What is twitter? and how does it work?

So I’d thought I’d create a blog post to help to try to explain twitter.

Some basic options…

1. Write a  basic update of what you are doing?

2. Write a @ reply:  A comment aimed at one user, but visible to the public.

3. Write a DM: A direct message sent in private to another user.

4. Use retweeting: Sharing someone else’s post. Often abbreviated “RT.”

5. Use #tag when writing your tweets = hashtag (twemes.com, hashtags.org)

Twitter in Business

Raise awareness, Offer proactive customer service, Answer questions, Promote events, products & services

Example: customer service

-Use search.twitter.com to search for their brand
-When mentioned can take action on items
-Publicly respond when possible to show openness and responsiveness.
-Others will generally have had the same question
-People say things faster on twitter than they would via email or phone

Ideas About WHAT to Tweet

Instead of answering the question, “What are you doing?”, answer the question, “What has your attention?”
Have more than one twitterer at the company, nice to have a variety.
When promoting a blog post or website, ask a question or explain what’s coming next, instead of just posting a link.
Ask questions. Twitter is GREAT for getting opinions.
Follow interesting people. If you find someone who tweets interesting things, see who she follows, and follow her.
When you DO talk about your stuff, make it useful. Give advice, blog posts, pictures, etc.
Share the human side of your company. If you’re bothering to tweet, it means you believe social media has value for human connections. Point us to pictures and other human things.

The Negatives People Will Throw At You

Twitter takes up time.
Twitter takes you away from other productive work.
Without a strategy, it’s just typing.
Twitter is just for technonerds.
Twitter’s only a few million people. (only)
Twitter doesn’t replace direct email marketing.

The Positives to throw back!

Twitter helps you organize great, instant meetups (tweetups).
Twitter works well as an opinion poll.
Twitter can help direct people’s attention to good things.
Twitter at events helps people build an instant “backchannel.”
Twitter breaks news faster than other sources
Twitter brings great minds together, and gives you daily opportunities to learn (if you look for it, and/or if you follow the right folks).
Twitter helps with business development, if your prospects are online (ours are).

Good Luck and happy tweeting..!

Oh just in case this is for the Geeks, some info on the Twitter API!

Most access to Twitter is via the API
-10x more than the Web interface
-Desktop clients like tweetdeck, twhirl, twitterrific
-Mobile clients TinyTwitter, PocketTweets, iTweet

Well documented in Google Group
http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

Provides access to core data simply
-XML, JSON data formats
-RSS, ATOM syndication formats

Basic http authentication where needed, Rate limited on reads (gets) and Unlimited writes (posts)

Status Methods:
•  public_timeline
•  friends_timeline
•  user_timeline
•  show
•  update
•  replies
•  destroy

Account Methods:
•  verify_credentials
•  end_session
•  archive
•  update_location
•  update_delivery_device

User Methods:
•  friends
•  followers
•  featured
•  show

Direct Message Methods:
•  direct_messages
•  sent
•  new
•  destroy

Friendship Methods:
•  create
•  destroy
•  exists