More and more businesses are using Twitter. However, the return on the investment of time and money needed to use Twitter effectively might be stopping some businesses from using Twitter. Other companies might still be confused as to what Twitter is, why it matters, and how it can be used.

If your business is still on the sidelines when it comes to Twitter and you, as a marketer, need some ammo to better sell-in the benefits of using Twitter … consider reading the just published TWITTER 101 GUIDE. It’s written by the folks at Twitter and the guidance they share is helpful for small businesses, big businesses, and non-profits.

I’ve whipped a What? | So What? | Now What? abstract of the Twitter 101 Guide using verbatim snippets. Read below, then read in full.

WHAT?
“Twitter connects you to your customers right now, in a way that was never before possible. As a business, you can use it to quickly share information with people interested in your company, gather real-time market intelligence and feedback, and build relationships with customers, partners and other people who care about your company.”

(“As an individual user, you can use Twitter to tell a company (or anyone else) that you’ve had a great–or disappointing–experience with their business, offer product ideas, and learn about great offers.”)

SO WHAT?
“For example, let’s say you work for a custom bike company. If you run a search for your brand, you may find people posting messages about how happy they are that your bike lets them ride in the French Alps—giving you a chance to share tips about cyclist-friendly cafes along their route.”

“You don’t have to run a bike shop or a relatively small company to get good stuff out of Twitter. Businesses of all kinds, including major brands, increasingly find that listening and engaging on the service lead to happier customers, passionate advocates, key product improvements and, in many cases, more sales.”

NOW WHAT?
“So you’re ready to be interesting on Twitter—but what are you going to post about? That depends on your goals for using Twitter, which may include things like building deeper relationships, getting on the radar of potential new customers or partners or providing customer service.”

“You can meet several communication goals simultaneously by thinking about your Twitter account as a friendly information booth or coffee bar. It’s a good place for people to ask you spontaneous questions of all kinds, and it’s also a good spot to share juicy information they might find useful. When you hit stride with these exchanges, they often lead to unexpected, valuable relationships.”

LEARN MORE
business.twitter.com/twitter101