Gaining your audience’s attention on Twitter when your tweets are among thousands in a short time frame is a primary objective for many marketers.  How often do we read tweets that appear to be nothing more than the last thousand seemingly pointless thought processes?

How do you set your Twitter posts apart and help to build a foundation on which to place your marketing efforts?

Take time to think about what you are going to tweet so that your tweets are not counted among the simplistic multitudes.

Consider the Who, What, Why of your post.
When you take into consideration the who’s, the what’s, and the why’s of your tweets and you answer these questions intelligently, you will keep your audience with you.

WHO?
WHAT?
WHY?

Very basically this asks, what are we selling to whom and why should they buy it?

In marketing terms, this all boils down to a thoughtful offering and effective posting. Even the best intentioned social media campaign will fail if the “who, what and why” is not considered. This should apply in even the most basic of 140 character messages.

Here are a few questions to take into consideration:

• Who do you think this tweet will benefit?
  
• What is it that you hope to gain or hope your audience will gain from this tweet?
  
• Why will it benefit your business or your clients, current and potential?
  

While sharing your lunch meeting with your followers may seem appropriate, which of the following will gain you a bit more leverage with your audience?

“I am just getting back from lunch at my favorite restaurant. I had a lovely Asian chicken salad and a glass of Chardonnay. I enjoyed myself.”

Or

“Enjoyed a lovely business lunch w @username today. We spoke of joint ventures and how my company X and their company Y can work together.”

While the first may get you a reply or two from those who are happy you enjoyed a nice lunch, the second will show that you are a go-getter, that take your business seriously and are looking to create viable business relationships with others.

There are many articles on the internet asking the question of how often to tweet. But the true question is not how often as much as it is about the quality of your posts. You can tweet every 5 minutes for hours on end if you are so inclined. However, if all you are posting about is about your day and the weather without any true insight into who you are, what your company is about and what you have to offer it does little more than keep your name in front of your followers.

Be thoughtful in your messages. Remember that you are using Twitter as part of your marketing campaign for your business. Waving in a friendly manner at passersby outside of your brick and mortar isn’t going to get them in the door any quicker than it will within the social networks. Offering your audience something with substance is what is going to get them in the front door and hopefully have them come back for more.

Follow me on Twitter: @marketinggame

When we begin speaking in terms of marketing, invariably the question comes up:

Are my marketing efforts true marketing efforts or are some viewing them as spam?

Spam is about taking the choice away from someone and delivering them informaton about products and services without their permission.

Spam comes in the way of unsolicited emails, junk mail and telemarketing. Spam leaves a bad taste in our mouths and for good reason. We have not asked to be inundated with the information that we find floods our inboxes these days.

Marketing when done responsibly can be fun and witty. Commercials that reach us emotionally are effective marketing tools. People who care about their audience take the time to consider their message and how it will reach others.

On Twitter we each have an option as to who we will follow. And one might suggest it is that choice that gives others the right to “spam”.

Wrong!!

Spam is irresponsible and annoying. More will tune out than tune in. Take time to consider your message and how it will connect with your followers.

• Are you sharing a valuable service, product or resource?
• Do you take the time to share on a personal level as well as sharing on a business level?
• Have you established a relationship with your followers?
• Is the information you are providing timely and appropriate?

If you can answer these questions with a yes answer then your message can effectively be considered marketing rather than spam. Your followers will welcome your post rather than turn away from it. Share your tweet with others and in turn respond in kind to their own messages and tweets.

After all, marketing is all about the relationship and spam is about nothing more than the bottom line…

Follow me on Twitter here: @marketinggame

Twitter is all the rage on the internet right now. Politicians, TV anchors, actors, athletes, marketers, … really everyone is tweeting.

According to the latest Compete.com statistics, Twitter has surpassed 14 million user in the USA alone!

You can easily say Twitter has had a revolutionary impact on the way we interact and do business online. You can hear people say it over and over again: "if you’re NOT a part of the Twitter REVOLUTION you're going to miss out big time."

Every day, thousands of Twitter users all around the world, are searching for a way to be able to claim their piece of the Twitter pie. unfortunately, most Twitter-related sites and applications, often require a big effort and special  skills, while most won't fit in a general man's budget.

