Ask any Twitter user about the service and you will find out how addictive the service is. For those that are unaware Twitter is the latest wave of viral marketing, after subscribing to the site, users can add anyone to their friends list and get added back by them. Though this aspect has a similarity to social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace this is where the similarity ends. When a user visits their homepage on these sites they can receive messages from other users, but the primary focus is on video, music and profiles. Twitter on the other hand is primarily a micro-blogging tool. Unlike a traditional blog post, which could be hundreds of words in length, a micro Twitter blog only allows users to post a sentence or two at a time.
Through Twitter, users can write interesting and relevant post that encourages others on the site to follow their "tweets", allowing a business to build its marketing list. Compare a Twitter user who has 1,000 friends to a business that sends out 1,000 press releases electronically. The business sending out the press releases would take weeks even months, and would have to submit to a number of different press release sites, then it could still take weeks before potential visitors check out their site. While a Twitter users just has to write out one sentence, and add in the URL of their newest blog, podcast, vlog or other news and instantly this information pops up as the newest message in the home pages of everyone who follows them. The great benefit of sending a URL this way is that as users talk to you they become invested in your business and services and want to offer support, making them more likely to click on a link you send.
Twitter is also a great way of seeing what the competition is up too; small businesses are not the only ones jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. So have large corporations, Web site only companies, mommy bloggers and entrepreneurs promoting their startups. By following other businesses that sell similar products or services, you can learn better ways of marketing products to your customers and you can build alliances. Just because a business is your competitor does not mean you have to be enemies. In fact, small businesses are often willing to offer each other support and assistance if it doesn't compromise their business.
Twitter is also a great way to expand your existing customer service experience. Through Twitter, real time updates can give you instant feedback on how your business is being perceived. After ordering a product online and having a bad experience a user might post their feelings about a brand directly to their Twitter account to get feedback from others. In essence, Twitter isn't just about enhancing your own customer experience but learning what techniques should be avoided if you want to keep a customer happy.
Get creative with Twitter and use it in all your Web 2.0 connections. For example if you run a podcast, use Twitter to seek out potential guest to interview, to get feedback on how well the audience liked the newest episode, to offer suggestions for improving a podcast and for offering questions you can answer during the next podcast.
Building viral marketing lists is something that any online marketer should actively learn and pursue vigorously. List building in essential to any business that wishes to grown, expand its network and find new business leads. It is also essential because list building determines the number of people who receive your product and/or service updates. It also helps to determine the number of interested parties who will peruse your website and buy the product or service that you are selling.
A viral marketing list can consist of any prospects, leads or customers for your business. Because these lists are customized for your particular business, it is conducive in gaining even more traffic and interest in your online efforts. Your mailing list is highly valuable because that is where the bulk of the customers will come from. Your mailing list also helps to determine the number of individuals you will be able to attract and get to sign up to your newsletter. The “list, is a list of your prospects and customers. It is highly valuable because if (and when) your list begins grows and then suddenly stops, you can better assess the situation.
You should be better able to gauge when and where there is a disconnection in the business, when it may have happened and perform steps towards correcting the problem. If the business does plateau (and this will happen frequently), your list can help guide you in the direction to take your efforts towards what works and what does not work for the strategy. If after time has passed and you do not see any significant growth, you might consider tweaking your efforts and finding another strategy with your viral marketing lists that may offer more success. Get the process started by:
Value all email addresses
Not every email address that you get is important. Simply realize the value of each email address and treat them accordingly. Don’t try to sell something to everyone on your list. Likewise, don’t assume that no one on the list wants what you have. Treat the list as a case-by-case arrangement.
Collect email addresses when appropriate
Be sure to include opt-in boxes for e-mail lists whenever it is appropriate. Also, increase availability so more people can find the list and be persuaded to join in. People will sign on when it is convenient, so make it so simple and easy so they won't think twice about signing up now! To get more attention add your URL to your press releases, flyers, letterheads, business cards, brochures and other marketing materials used by your business.
Connect with others
Word of mouth advertising is extremely powerful and highly effective. It is so effective because it is considered truthful, honest and unsolicited advice from one party to another. Businesses much rather have word of mouth advertising than anything else because they know that it will be completely honest and direct with other interested parties. These lists have the propensity to grow and stretch beyond what any advertising dollars could buy.