There has been a lot of talk about using Twitter to help build your business. So I decided to sign up for an account and see what all the fuss was about.

There are good reasons why marketers would want to use Twitter. According to compete.com, Twitter has grown by over ten million visitors in the last year:

[Update 05/11/2009: Twitter has now grown by ten million users in the last two months.]

And every good marketer knows, you go where the people are going.

But is it the right place to build a business? You do not walk into a town hall meeting or a concert and just start shouting “Hey everybody, look at what I am selling!” It is not the right forum. People will shun you faster than my cat inhales her dinner.

And so far, that’s what I see the majority of people doing on Twitter. Those that are using it to build their business are busy shouting about the latest and greatest training videos or mortgages or whatever it is they sell.

And those that are using it to communicate with friends are doing just that, communicating. And that is what social networks are supposed to be about. Engaging in conversation. I heard a great analogy the other day: social networks are internet cocktail parties. Treat them like that, and they will serve you well.

Engage people in conversations about topics that are mutually interesting. Use the search bar located on your right-hand side panel to find tweets about topics that interest you. Better yet, look for tweets that are relevant to your products or services. Tweet a question to those people who are tweeting about those topics. Strike up a conversation. When someone follows you, send them a mention and get to know them.

All marketers should have this thought first and foremost in their minds: your marketing success is entirely dependent upon knowing your prospect’s wants and desires. How are you going to know that without talking with them rather than at them?

How are you using Twitter? Do you have a success story that centers around Twitter? Be sure to leave a comment!

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Filed under: Network Marketing with Social Media

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