Posts Tagged 140 characters

Listed in this article are some more important Twitter functions, jargon, and URL shortener tools for making the most of Twitter. Please be sure to view Getting a Grip on Twitter Basics Part 1 where we cover more Twitter functions such as Tweets, @replies, and Hashtags#.

Direct Messages: Direct messages are used to communicate directly and privately with other Twitter users. Direct messages are commonly referred to as DMs within the Twitter landscape. If you would like to send a direct message to another Twitter user, Type D and then follow this with the Twitter user name for the person or company that you would like to direct message.

Since we are limited to 140 characters within Twitter, it is a good idea to shorten the length of links or URLs that you post within Twitter. The best way to do this is with a URL shortener. URL shorteners will shorten the number of characters in the posted URL to about 16 to 20 characters. Some of the more popular free online URL shortener services include tinyurl.com and bit.ly for squeezing down the amount of characters used in your URL. If you would like to track the amount of clicks that your shortened URLs generate and generate shortened URLs at the same time, then be sure to use twitalyzer to track your traffic.

Coming to grips with Twitter is fairly easy. Even a child can do it. Better yet, even grandparents can do it.  Here are some definitions of common Twitter functions and jargon:

Tweets: In short, a Tweet is a quick, precise text message that contains 140 characters or less. That includes spaces and punctuation too. Grammar and punctuation suffer a little bit due to the 140 character limit. People often use “w/” for with, “ppl” for people, “4″ for four or for. Messages can contain a variety of content.

@replies: This is used when you want to reply to someone else’s Tweet. Click the “Reply Button” or type @ followed by the User ID of the person that posted the message that you are replying to. By using @reply, you are letting other people know who you are talking to and it also allows people to know when you are talking about them.

Hashtags (#): Hash tags enable you to make groupings, and they allow you to draw attention to a particular keyword or subject. Hashtags can be about news, tips, events, sports, a sports team, a sale at your favorite store, your business, a product,  and the list goes on and on.

Here are a couple of quick examples of companies using Twitter for customer service, business-to-consumer marketing, business-to-business marketing, and public relations:

Customer Service – The massively popular online shoe store, Zappos.com, takes customer service to an all new level of buying utilizing Twitter as a line of communication with its customers.

Business to Consumer Marketing – The Ford Motor Company is posting in 140 characters or less to promote their new Fiesta model. You can learn more about it at www.fiestamovement.com.

Business to Business Marketing – Duct Tape Marketing started a few years ago with their book and website that catered to helping small businesses get more customers. Now, they use Twitter as part of their marketing tool belt to reach out to businesses that need their services.

Public Relations – The company that sets the standard in womens’ and mens’ accessories, Louis Vuitton,  uses Twitter to reach out to bloggers in the Paris fashion industry.

These are just a few examples of using Twitter for business. Be sure to take a look online for more examples of how you can use Twitter for your business.

Twitter is built around the concept of blogging, but comes with some restrictions that you would not have on your own personal blog. The biggest of these restrictions is that you are limited to 140 character in any of your posts. Twitter 140 character posts are often referred to as tweets in the Twitter world. This restricted space forces you to convey a concrete thought very precisely.

What is amazing about these tweets is that they are viewed around the world. You can create a Twitter post, tweet, in Pittsburgh, and your post can be read in India. It goes without saying that Twitter is one way to reach a global market quickly. Just imagine the possibilities of reaching out to customers around the world!

Your tweets can be sent to individuals or entire groups. As you can see, tweeting can readily speed up mass communication to potential and current customers. Imagine if you were running a sale or special promotion. In 140 characters or less, you could quickly get your message out and begin getting sales, but you will need to be careful with the frequency of running your sales posts through Twitter. Twitter is not the place for constant selling and spamming. No one will like what you have to say, and you will be ignored and when you really think about it, you don’t like nonstop sales messages either, especially from people that you have just met.