realize many of the people I follow are using Twitter not so much to trade recipes and water-cooler talk about Lost and the Super Bowl, but to promote their own interests. Authors have books to sell, SEO mavens have services to exploits, and the bottom comes down to money – the more time invested in social marketing should eventually yield results.

So it comes as no surprise to see people I know opting to post “sponsored Tweets,” data designed to offer the profile’s owner a kickback on click-throughs and/or purchases. Sponsored tweeting works similarly to pay-per-blogging: a business sets a budget to advertise products and services through a site that connects advertisers and Twitter users. Registered Twitter users then accept or reject the ad copy given to them, and post accordingly to their account(s). Depending on the company, these micro-bloggers may need to disclose which of their tweets are sponsored, and as people click through and/or take advantage of the deals the one who posted the tweet receives a commission. Whether or not one can get rich simply by tweeting is up for debate, but it does beg the question of whether or not the practice could risk your Twitter following.

Think about why you tweet, how you post, and what attracts viewers to your feed? What expertise do you offer that keeps people interested, and how often do you directly socialize with the people you follow on your profile? I mentioned earlier that I do follow a number of authors, all of whom have books and other projects to promote – naturally I expect to see links to online bookstores, blogs, and contests for book and prize giveaways. On occasion, I am known to unfollow a Twitter account based on saturation. If every post off the feed is a “buy my book” plea, offered every few minutes, I may find a reason to quit reading.

Personally, too, of those I know who are supplementing their income with sponsored tweeting, I find it isn’t too disruptive, and the profiles continue to offer data of value. As with any such venture you consider, for whatever reason, balance promotion with genuine socialization to keep those who came to you for a reason.

One thing to note about sponsored tweet programs: just because you use Twitter doesn’t mean you automatically qualify. An advertiser with money to spend wants to be seen, and if you’re a new user with only ten followers to your credit chances are you won’t fit the criteria, as opposed to the seasoned poster who organically grew a following.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting clients with social media writing and tourism social media services. Clients include Gainesville hotels and European hotels.

Social Media and Spontaneity: Stimulating Sales on the Fly

One may contend that Amazon.com, arguably the largest online retailer of books and videos, weathered a good amount of abuse in 2009 due to gaffes involving the de-listing of gay and lesbian literature and other titles from their internal search (these were quickly corrected). The Twitter hashtag #amazonfail became well known and oft-used to chastise the mega-eCommerce site for their actions, yet these days it doesn’t seem that term will retire soon.

Last week, in a dispute over eBook pricing, Amazon.com decided to pull all eBook titles by publisher MacMillan, thus removing thousands of titles for sale and angering  MacMillan’s authors, of whom many took their aggravations to the “streets” – namely their social accounts. Without Amazon.com’s support, MacMillian authors discovered Kindle users were unable to purchase their titles.

Though Amazon’s original intent was to convince the publisher to lower its eBook pricing from $14.99 to the retail site’s standard of $9.99 or less, critics saw the move as detrimental to the retailer and also logged onto Twitter and other social outlets to protest. Amazon.com has since recanted the action.

Nonetheless, the weekend offered plenty of time for competitors to take advantage of #amazonfail, and thanks to the viral speed of Twitter in particular, word spread quickly. All Romance eBooks, a large online retailer of romance fiction, along with its general eBook vendor site  OmniLit.com, staged a spontaneous weekend sale in conjunction with popular book industry blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Using a specific coupon code, readers could purchase any title from ARe or OmniLit for 50% off the cover price, while publishers and authors with titles listed on-site received their full commissions. ARe and OmniLit.com are able to accommodate owners of the Kindle and other eBook reading devices.

@SmartBitches heavily promoted the ARe sale.

This marketing campaign, tagged on Twitter and Facebook with the term #AReSale, kept author and publisher accounts active all weekend, and even inspired some publishers to offer select titles as free downloads during the promotion.

