I recently spoke to someone who said they did not have time to use Twitter for their business. Say that again? Time is money, right? In business, we need to make smart decisions about what we invest in and what tools we utilize to make our business grow. I submit that Twitter is one of those tools like a hammer is to a nail. Start using Twitter today. Tomorrow is too late. The rewards you will reap will be plenty. Remember “Field of Dreams?” Kevin Costner says, “If you build it, they will come.” If you are creative and Tweet about what your business is offering and people listen to you, fans will come. Not just any fans but “raving fans!”
Let’s discuss for a minute value before profit. Case in point — according to the co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone, the geniuses at the Twitter helm wanted to go for “value before profit.” Smart. Very smart. They have done everything the right way — in steps. Twitter will generate a + revenue stream. We knew the time was coming at some point and inevitable is key here.
How can you be smart about your business and let Social Media work for you? Time is money. Short, creative characters will keep your fans buzzing and excited about what is to come. I recently talked to a second client who indicated they did not have time to utilize Twitter. We talked about how powerful Twitter is and, while they acknowledged that, they did not have time to do anything in addition on the computer. BIG mistake.
I had the privilege of meeting the one and only great Chris Brogan at a Tweetup in Atlanta so I am going to pay him kudos and borrow his “50 ideas on using Twitter for business” from his blog.
When you run your own business, you need to decide what is worth investing in. The proper tools to do a stellar job are essential. Making the right investment choices are also key. Look at the companies that first advertised on Twitter. The companies that really understand the power of social media and the super creative companies out there, in my humble opinion, are the first to advertise — Starbucks, Best Buy, Virgin America. The tweets will be intertwined amongst other tweets with the word “promoted” nearby.
Show your company’s creativity by thinking outside of the box. How do people see you? If you tap into your creativity you will find new ways to stand out. Starbucks is coming out with new ads to recruit online fans which I think is an ingenious way to do things: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/business/media/19starbux.html That is a company that makes a great-tasting cup of Joe, but makes a name for itself by building relationships and has a humongous following.
So Twitter will not really take a large amount of time. Use time to your advantage. Time is money. Time management is always key. Rest assured that, if you invest in Twitter, amazing things will happen. After all, look at how LARGE Twitter has become!! What are you waiting for?
