Using Twitter

[The Anti Hype]

Someone introduced me to a new Twitter Wordpress plugin today - I posted about it at Guru-Fodder - and as I see great potential in using this plugin for generating traffic I'd like some opinions on Twitter.

I've been dabbling for a while but haven't really seen the value - lots of followers and following - but do people really click through the links? There seems too many - just feeding the dog - type posts to cut through for me.

Someone please tell me what I've missed

[Warner Carter]

http://www.tweetlater.com/ this site has a function to send an email to anyone when the follow you. pretty cool.

[The Anti Hype]

Thanks Wayne, that looks interesting

[Iceman Baldy]

It depends on what you post to Twitter. I've found that when I use interesting keywords and include a link, people who are searching Twitter for the keyword that I've used are more inclined to follow the link or begin following me. I use a similar plugin on Typepad along with a Twitter sidebar application in Firefox; both save time and redundancy in making the same post twice. Twitter became more effective for me when I stopped following so many people and focused on making "tweets" that piqued curiosity and led to more targeted traffic. I've also begun using Plurk based on some feedback I read from Darren Rouse of ProBlogger but I'm not sure that I'll like it as much.

[The Anti Hype]

Hey Iceman, thanks for your thoughts. Makes sense. I always visit the sites of everyone who I know has visited my blog and Twitter so they may get some additional visits. I really like the idea of interesting keywords in conjunction with that.

[Eunice Coughlin]

If it sounds interesting, I will click. Usually read the content and move on. I've seen twitter on the stats of my website so I know people are clicking through to mine. I think the key is to write something catchy and compelling. This article http://www.sitepronews.com/archives/2008/jun/25prt.html has some good tips. I read somewhere else that the last thing you should do every day is leave a url in your last twitter post for the day.

Eunice

[The Anti Hype]

Hi Eunice, like you I've seen Twitter in my site stats but haven't analysed whether that's targetted visitors - at this stage it's not so important for me as I'm just figuring it out.

Again, you must be right - any link must be compelling - more of a challenge with so few characters to use. Great to hone copywriting skills I guess.

Thanks for the tip re last Twitter post.

[Pat Marcello]

Twitter is a blast! I find myself in touch with people I haven't had a chance to forum with in a while. And if you get the Firefox add-on TwitterFox, every time someone you're following Tweets, it just pops up on your screen. You can choose to read or ignore it.

There are some marketing advantages, too. Tweet My Blog (the plugin you mentioned) rocks because it's one less stop I need to make to post stuff. (I just put up a video about how to install it for the squeamish of plugins.) But it's a way to connect to other marketers.

For instance, I just made a JV deal with a guy who I know a little, but never did anything with before. He Twittered that he was having a launch and now, we're doing cross teleseminars. Sweet.

And you get to communicate with people you probably wouldn't in real time. I mean, they probably wouldn't read your emails, but Twitters? They do read and respond, if they're in the mood. :-)

Love Twitter. Maybe it's a passing fancy, but for now, it's totally rad.

[The Anti Hype]

Hi Pat

Great answer, you're a star!

Since using Twitter regularly for a few days I've noticed a marked increase in visitors to my site - it seems most people are positive about it' benefits.

Thanks, Mark

[Croydon Social marketer]

I use twitter through Twhirl

I use it to message people and to message everyone

prob with twitter is you can only message people who are following you but with Twhirl you can message people who you are following but dont follow you

[The Anti Hype]

Thanks for the tip about Twhirl - sounds good

[Jerry Holliday]

It's a great way to build closer ties with customers and associates. Where else could you directly interact with heavyweights in your industry so easily?

Rick Butts has some really interesting twitter strategies (whiteboard video) over at www.twittersqueeze.com as well.

[Croydon Social marketer]

totally agree sent Willie Crawford a message yesterday, and got a reply this morning

If Id have sent him an email he probably wouldn't have replied so quickly or not at all