To give everyone the opportunity to build his own, personal Twitter kingdom, I'm running a 50%0FF campaign this week on TurnkeyTwitterSite.com
 

For 5 days only, I'm offering you  6 of my turnkey twitter sites for half price – not a single one of them will cost you more than 10 bucks.

Sites/Scripts:

• TwitterCentralSite
• Tycoon Scheduler
• Turnkey Twitter Service Site
• Turnkey Twitter Live Streams Website
• TwitSellers' Dream
• Twitter Search Site

Please note that this special offer will expire soon; on March 7th, I'll take down the coupon codes, and prices will go up again. This is a UNIQUE, but LIMITED deal and in just 5 days it wil be taken down, never to return again.

To get your discount:

Visit http://turnkeytwittersite.com/

Check out the available scripts.

Click the 'DISCOUNT LINK 50%OFF'link below the product you're interested in.You'll then be redirected to the page where you can buy the script for only half of the price.

But… don't go yet. I understand you're eager to get to work with your scripts, but there's so much more about this deal, that I urge you to read the rest of this post. it won't take you long, and I promise, it's worth your time!

What I want to tell you here is that this is also a great opportunity for you to earn easy money!

You see, by promoting this crazy deal to others you can earn affiliate comissions for sales you refer.

Needless to say people will jump on this offer – after all Twitter is still the hottest thing around ,and just about everybody is looking for a way to to make money with Twitter. Everywhere , people are searching for easy solutions to be able to claim their piece of the Twitter pie…

And YOU could be the one offering them what they have been looking for! these in-demand, quality products for half price; no need to say they will simply love you for it and will stand in line, eager to give you there money!
 

Since you'll receive affiliate commissions for referred sales, all you will have to do is sit back and watch the money come in…

How to promote this 50% deal to others:

• Visit http://turnkeytwittersite.com and select which product(s) you want to promote.

• If you don't have one, create an affiliate account  (you'll find links on the product sales pages).

• Log into an affiliate area at reseller.php (example; http://turnkeytwittersite.com/tycoonscheduler/reseller.php)

You'll see a list of products there.

• Note down your affiliate links for

Turnkey Twitter Service Site
Tycoon Scheduler
Turnkey Twitter Live Streams Website
TwitSellers' Dream
Twitter Search Site
 

NOTE:
If you want to promote TwitterCentralSite, you need to sign up for it's affiliate program at http://twittercentralsite.com

• Before you start promoting your affiliate links, simply attach the coupon code by adding:

&dc=5dayhalf

to the end of the link, so it looks like this:

http://turnkeytwittersite.com/tycoonscheduler/?e=YOURID&dc=5dayhalf

• Now you're all set and ready to spread out the word about this deal. Use your imagination and all means possible to share your affiliate links wilth the world – soon you'll see the money roll in.

(Get some tips on how and were to promote your affiliate links here and here)

My Tip?

Make the most out of this deal while you still can, 'cos it will disappear  on March 7th, 2010 and will never return!

(After March 7th, your affiliate link will still work, but the discount code expires and your visitors will see the original price again)

When using twitter for business purposes there are certain techniques that you can employ to maximize it usefulness and minimize your efforts. This particular social networking site offers subtle benefits that many marketers still overlook. The key to maximizing what you can gain is how you go about interacting with the other people on twitter. Value can be found not only in proactively marketing something but also in the general 'chatter' of other twitter users. 

Here is a look at 5 subtle behavioral approaches you need to adopt when interacting with other people on twitter to help maximize your business gains.

Listen In On Conversations

Learn to listen in on the conversations of other people on twitter to see what they are talking about. What is the current buzz and why is that topic so popular. Also become familiar with using keyword searches on this site to help you 'target' certain topics to find out what other twitter users are saying.

Avoid 24/7 Sales Pitching

Remember that twitter is a social networking site therefore constant sales pitches would likely be unwelcomed. There will be plenty of opportunities to promote yourself or your business but doing this all the time will only make you seem obnoxious to the other people on twitter.

Mix It Up

Your conversations or contributions should not always focus on your business. This will make you predictable and boring to others. Speak about current news and events or comment on trends. By referring to the trending topics on twitter you will never be at a loss for what currently has captured the attention of others.

