What is Twitter?
Twitter is essentially a micro-blogging platform. The original idea behind Twitter is simple to answer the question, “What are you doing?”and to answer that question in 140 characters or less.
In countries all around the world, people follow the sources most relevant to them and access information via Twitter as it happens, from breaking news to updates from friends.
Twitter could simply be called…people having conversations online.
Why Twitter?
For starters, 93% of social media users believe that the companies and services they use should have a social media presence. And…90% of Twitter users are not set-up properly or using it properly…so there is great opportunity. If you weren’t already convinced, here are some Twitter success stories, just to name a few:
1. Dell made $2 million in their first 12 months using Twitter and reported $6.5 million in 2009 sales from Twitter alone.
2. Mountain Dew used Twitter for their new flavor campaign directly to consumers.
3. Tasti D-Lite rewarded customers tweet cards (10% discount cards) for tweeting about their brand
4. CoffeeGrounds increased their sales 20-30% in one year using Twitter
5. Comcast assists 200-300 people per day and has helped troubleshoot 150,000 customers all through Twitter
6. Starbucks gained more than 50,000 product ideas through Twitter and sited the cost was less than a Caramel Macchiato yet the value was priceless.
7. JetBlue eliminated their $50 carry-on cost for bikes due to complaints through www.twitter.com
8. The Michigan Department of Transportation uses Twitter to inform drivers of traffic and road closures and conditions.
9. In December 2009, Pepsi tweeted that they were ditching their Super Bowl ads for social media campaigns
10. The Roger Smith hotel in New York netted an additional $15,000-$20,000 in revenue by discounting rooms 10% using Twitter
Tweeting Yet? If Not…
How to use Twitter?
1. Go to www.twitter.com and sign up
2. Pick a unique user name. Personal example might be: @JaneDoe or example business might be: @PlantationRealEstate
3. Connect with friends through email accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo!, msn, AOL, etc.
4. Follow other interest groups/companies/friends
5. Create “follow-lists” if you wish…
6. You are ready to tweet!
PS- It’s FREE!
Top Tweeting Rules:
1. Be yourself
2. Less is more. Be clear and concise.
3. Perhaps what you are thinking instead of what you are doing.
4. What moves you, not just where you are going.
5. Link not only your blog…but why you blogged it?
6. Engage and inspire
7. Make sure you “follow,” but also try to lead.
Should I use Twitter in My Real Estate Practice? YES. Why?
1. Drive people to your website
2. Sell more homes
3. Attract more buyers
4. Be knowledgable about your business- What’s hot? What’s not?
5. Listen to what people think about your business
6. Find out what people want
7. Find people searching for what you are offering
8. Get attention from media and attract free publicity
9. Drive people to events
10. Announce
11. Build brand and reputation
12. Provide help in a time of crisis
Follow HAR on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HARMembers