“Riding that social media wave can be tricky, but when you get it right it’s an incredible ride. The #AReSale blitz is a good example,” said Lori James, co-owner of OmniLit/ARe. ” A convergence of circumstance, timing, and a carefully cultivated supportive community. We’re still reeling from the response.”

Indeed, the viral effect of this one action in the eBook community continues to resonate.  Google Blog Search results for OmniLit.com display an impressive number of blogs that reported the half-off sale, and Facebook status updates repeated the time-urgent news with efficiency.

News of the ARe sale made the rounds on Facebook.

The immediacy of a news item, coupled with the ability to spread information via social media, created a spontaneous PR campaign that proved beneficial for one independent company. Social networks like Twitter and Facebook provide the opportunity for free advertising via word of mouth, and in turn allow others to receive residual benefits.

When Twitter Fails: Dodging the Whales and Keeping Your Sanity

Normally when I log on to my computer for the day, my Echofon Twitter client will show tweets in the low hundreds – I follow a rather chatty cadre of Tweeters. This morning, however, the traffic was lighter than usual, though one message did jump out at me: a complaint about the omnipresent “Fail Whale” graphic that everybody seemed to find today when they tried to record their daily greetings and pitches. As convenient as social media is when it works properly, when it goes down for an undetermined amount of time it appears the world stops – this despite the fact that we as a civilization have done well for centuries past without it.

Of course, working in social media, I understand the frustration. As a writer, I use Twitter to promote my works, and as a Twitter user I follow certain businesses that advertise to me, and friends with whom I like to stay in touch. When Twitter fails, I may not receive a time-sensitive promotion in time, and I can see how that would frustrate somebody who uses social networks to sell. For me, the opportunity to promote is held off temporarily, else I can wait until Twitter is functioning again and I start a new campaign. Regardless of the reason you use this social platform, there are ways to survive the looming Fail Whale and continue your marketing.

Turn Your Focus Elsewhere – If you use Twitter, most assuredly you have a Facebook page as well. If you’re like me, however, the followers on Twitter may greatly outnumber your Facebook fans, but if Facebook is running well there’s no reason why you can’t market to that attentive audience more aggressively. If you have your accounts set up for Twitter to feed into Facebook, just directly post onto your page what you have planned. When Twitter is up and running again, simply post your FB page link and encourage your followers to catch up on what they missed.

Have a Back Up Plan – You may feel overwhelmed as it is to have so many social accounts for marketing – Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and so forth. However, one will argue that securing accounts on minor sites helps solidify your brand. If ever you become frustrated with Twitter outages, Tumblr offers a nice alternative for imparting news. With a Tumblr account, one can post short notes, share audio and video, blog stories, and even integrate the social site with others, like Twitter and Facebook. With this account, you can connect with established friends on the other media sites and never miss a word.

When in Doubt, Retweet – Lately, I’ve noticed some users are retweeting themselves on points they really want to get across. They don’t do it consistently, maybe a retweet after half the day has passed, but as repetition is one tool used in marketing to get customers to recognize your brand, it’s not a bad idea if done properly. If you fear a Twitter blackout has swallowed your campaign messages, check your free and retweet the pertinent posts, the links and the sales. If a follower has to wade through a few hundred accounts, chances are he/she may have missed it the first time around even if it did get through.

When Twitter fails, for a minute or even longer, it’s not the end of the world. It presents the beginning of opportunity for thinking outside the box and finding another way for your marketing to work. Sit back, take a break from the Fail Whale, and see what other fish are in the sea.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting clients with social media optimization, travel social media services, and Virginia web design. Her clients have ranged from Gainesville hotels to local PPC companies.

Charity Begins at Twitter, and Facebook, and…

From the tragedy of the earthquake in Haiti has come perhaps the best example of global cooperation by way of social media. Following this natural disaster, it’s reported that text message donations alone have accounted for at least $22 million dollars given to relief organizations like the Red Cross. Sadly, with this also comes a number of accounts designed to defraud donors – some might argue the online option to give is not as 100% secure as handing a check over to a Red Cross official. Nonetheless, these actions display well the growing shift toward utilization of social media as an altruistic tool.

