Time for Twitter
Question: There is a lot of talk about Twitter and how important it can be for a small business. Does it really matter?
Answer: It depends. It can be a great place to both get and give info. It’s a matter of how you use it.
The other day I was out on a boat with friends on a hunt for tall ships that were supposedly coming to anchor near Niantic, Connecticut. There were plenty of boats around but none of the tall ship variety. There was however, an extremely large military ship surrounded by a small armada of Coast Guard boats making sure no one came too close. Curious about the boat and the location of our elusive prey, I turned to Twitter. A search on “Niantic” and “tall ships” revealed a Tweet about a pending “mock invasion” of the small coastal city. The tweet led to a newspaper article that said the military vessel contained a huge hover craft on which there was a Humvee and a large number of troops that were going to shore to show off. Not only that, we found out that the extravaganza was just about to start.
Couldn’t I have just found out about this from a Google search? Maybe, but Twitter offers the added benefit of offering up-to-the-minute info as well as links to other resources. There might have been more Tweets from other boaters or event sponsors with more details.
I doubt you are planning any military invasions and perhaps you aren’t hunting for small ships. But whether you are selling coffee or cotton candy, Twitter can be a way for you to connect with customers. You can find out what they’re interested in and you can get your message to them. It’s a matter of developing a good strategy and figuring out how to make it happen. In a recent blog post small business owner Jeanne Rossomme offers some great tips on how to make time for Twitter.
3 Comments
I’m only now discovering the value of Twitter – case in point. I attended WordCamp 2012 last weekend and saw on the list of attendees someone I’ve talked to on the phone but never met. I sent him a direct message via Twitter telling him which session I was in. He tweeted back saying he was in the same session. Turns out he was sitting four seats away from me. Bottom line – Twitter is way cool
July 18, 2012
That’s awesome. I’ve heard about good connections made through Twitter. I know it can be bewildering at first.
July 18, 2012
I’m only now discovering the value of Twitter – case in point. I attended WordCamp 2012 last weekend and saw on the list of attendees someone I’ve talked to on the phone but never met. I sent him a direct message via Twitter telling him which session I was in. He tweeted back saying he was in the same session. Turns out he was sitting four seats away from me. Bottom line – Twitter is way cool
July 18, 2012