Do Not Dump Links

Using links in your tweets is a recommended and effective way to capture the attention of other twitter users. When using this approach however avoid the temptation of inserting links without giving others an idea what the link is all about.Also avoid using links in your tweets too often because you want others to feel when they see a link that it is something 'special' and not just a routine occurrence.

Add Value to Conversations

Treat your participation on Twitter the same as participating in a 'normal' conversation. Do not just 'barge' in but be polite and wait for an opening. When you do participate keep on the topic and do not try to change it to something that may be more self-serving. People will notice when you do this and tend to avoid or ignore your comments in the future since this is viewed, and rightfully so, as rude.

Always strive to add value to any conversation you participate in because others will also notice this and tend to welcome your participation even more.

When using twitter for business purposes there are certain 'techniques' you can employ that will help make your efforts more efficient and productive. Being a social networking site your primary focus will be on developing a comfortable relationship with other twitter users. By adopting some of the 'approaches' we spoke of above you will find by being less 'aggressive' and more tactful with other people on twitter that your gains will be greater. Along the way you are likely to develop friendships that may be of more value to you both personally and professionally as well.

Article Source:

http://www.articlesbase.com/social-marketing-articles/5-ways-for-using-twitter-for-business-1845603.html

About the Author:

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.For more tips about using twitter to grow your business and to receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques visit: http://affiliatequickstart.com/

These are just a few of the more common mistakes committed by new and old tweeters alike. Take note of them and don’t make the same mistakes.

Mistake #1: Not using your picture as your profile avatar!

I'm sure you've seen it. Some users don’t post their real picture. Admittedly, a cartoon picture, or a cheaply made company logos is better than no picture at all. But the bet picture you can use if you want to make a good impression and get people to remember you is a photo of your face.

When you post your own picture it lets others know that you are real and that you’re confident enough with what you do to let others see you. You want people to recognize you as a leader in your market and having a face to go with a name always helps. A nice smile never hurts either.

Mistake #2: Automatically sending the wrong type of direct message through an AutoDM.

Direct messages can be seen as impersonal and pushy when they aren't written properly. If you decide to use a tool that automatically send messages to your new followers keep it simple and friendly. A message saying ‘thanks
for following me’ is fine, but sending automated messages promoting your business or product is not a good idea and most instances people will click the unfollow button right away.

Mistake #3: Trying to build a huge following before you have done some
tweeting.

People will not be interested in following you when they click on your Twitter page to see what you've got, and notice you don't have much. You need to have tweeted more than, "Trying to figure this Twitter out" and "I think I've got it figured out now."

If you don't know what to say, try "retweeting" (RT) some other peoples' tweets that that are related to your niche. Read what other people are tweeting about and reply to them, this will help start up a conversation. Talk about market related news, what you're doing on your business right now. That will give you several tweets to get the ball rolling.

Mistake #4: Tweeting promotion after promotion.

Yes, you are using Twitter to promote your business, but posting one offer after another will only cause people to ‘unfollow’ you. When people look at you rtimeline and notice that you aren't posting anything of value to them they
will quickly move on.

There are millions of Twitters to follow, why should they follow you when you're only tweeting about promotions? Remember this basic rule of sales "people want to know what's in it for me"?

Even if you already have a good list of leads, it is still not a good idea to barrage them with promotions. As we have talked about before, promotional tweets should be sent only in limited numbers.

Check out this full video series on how to exploit Twitter for SEO rankings and more…

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Atul_Vhale

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Doug_Champigny

Every twitter user at some stage or another has at least asked themselves how they could utilize the web site more efficaciously for social networking. Some people would like to make fresh friends and relationships while the biggest majority wants to advertise their own products and services. Often lauded as the latest opportunity to make easy income from tweeting to their followers, users will be soon surprised because it often involves much work before getting results from a target market.

The Twitter community is very large at 10 million regular monthly users which originate from various backgrounds and interests. The greatest obstacle to overcome for any budding internet marketer is the difficulty of promoting your business with a 140 character limit for tweets.

Once you register and become a member of Twitter, do not fall into the trap of tweeting about your business right at the beginning. Just tread carefully and see how others are very subtly going about online marketing. If you can find other members in your niche you can follow them and even learn from them new knowledge and skills if you want. In doing so, you can obtain vital information about how to promote your business using Twitter.

