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Sure You’re Twittering, But Do You Tweet Chat?
By: Bruce J. Felber, MAS
Issue: 2009oct
While most marketers are familiar with traditional media, and also promotional products to some extent, most of us are just learning about the potential that exists within social media—the latest marketing and communications tool. Social media is particularly important because of its ability to push, pull and target customers.
“Push” media is a term for delivering a message to an audience that does not necessarily require a return action. Conversely, “pull” media engages the target for a required response or call to action. In this regard, promotional products can be both a push and a pull media.
I recently learned more about the potential within social media when asked to be the promotional products expert in a Tweet chat, one of the applications used in the Twitter community. Simply put, a Tweet chat is a topic-specific online conversation held at a pre-determined time using a hash tag. Written as #DIYMKT, for example, the hash designates the word that follows it as a searchable, unique tag or code. A Tweet chat is both a virtual online meeting/event and a conversation. It's sort of like being in an open chat room or at a networking event where a group of people are having a conversation on a specific topic.
An unlimited number of people may participate in a Tweet chat, and anyone using Twitter may observe, participate or even follow at a later date. When a Tweet chat is large, it should be tightly moderated so that the topic is covered and everyone gets a chance to ask questions. In effective Tweet chats, an expert works with the moderator to prepare questions in advance. The moderator also asks participants to e-mail questions directly to him or her, which maintains order in the chat and helps move through the outline.
A marketing colleague of mine, Ivana Taylor, owner of DIY Marketers, recently invited me to participate in one of her weekly Tweet chats. Her chats are centered on a variety of marketing subjects for the seasoned and novice marketer alike. She uses these chats as a way to promote her company’s expertise and create an ongoing dialog with clients and prospects. She also posts a summary of the chats on her website, so those who have not followed her tweets can catch up and gain some useful advice.
Ivana runs a casual and open tweet chat simply because she loves the spontaneous twists in the conversation, which usually uncover a helpful tidbit, some insight or information that we can all use to create content or in our work with clients. She also does a great job as the moderator by creating questions in advance to present to the group and help move the chat along.
If you’ve got writer’s block, or feel stuck in a rut, the DIY Marketers chat is a great way to loosen up those creative brain cells and build new ideas. Sometimes Ivana will pick a topic and sometimes she lets the topic evolve with the goal of collecting tips, tricks and resources that we can use daily and share amongst ourselves. Among the chats she’s most proud of is a session on collaborative tools where people shared how they manage virtual teams. Take a look at it at this link: http://twurl.nl/4wqttd.
I was asked to be Ivana’s Tweet chat resident expert on the day when the subject was, “How can you use promotional items to build your brand and your business?”
Ivana started the chat by posing questions ranging from where products are used to how to purchase them. It was interesting to see participants’ questions such as why one should seek professional advice to guide them through the process of selection and purchasing. You can view the chat summary at http://twurl.nl/r428io.
I must point out that Tweet chats are not like normal web chat rooms. Participants are limited to only 140 characters per entry, but that can be a good thing. It forces writers to be very precise in conveying thoughts and it helps move the conversation ahead faster.
The beauty of using social media is that Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo and others can put you in front of many people to help build your brand and that of your client. If you are interested in using social media to promote your company or that of your client, here are some guidelines:
1. Consider this new media as an extension of your marketing plan.
2. Use social media the same way you may mix public relations, broadcast, direct mail, promotional products and special events to inform the intended target audience.
3. Social media can assist in product launches, and educational and brand building campaigns, but only if you respect its limits.
4. Understand the differences between social media and other media. For one thing, Tweet chats don’t remain in your chat room, so everyone who is following you will only get bits of the conversation. Therefore, make statements that can stand on their own when possible. Second, social media does not have the staying power of promotional products, so if your clients elect to use it, caution them not to let it take over as their only marketing method.
5. When using Tweet chats as cost-effective market research tools, think of them as virtual focus groups. But beware that the audience is possibly skewed toward more social media-savvy participants.
6. The next time you run an event create a hash tag for it. Just make up a code and search Twitter for it to make sure it’s unique.
7. At your event be sure to prominently place the hash tag on the literature and note that it’s the official Twitter hash tag for the event. During announcements at the podium at the start of an event, simply ask for a show of hands of those using Twitter. Then give them the hash tag (put it on a PowerPoint slide) and encourage your participants to send Tweets during your event using the hash tag. This could result in huge promotion for your event.
The results I got from my participation in the Tweet chat impressed me. Not only did I gain terrific feedback, but I was contacted by two people about purchasing promotional products. Since my purpose on the chat was to educate, not to sell, this was a bonus.
I think Twitter, in particular, is still learning if and how it can actually be a source to sell products and services. However, I believe it is just another way to influence buyers combined with the aura of social communication.
Yes, there are people using social media who want to tell you their whole day-to-day or hour-to-hour story, but you can avoid them by using the hash tag and Tweet chat format. For promotional consultants who have not tried Twitter or Facebook to market their businesses, I suggest you dip your toe in the water. It is not as cold as you might fear. Embrace new ways to market your brand and you will be even more valuable to your clients and your own company.
Bruce J. Felber, MAS, is an account executive at Twinsburg, Ohio-based distributor Felber & Felber Marketing (UPIC: FELBER).
brucefelber@felberandfelber.com
twitter.com/BruceFelber
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