Twitter Tools – Market Research Tools You Can Use

profitable niche ideasTwitter is another platform much like Facebook and MySpace for getting in touch with business associates and staying in touch with customers. If you use Twitter, then there are some research tools you will want to be aware of.

Twitter is a messaging platform that lets you send short messages or 140 characters or less. These are called “tweets.” You can create groups that can receive your tweets. There are “retweets” where people can piggyback on what you have already posted. You can subscribe to the Twitter feeds of others to keep in touch with what is going on.

They are really helpful on a smaller, more effective scale. You can even have a meeting using tweets instead of coming into the office. It is still working out the bugs, but most who use it find it very helpful for their small business needs.

Twitter Tools

So, how can you make the most of Twitter? Here are some ways.

* Twitter search – This is found at search.twitter.com. It is like a search engine for only Twitter conversations. You can keep tabs on what other people are thinking right up to the minute. If you are looking for a mention of the latest fashion styles, use it as your search parameter. Unlike the internet, tweets are often more personal and you can find out what is in people’s minds right now. If you want to talk with those particular people, you can do it by joining their conversation.

* Twitter Grader –  You can use this tool to find out the people who are on Twitter and making their presence known. That influence can be useful to you if it falls within your niche.

* Backtweets – If you use this tool, you can not only search Twitter for people linking to websites, but those who use URL shorteners to link to websites. You can see your competition and who is talking about whom. It can tell you if you are being mentioned and others are linking back to your site.

* Backtype – Backtype.com is like a Twitter search on other social media. Twitter search goes through Twitter conversations to help you find out what others on Twitter are thinking. Backtype allows you to see conversations by tweeters that appear on blogs, site forums, other social networks and in other marketing media. Now, you know what the skinny is across many different sites and not just Twitter.

* Twellow – Now that you are searching conversations and Twitter gurus, you can also search business directories for Twitter users in your niche business and geographic area. Twellow.com allows you to find these people and follow them if you choose. You can also see who is following you.

Are you using Twitter for online marketing? If not, give it a try. It is an inexpensive way to get the information you need in an unconventional way.

Get Retweeted – Six Strategies for Smarter Twitter Marketing through RTs

getting retweetedHow often do your tweets get retweeted?

Retweets (or RTs) is where others tweet your post on their account.

Getting retweeted is one of the most important strategies for Twitter marketing and increasing your profits using Twitter.

It doesn’t take many followers for this to take off. If just a few of your followers retweeted your posts, the growth potential could be huge. Think about it: all your followers will have people following them. Therefore, you might have fifteen people who retweet your posts. If they each have fifty followers, your tweet is now in front of seven hundred and fifty new people. This will translate into many new followers, assuming your post is good.

So how do you get retweeted?

There are a few strategies that will make or break your efforts.

Here are six tips to maximize how many retweet your post:

#1) Good timing

This might not make or break your tweet, but it is crucial nonetheless. There are times when Twitter traffic is higher than others. For instance, Friday afternoon is one of the busiest times on the site, so you might want to consider tweeting then. During the weekdays, 9 am to 3 pm is generally the best time to post.

#2) Ask for Retweets

Another method is to simply ask your followers to retweet your message. You’d be surprised how many will accompany you.  This is a good strategy, but it can get obnoxious, so don’t overdo this one.

#3) Optimize the message

Make sure it’s really simple for people to retweet your post. For this reason, keep it brief. Generally, you don’t want the tweet to be any longer than one hundred and twenty characters.

This allows people to repost it without editing. Also, don’t put too many tags in your tweets.

#4) Have quality followers

The size of your followers’ list means nothing. It’s the activity level that is important. Having a list of one hundred active users is preferable to ten thousand inactive ones. The more they frequent the site, the better your chances of getting reposted.

#5) Retweet others

Reciprocating will cause other people to do the same for you. Remember treat others how you’d like to be treated. By doing things for others you stand a better chance of receiving the same treatment in return.

#5) Use links

Putting them in your tweets is great. Generally the most popular tweets are the ones with links in them.

#6) Make sure your tweets offer value.

None of the above tips matter if your tweets aren’t interesting. Make sure you include valuable information in each tweet. Don’t just post because you haven’t done so yet today. Taking a little time and putting good information will make all the difference in the world.

The bottom line: Getting retweeted is one of the most important parts of your Twitter strategy. Implement these six retweeting tips, and it will happen soon.

Follow Friday – Twitter Marketing Tips

How can you make more money using #FollowFriday? Twitter can make you a lot of money when used the right way. And FollowFriday is one of the ways it can do so.

What is Follow Friday?

It is just what it sounds like. Each Friday, you get a chance to recommend your followers to check out other people. You are essentially giving someone else a plug.

So how can this benefit your business? Here are four strategies to use it effectively:

#1) Only recommend one person

This will help make your recommendation more effective. It allows you to put more focus and energy into getting others to sign up for that person.

Many Twitter users recommend tons of people. However, with all those recommendations, it’s hard for them to provide a good reason why you should follow them. Essentially all they end up with is a long list of names.

Therefore, it’s much more effective if you focus on recommending one person who would really benefit your followers. This enables you to give them a better plug.

#2) Recommend people related to your topic

For instance, if you are trying to build a golf business, your followers are obviously going to be into the sport. Therefore, only recommend people that can help them with their golf game.

#3) Give good recommendations

This one isn’t rocket science, but it’s still very important. Don’t just recommend someone just because it’s Friday.

Instead, make sure they are going to provide your followers with real value. Ideally, you want to have experience using a product they sell, or be implementing their advice. This will help you give them a personal plug for how they’ve benefited you.

If you provide good recommendations on a consistent basis, those following you will begin advocating that others follow you. And those you recommend they follow might reciprocate by sending their followers to you.

It’s similar to promoting affiliate products on a blog. If the products you advocate are not good quality, eventually people are going to unsubscribe. However, if you continually promote quality products, you build up their trust. Therefore people will value your recommendations more.

#4) Look for JV partners

Also check out other people’s recommendations. Assuming you are following people in your niche, seeing who they recommend is a great way to meet new potential JV partners.

The bottom line is, the only way to make money is to provide great value. Part of doing this on Twitter is advocating people who will help your followers.

If you limit the amount of people you recommend, and only recommend those you genuinely believe in, you will build your business while helping people at the same time. Implement these four tips, and your effectiveness using Twitter will skyrocket.