Aprovechando Twitter como herramienta empresarial.

January 22 2009, 6:42PM GMT 1-Shut up and tweet: Finding the business benefits of Twitter Posted by: Kristen Caretta

I've succumbed to the call of the "tweet." In the Web 2.0 checklist of the best, I can add Twitter to the short list with the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn and Yammer. And although the novelty still lingers, the whole thing seems like a lot of work. But is this constant connectivity beneficial in the business world? Many execs are unsure about Twitter (what are the business benefits? Is it too time-consuming? Is it actually effective?). Further, with ROI more important than ever, the inability to measure Twitter's influence and success is unsettling. Without a way to track ROI, how can anyone justify spending time throwing around status updates? From a companywide perspective, the thought of being in constant contact with your peers and colleagues is attractive – but only if everyone is using it. If it's just you and your five closest work buds in a Yammer social circle, where's the business value in that? Shouldn't this be about connecting with people you wouldn't normally get the chance to share ideas with? But if the entire company connects and shares insight and ideas – well, then we may be on to something. The Twitter turn-on for me was the spider-web effect. If I can follow a certain number of knowledgeable, credible people in my field (and get them to follow me) I'm exposed to their followers, possibly their followers' followers and so on. So now, rather than just asking my team of co-workers if they know of a CIO with a PMO I can tap for article insight, I can tweet about it. With the right followers (and a little luck), I can find a CIO directly who wants to talk about PMOs. I can find out what people are saying about it, test the waters for interest levels, make connections – all in 140 characters or less. But, again, that's with the right followers, and finding them can be tricky. For now, I'm embarking on a Twitter trial (a Twial?) to weigh the business benefits. I invite you to follow me and share your thoughts on Twitter (or below): a beneficial trend? kcaretta@techtarget.com.

Abrir artículo 1 en el Browser.

www.twitter.com

Feb 13 2009 3:56PM GMT 2-What the tweet? Using Twitter as a business tool Posted by: Kristen Caretta

It took a lot of coaxing to get me to start using Twitter. It wasn't that I didn't want to join. It wasn't because I didn't understand it. I just didn't get it. I didn't see what the big deal was. To be frank, I didn't think I could keep up with the twit-chat. I barely update my Facebook page. I still take notes in (gasp!) a notebook. My inboxes are overflowing with work and personal messages. And I'm not alone. As more and more companies are showing an interest in using Twitter, from the CIO to the marketing department, the benefits of the social networking tool are being questioned and investigated. Is the time investment worth it, or is this another trend? Recently on (ahem) Twitter, I came across a Tweet from someone in my following about companies using Twitter as a business tool. Thus, a business connection was born – Norman Birnbach (@NormanBirnbach), president of Birnbach Communications, a small agency that works with clients in both traditional and online media. Birnbach gave me some Twitter business insight into why everyone should be investigating it. 1. Twitter, shmitter – why bother? According to Birnbach, you need to protect your brand. If you aren't there, someone else will be. "It's important to build up a following and credibility. In the tough economy, companies need to have an established spot to provide honest information and respond to Twitter reactions," Birnbach said. Situations like employee layoffs will spur people to react via Twitter — without a spot on there, you lose your voice to respond. Keep a pulse on what your employees are thinking and join the dialogue when appropriate. 2. It's not (always) about marketing. Aside from creating a brand and name for yourself, Twitter can be used as a customer service tool. "@ComcastCares does a really good job listening to their customers and providing assistance and feedback," Birnbach said. Reaching out to your customers (whether it be external or internal IT customers) and providing another outlet for your services builds loyalty (refer to No. 1). "No one really cares about your product or service," Birnbach adds. "All people care about is how you help them, and you can't oversell being helpful." 3. Keep an eye on what everyone is doing. The constant posts on Twitter provide company transparency – you can share what you're doing, and you get to see what your colleagues and competitors are up to. The ability to see in real time what peers are learning and doing, projects they are diving into and new trends as they develop turns Twitter into an online networking and learning tool. This type of knowledge share has been very beneficial, according to Birnbach. It provides a new way for companies to communicate internally and externally and learn from peers and colleagues. 4. Ready to join? If you're ready to start using Twitter, there are a few things you need to know: Build a following. Look for people who are Tweeting on the topics that interest you and follow them. Search topic keywords or companies you want to know more about and start following. "Twitter is different from Facebook in this respect – you can just start following whoever you want without knowing them," Birnbach said. Banish Twitter-block. Birnbach said some people don't join Twitter because they don't want their tweets to sound foolish, boring or inappropriate – people are concerned about oversharing and privacy issues. "Don't tell people that you're having a sandwich for lunch. If you're always going back and forth with obscure references, you're not going to engage people. Figure out who you are trying to reach and what you are trying to achieve and post a mix of insight and conversation," Birnbach suggested. Provide useful comments and remember – ABL (always be linking). Sharing news, timely information and important updates make you a credible source and an asset to your following. Don't overdo it. To ensure you and your employees are focusing on other priorities (like work), set a time limit for using Twitter and stick to it. "It's important to at least look at Twitter. If you decide to go ahead with it, use it to extend what you're already doing – as a complementary component," Birnbach said. I've been on Twitter for more than two weeks and … I love it. Used right – as a business tool to communicate with your CIO universe, your staff and/or your users – you will, too. kcaretta@techtarget.com.

Abrir artículo 2 en el Browser.

COPYRIGHT © 2009 Searchsmb.com Reproduction in whole or in part, or translation without written permission is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Twitter arrollador !!!

March, 20 2009. It's Official: Twitter's Popularity Soars by Chloe Albanesius If the constant coverage of Twitter hasn't convinced you, Twitter is popular.

Visits to Twitter have increased 1,382 percent since last year - from 475,000 unique visitors in February 2008 to 7 million in February 2009, according to Nielsen. That growth signals that the micro-blogging site is no longer just a platform for friends to stay connected in real-time; it is now an important component of brand marketing, Nielsen said. Whether that signals the real beginning of the Twitter story or the beginning of the end remains to be seen. The numbers also make Twitter the fastest growing member community destination for February. Rounding out the top three are Zimbio.com, with 240 percent growth, and Facebook, with 228 percent growth from last year. Who is Tweeting? Adults between the ages of 35 and 49 comprise almost 42 percent of the site's audience - and about 62 percent of them are accessing the site from work. The average user hits Twitter.com about 14 times a month and spends about seven minutes on the site. Mobile accessibility, however, has greatly contributed to Twitter's success, Nielsen said. In January, about 735,000 unique visitors access the site through their phones and PDAs. In the last quarter of 2008, meanwhile, about 812K unique text messages were sent to Twitter from AT&T and Verizon cell phones. "It will be interesting to watch the evolution of Twitter as it continues to gain momentum," Nielsen wrote in a blog post. "In an unstable economy, it might prove to be an economical and important part of an employer's marketing strategy that helps to keep consumers aware of and connected to their brand." Originally posted to AppScout.

Related Articles. Monday March 23, 2009 Nine Ways to Use Twitter Wednesday March 18, 2009 20 Celebs Who Really Shouldn't Have Beat You to Twitter Wednesday March 18, 2009 Twitter: A Job Search Cautionary Tale Friday March 13, 2009 14 Tricks for Making 140 Character Twitter Tweets Sunday March 15, 2009 Digg Founder Launches WeFollow Twitter Directory

Open article aat PCMag´s Web Site.

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Copyright © 1996-2007 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. PC Magazine is a registered trademark of Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Media Inc. is prohibited.