What I have learnt on Twitter to date.

Well, I joined Twitter on the 15 December 2009                              ( twitter.com/graphic_results ). The reason I looked at Twitter was that I kept hearing about how good it was. 

I was very sceptic about it, thinking it just media hype. However I was quickly proved wrong.

Twitter in a very short space of time has become a part of our over all marketing, communication and networking for Graphic Results. We are working on a new website for us and Twitter will be added. 

A great point about twitter is the instant two way communication between you and people in Twitter land.

Todate we have picked up several new customers who have ordered both products and services. The customers are from across the UK so this means free national marketing.

We have got a following of nearly 1000 followers and yes a lot are from overseas and are trying to sell to me. However in my opinion that does not matter as they have followers and if they like your twitter then they may retwitter it for you. Therefore your message can go national and international very quickly.

Twitter has given me the opportunity to chat to some very interesting people and it's not just all about business. I have seen twitter work very well in helping raise the profile of issues ie kickcancer, British Heart Foundation and many others.

Another amazing thing I have learnt is the speed of interaction between people. When I was watching BBC tv's Question time the other evening, the view points that were being twittered about the comments the guests on the panel made watching more interesting. With the elections all the political parties need to embrace to power of twitter and social networking.

On twitter I have seen some very good examples of interaction with customers and staff, this is a quote to me from the MD of a coffee chain " I am just trying to listen to what our partners (employees) and customers want". 

Twitter communication's should now be added to all company customer services departments, this would help to monitor customer feed back.

So what have a learnt, first of all remember respect and manners, so if someone retwitters you try to say thank you.

If some asks for help try to help them, for example a start up coffee shop in Chesterfield called Froth (forth_hasland) wanted to get followers so I twittered "please follow forth" and more followed, of which several are local to her so may end up being new customers.

Don't make tweets just sales messages, mix in other information about you, your family or friends, remember the old saying "people buy from people". It's about building trust and relationships.

Make your twitters interesting, meaningful and relevant. If you get a twitter that you think is good then retwitter it to others.

In my opinion Twitter is going to become a major route of communication for us all, now and in the future.

So I am now off to do some more twittering, bye for now.

Thank you for reading and following.

Regards

Mike