Should You Bother With Twitter?
By Richard Broudy, Contractor’s Business School
Dear Richard: I can't go anywhere without hearing about Twitter. Does Twitter have any relevance to a local tradesperson or is it a waste of time? Thanks - Art
Dear Art: Twitter is a social networking site (somewhat like Facebook, only faster). You create a “profile” that tells who/what you are, and people sign up to “follow” you, meaning they receive whatever comments (tweets) you make, instantly, and they can respond. It is NOT a one-to-one messaging tool, like texting.
The idea is to build a big network of followers, and have your every word go out to thousands of people.
You can post ads, promos, comments answers to questions, tips & tricks, jokes, whatever (but very brief, only 140 characters) and, most important for business owners, it’s a channel for getting a message to your market via searches and targeted advertising just like on Google or Facebook.
The flip side is that you can “follow” other people or companies, like your competitors, suppliers, trade associations and magazines, or experts in your trade, and see what they’re telling their audience.
When you go on Twitter and look around, your first reaction will be “This is a bunch of useless crap” and for business people it is, mostly, so far. I, for one, don’t care what Lady Gaga had for lunch or whether my friend’s dog had puppies yesterday. But that’s why Twitter is a called a “social” network.
The Twitter user base, though, is slowly changing/getting older just like Internet and Facebook users and as it does, more of your market becomes reachable via Twitter. You’ll have to go where your market is looking for your service if you want to compete but don’t get excited yet. You’re not missing any bandwagons.
Suggestions:
• Have a plan: Twitter isn’t a standalone marketing tool: it’s part of an overall marketing process. Your marketing plan doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive, but you need to think it out and plan on a long range effort, not an overnight effect.
• Establish your website/Facebook page first: Unlike the social side of Twitter, the function of the business side is largely to drive people to your sites, where they can learn more and want to hire you because on Twitter you only have 140 characters to create a message. That’s fine for broadcasting your golf score, less good for selling furnace retrofits, so if you don’t have a website yet (and I strongly recommend that you do), forget about Twitter as a marketing tool for now.
• Beware distractions: Twitter adds another whole set of alerts to your computer or phone which can be hugely distracting and expensive in lost time. Choose who you follow very carefully, and check tweets the second they come in.
• Check out your competitors: Do some searches on your trade and market, like “plumbing Chicago” and see how others are using Twitter for business (most likely you’ll find almost nobody there, but I know there are a couple for “plumbing Chicago” as an example).
Twitter’s simple to set up and free. Go to their site (http://twitter.com), create an account and click "Help". The link is tiny and at the bottom/side of each page. Also look at http://business.twitter.com/ for specifics on business use/techniques. Set up a personal account and get a feel for it before doing anything serious (and then get a separate business account).
So is Twitter worth doing for the average contractor? You absolutely have to be aware of it and how it can integrate with your marketing process, but I’d say it’ll be awhile before it becomes a serious business tool. Start with a decent website, then go from there.
My best to you,
Richard
Contractor’s Business School® is a coaching, training and consulting firm specializing in helping contractors produce more profit in less time. Calling on experience dating back to 1993, the company has worked with hundreds of contractors in many specialty areas to build successful stand-alone businesses. Visit www.contractorsbusinessschool.com, or call (800) 527-7545 to get the FREE CD "10 Key Strategies to Build a Business that Works."
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