Finding your customers: Twitter-style

Yesterday, I wrote about using Facebook to tap into a willing consumer base: http://ping.fm/DFh5D

Now that you're aware of the commercial value of Facebook, it's time to look at a place where most online consumers are making decisions in real-time about everything from news, companies, products and services.

Lets take a look at Twitter. Twitter users are highly opinionated and are unafraid of any ramifications about their 140-character tweet. It is this 200million+ strong crowd that is fast generating consumer-shifts all over the internet.

The most beautiful thing about Twitter consumers is that they are highly searchable and accessible.

After you've signed up, you can use a Twitter search to find anything and everyone. Type your name, your business name, your product names, your services, your competitors - anything - and you'll find an extremely current, extremely relevant stream of prospective customers.

Utilising this methodology, the focus then turns to you:

Tweet often, and mention important keywords that you'd want your customers to find you for
Target and follow your prospective leads (those talking about anything relevant to you)
Spy on your competitor's movements and Tweets on Twitter - and emulate their strategies if they are effective
Include links in EVERY tweet - and link to a non-salesy blog, a YouTube video or anything that resembles your presence on the net, but is NOT your website (only link to your website via YouTube/Blog accounts)
ReTweet relevant information from other Twitterers
Thank and interact with those that are engaging with you
Point is, that Twitter's uptake and importance in the online world is booming, at a faster rate than Facebook. Information is now so easily accessible, that your business needs to be in there, collaborating and tapping into this unchartered territory.

Utilising more investigative Twitter methods can result in not only finding a greater, more accessible Twitter lead database, but could eventually result in Twitterers engaging with you - without you even putting any effort in.

Twitter. Forget what you think you know (or what you choose to believe) - it's here to stay and more powerful by the minute.

If your business needs a better strategy to engage 2 billion+ consumers online, ask us: http://ping.fm/6ti9y

Until Next Time,

Tomer Garzberg (Keynote Social Media Speaker)

Australia/World: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne

www.strongmandigital.com.au

http://ping.fm/hlyEX