Be prepared to invest time during this initial stage of induction. Find a group that helps new novice users. There are different Twitter groups that help others with the promotion of different types of businesses. Join the group. This is a method of increasing your contacts and gaining a list of followers. Try to initiate communication with other individuals who work in related niches to your own like employees or business owners. This exchange of ideas, questions and answers may seem boring but is very helpful. It will all be worth the effort even if it resulted in just one new business client, lead or sale.

The tweets from your account – no matter what your purpose -  should be updated regularly. Also just as importantly, do not promote your business all the time. Try to write something more appealing than your business competition. Taking note of what users are saying is also essential, it is a practice that makes them feel that they are valued. People appreciate this empathy and it can build reputation and that belief is the key to winning over new customers. This ability to build good relations is a basic principle that should not be overlooked by any operator, if they are to succeed in any business.

For the most part the people who fail on Twitter, it is because they tend to promote their business rather than give more attention to the needs of the market. Remember to learn from the feedback from clients to determine their needs and wishes. Once you have researched this information it will also highlight any other existing micro niche that is available to be filled.

Twitter is also titled a form of microblogging. With the restriction of the short message length, use your words wisely to try to make unique and interesting posts. As tweets are updated for friends, potential clients will also see your human side, further building trust that your business will be able to deliver what it promises. Business success on Twitter is only guaranteed if you are prepared to put in the effort and come to know how to use the site the smart way.

To learn how to use the power of Twitter so you can use it to make your Internet business more successful, sign up for the FREE 5-day Twitter For Marketers Online eCourse.

That’s it – I’m done Tweeting.
After Twitter suspended my account on July 4th, I tried to contact them – without any luck. 30 days later, my account was still suspended – and I had received no reply of any kind, so I decided to create a new account and start all over again.

I put in some hard work, and managed to build a new list of 600 followers. Slowly I was getting back on Twitter track.

This morning, I found out Twitter had suspended my new account too. This time they didn’t even have the courtesy to send me an email to tell me why. I filed a new request, which was marked by their system as ‘solved’ right after I submitted the form.
I will try to send them an email again, although I’m pretty sure no reply will come.

At this point, I really don’t feel like starting from scratch again. I guess this means my Twitter-days are over… It was fun (and profitable) while it lasted, but I really had enough of this.

A tip: make sure you backup your Twitter accounts and followers regularly. Twitter doens’t allow you to re-instate the data , but at least you’ll have an overview of your tweets, and of who was on your follower list.

Tweettake allows you to back up everything in your account (all together or separately) and save it to a .csv file, which you can open with a program like Excell.

  .

.

Update:

I couldn’t throw away everything I knew, so I decided to create a new Twitter account after all – lol.

Please follow me @marketinggame

Yesterday, I got my Twitter account suspended for minimum (?) 1 week.

For as far as I know, it’s not even my own fault.

There seems to have been a problem with an external site, who has sent out loads of spam messages (apparently by accident,… or so they say). My account was flooded with these messages, and I assume that’s why twitter suspended my account.

Less than one year ago, this wouldn’t have been a big deal. But today…
It’s only now I realize how important my Twitter account has become in my marketing efforts. I feel just as lost as that time when Aweber suspended my account.

I tried to get a clear answer on the cause of this, but so far, I have only received an automated reply telling me to report spam messages by DM to @spam (that’s a little hard when your account has been suspended, no?!).

In their initial message they say:

If you feel your account was suspended in error, you may submit a ticket to request reinstatement. However, please be advised your account will not be considered for reinstatement prior to the end of the minimum suspension period stated above.

To be honest, this message bothers me a bit:
whether my account was suspended for a good reason, or because of a mistake that was made, it will remain suspended for the entire period. If you ask me, this gives Twitter the power to suspend accounts as they please.

Anyway, I guess I’ll have to sit this one out. I don’t like it one bit, but it appears there’s not much I can do about it.

The only good thing about this is that I finally sat down to read the entire Terms of Service and Twitter Rules. Something I had better done before, since there were several rules I wasn’t aware of.

I advice you to do the same. It will take only a couple of minutes of your precious time, and by doing so, you might avoid getting suspended in the future.

If you want a general overview of all rules, and some extra tips on how to protect your account, together with some valuable ‘do’s and don’ts’ be sure to check out the ‘Don’t Get Twitter Slapped‘ report too.