More examples of social media involvement in charitable efforts (including Haitian relief and other causes) include:

The Facebook Causes Application – This application allows non-profits to set up their own widgets which allow users to donate via Facebook. Supporters can join the application and list favorite charities and invite others to join as well.

Care2 – A social network geared toward promoting understanding of environmental and similar causes, Care2 utilizes their technology to generate interest in wildlife preservation, political change, and human rights. Organizations can start petition drives and encourage others to use “click to donate” badges to generate awareness.

ChipIn – This widget builder works with Paypal to allow users to collect donations online for any cause. A simple Flash application is then applied to a blog or website, or may be added to a Facebook profile, and promoted easily.

If you plan to give online, it is important to research where you plan to give. Clicking through a link on Twitter may take you anywhere – your Twitter feed client may not always reveal the source of a shortened URL, so it’s best not to provide your financial information immediately. If one social network account claims to collect for the Red Cross, check official Red Cross sites and profiles first for their collection sources. Check websites for the secure lock logo before providing credit card information, and avoid using bank debit cards online. The more you understand how social media can be used for charitable giving, the better for those who benefit.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting clients with social media optimization and travel social media services.

Social Media and Social Responsibility

While tracking those I follow on Twitter recently, I noticed a number of posts by a colleague lamenting the quality of material made available on the wires, ostensibly disguised as news. To paraphrase, my friend groaned (as much as one can groan on Twitter these days) her disbelief that, in a time where more troops are to be sent to Afghanistan, the buzz in this nation is more focused toward A) a former sitcom star coming out of the closet; B) a golf champion cheating on his wife; and C) speculation about the death of an heiress. The conspiracy theorist might contend that the buzz generated is intentional, to “wag the dog,” as it were.

The realist, however, will use these examples to affirm one more thing that isn’t really news: people like to gossip. People have gossiped for centuries. Hey, did you hear what happened to Eve in the garden? That we have access to something as unifying as social media serves to amplify our vested interest in such non-news.

That said, should one consider to be more responsible while using social networks like Twitter and Facebook? When we post status updates and share news, we essentially share with the world a taste of who we are in real life. Why do we post the words we choose to share? Some of us use Twitter to promote our projects and businesses, and inform clients and customers of new products and services. Some people use Twitter to vent or offer play-by-play commentary of favorite shows or sporting events. I couldn’t tell you how many people I follow watched the MTV Music Awards…actually, yes I can. Nearly everybody had a remark about at least one of Lady GaGa’s dresses.

Still, there are others who see Twitter, I think, as a means of obtaining some level of celebrity. The likes of a helium-voiced pre-teen named Fred and acomedian with a shoe fetish have proven it is possible to cross into the mainstream, and the Internet provides more avenues toward fame than reality TV. Already we’ve learned that plans are in the works to adapt a Twitter account into a sitcom (???), and if you ask me, I highly suspect that people are purposely dressing bizarrely so somebody will snap them for the People of Wal-Mart site.

Is there a fear that we might come off as vacuous or indifferent people, or does social media challenge us to be more interesting and entertaining – always “on”? Perhaps deep down we are all entertainers at heart – deciding if we can’t be in the spotlight, we should at least tweet about it.

That said, perhaps we should also take some time out of the day to post on news and items of social responsibility.  Remind friends to do a self-exam for breast cancer once a month, or retweet Amber alerts in your area. With the growth in smart phone use, one is likely to see news on a feed and do something about it. After work, when we’re ready to unwind, we can catch up on the gossip.

Believe me, there’s plenty to be read.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting clients with Virginia Beach social media services and Virginia Beach web design.

