Twitter is taking the world by storm, and it is THE place to be on the web for all entrepreneurs. If you don’t know what Twitter is, it is a micro blogging platform where you can send out a message of 140 characters or less to your followers.
WAHMS should definitely be on Twitter and here is why:
- It is an amazing opportunity to communicate with thousands of people with a small, succinct message. I bet the elevator pitch you have memorized won’t reach that many people in your lifetime!
- It is super easy to find people that are interested in your niche – from the market leaders to the people just discovering your area of expertise. Twitter Search makes it so easy to find out who is saying what on your topic.
- The ability to form real relationships with your followers – your customers, colleagues, friends and prospects. It is not a all day pitch-fest (well it could be, but you won’t get many followers), it is your opportunity to share what you are doing, what articles you are reading, your likes and dislikes and learn the same thing about the people you are following.
- There are desktop applications so you don’t have to check the Twitter page every 2 seconds. A favorite of mine (and of course Kelly uses it) is Tweetdeck, which works on Windows, Macs or Linux, and you can divide your followers into certain groups. I have a friends group and an influential people group. That way you will never miss a tweet from someone you want to closely follow.
- Send personal messages (direct messages or DMs) to your followers. You may not have their email address, but this is an excellent way to start a relationship.
- Network in real life (aka IRL) through a “Tweet-Up”. Where people who have met on Twitter actually get together in real life to network and discuss their common interests.
- Find other WAHMs (there are tons of us on Twitter) to make friends, share tips and collaborate.
- Use Twitter on the go. No need to stay tied to your desk, most cellphones have Twitter capabilities as do Blackberrys and iPhones. Find out what is going on with your Twitter peeps (or Tweeps) where ever you are!
- Follow specific events revelant to your niche, interests or life. People use hashtags, which is a fancy word for this symbol # when they are all tweeting about a specific event. As I type this, a lot of people are tweeting about the #oscars.
- Find out the latest news. No need to watch the news or check news websites, often the Twitter-universe is much more current about a situation like earthquakes or plane crashes (or the Oscars!). Twitter was a big help in the recent devastating Australian bushfires. People were getting the info they needed to know if they needed to evacuate right on their cells or smart phones.
Ok, those are ten GREAT reasons you should be on Twitter. And if you are on Twitter, you should definitely be following Kelly. Kelly is always tweeting great info and resources for WAHMs. You can also follow me if you are so inclined.
Are you on Twitter? Make sure you put a link to your Twitter profile in the comments so other WAHMs can follow you.
Tue, Feb 24, 2009
Working at Home