Social Media Backlash Shouldn’t Prevent You From Profile Upkeep

In an age where wives are finding out via Facebook that their husbands are leaving them, a business owner might take pause when considering a social media marketing strategy. It seems lately Twitter, too, is used more as a harbinger for bad news and celebrity gossip (just plug in a search for Tiger Woods and sit back for the fireworks), and one wouldn’t be surprised to guess if a business owner wants to curb social online interaction in favor of less sensationalized promotion. Is that a wise move, however?

The recent news implying that Facebook usage, among utilization of other networks, is responsible for global marital breakdown is fascinating, yet it is hardly an innovation. If a marriage has floundered before Internet use became a factor, one can’t necessarily place the blame on social media. While sites like MySpace, Bebo, Facebook and others allow old friends (and consequently old flames) to reconnect, it’s also a helpful communication tool for families. Fathers keep track of their children’s activities, married couples share photos and videos with friends, and often talk to one another. It may not be the ideal situation, and may fast be replacing the night dinner around the table, but social media can work as well in strengthening familial bonds rather than severing them. Anyone using a social network to expedite divorce could easily do the same with anything else – an obsession with sports or other activities, long hours at work, and so forth.

Social networks in and of themselves are not evil. To be certain, people have abused their better qualities for nefarious purposes, but as such stories are few and far between this should not deter a businessman or company from refraining from their use. For every new item of a threat posted on a blog there are more detailing how people have used social media to find missing children, obtain help for needy families, or reunite siblings separated for years.

How can you keep a positive focus on marketing through social media? Always maintain a healthy attitude when you post items of interest. Not everything you share needs to be company related, and it’s good to engage friends and followers in conversations that highlight a brighter side to humanity. Does your company support a specific charity or non-profit? Find links and articles that showcase the good they do. If you’ve hosted an event recently, share pictures and video. Social media is about making your own news – so make it good.

Marketing Your Brand in 140 Characters or Less

In website design, the credo used to be that one had an average of five seconds to capture the attention of a visitor with compelling “above the fold” content. If nothing placed immediately under the address bar prompted somebody to scroll down the remainder of the page, you could be certain the next action would either be the back button or a link offsite. While this principle still holds true – there will always be cause to optimize a website for maximum stickiness, it can be applied to marketing via social media. In the case of micro-blogging sites like Twitter, and to some extent the status update feature on Facebook, your space is limited. And every word posted must count.

It is said that brevity is the soul of wit, and where social marketing is concerned it is also the heart of your strategy. As you consider each tweet and status update to promote your products and services, you must choose the words wisely, and tempt followers to want to click-through to the point of sale or conversion.

One solution for gauging interest would be to approach micro-posts as you would your e-mail marketing strategy. When you prepare a blast, it’s natural to want to achieve a strong open rate. Therefore, the subject line of your message is what will lead people to click through to the mail. One advantage to Twitter, as sometimes opposed to e-mail, is that certain words won’t be filtered as spam. If you have complimentary products or deep discounts to advertise, usage of the words free and sale won’t penalize you on social networks. However, it’s also important to note how often you push the hard sell. Repeated canned text could be a turn-off to followers. Check your analytics to determine how many referrals from Facebook, Twitter, and other networks lead visitors to your landing pages.

Do you engage followers on a regular basis? As you study your social accounts and gauge what interests people, try a direct approach. Address followers with links to specific information on your site or third-party affiliates. Using a URL shortening service like bit.ly can inform you if your target, and others, click through on your suggestion.

Utilizing the economy of words to relay your company’s message can improve traffic flow to your website. Where the Internet tends to foster short attention spans, use the most important words to your advantage and stretch interest from visitors.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist who assists clients with social media optimization and Virginia web design services.

Social Media Marketing Resolutions for 2010

With the year drawing to a close, you’re bound to reflect on 2009 and the highs and lows associated with your business. Whether you enjoyed strong sales or disappointing numbers, depending on how the economical climate affected your line of work, it can be argued that you’ll come away from the old year having learned something about social media’s effect on your brand. More importantly, you’ll have the motivation to utilize social networking on a larger scale as consumer turn to online profiles and data sharing to make decisions on purchases and other life issues.

As 2010 nears, now is the time to consider your Social Media Resolutions. Where will you concentrate efforts, and to what extent will online networks play a role in how you present yourself and your company to others? Now, perhaps, you have the Facebook fan page and Twitter account…what else is there to do next year?

Plenty. Social sites aren’t going away. In fact, as platforms like Twitter and Facebook and similar sites develop, they are becoming deeply integrated with established media. Watch a news network on television, and you’ll find they’re getting their news from YouTube videos. In order for your business to find customers, you have to find them through social media, and that means ramping up your campaigns.

This coming year, you need to resolve to:

1) Attract more followers. The adage of “I follow you, you follow me” may not always work in your favor. It’s not uncommon to look at a Twitter profile and see that person is following a number equal to his followers, but when you think about it, is anybody really reading the posts. Mutual admiration can soothe the ego, but at the end of day you want people on Twitter to read your feed because they WANT to read it, not because they feel obliged if you add them to your reading list. How do you attract more followers to any social network? Cross promote among your profiles, add URLs to e-mail signatures, campaign via established opt-in e-mails addresses. Above all else, produce the relevant content on a regular basis and people searching for it will find you.

2) Gain different perspectives and share them. Depending on the size of your business, either you are doing everything yourself, or you have hired a marketing person or firm to handle your social media. Both options are good, but when it comes to nurturing a fan page it’s important to keep the information current and interesting. Every post doesn’t have to be about the hard sell – get to know the people who visit your page. Converse, share information, and if you have the manpower working for you get employees to contribute socially. Mix up the perspectives on your feeds and present to consumers and clients a well-rounded image.

3) Broaden your horizons. Once upon a time, television was all about the Big Three networks. These days, it may seem like social media is all about another big three – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube – but don’t discount niche networks that could provide you with a new audiences for your products and services. Restaurant owners should take advantage of sites like Foodbuzz and Yelp and encourage patron interaction and feedback. Businesses seeking to grow gay/lesbian patronage can set up shop on GLEE.com, and Care2.com provides a great forum for people interested in environmental concerns.

The key to keeping strong social media resolutions in the new year, however, starts with producing relevant content. Grab readers, and they’ll grab you right back.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting Virginia businesses with social media optimization and travel social media.

Taking Advantage of Twitter’s New Retweet Feature

While browsing through a Twitter feed, I caught sight of a mini conversation between two people trying to figure out how people they do not follow ended up in their feeds. For the time being, this is only a phenomenon that occurs when one reads directly from Twitter’s site – readers such as Echofon and Tweetdeck do not capture these particular posts. What is happening here is that when somebody you follow retweets a post made by somebody you don’t follow, Twitter adds the original post to your feed, with the avatar and profile link of the poster. The purpose, ostensibly, is to broaden a user’s awareness of like-minded Tweeters out there.

What does this mean for the business person who utilizes social media in his/her marketing plan? For one, every time one of your posts is retweeted, there is a chance somebody who doesn’t follow you will see your post, and perhaps be inspired to add you to a feed. Of course, this is based on the assumption that potential followers will use the Twitter site and not a special reader (or a reader that supports this function – as readers update this could become a reality), and that people will retweet your posts in the first place. In order to take advantage of this added exposure to your company, you must not only be social, but be interesting.

Recruitment of Retweeters

It’s not uncommon to see a request for followers to retweet a particular message, be it a sales notice or a call to action. Depending on the scope of your business, you can conduct Twitter-only discount codes for products and services, then request followers to spread the word. Adding incentive (i.e. choosing a random retweeter for a prize giveaway) may boost motivation.

Maintaining your Twitter account on a personal level, too, may encourage followers to spread your wisdom. If you were to constantly post repetitive information hustling people to your main site, you might find you lose more followers than you gain. Take care to nurture relationships with those already opted-in to your feed, and you can cultivate a larger following as you progress socially.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting clients with social media optimization and travel social media services.