Email was amazingly fast when it was new. Instant messaging was even faster. Instant became more powerful with Twitter — you can send messages to an unlimited number of people at once, and those people can receive your messages a variety of ways. A rotating quote on the Twitter.com home page describes Twitter as "the telegraph system of Web 2.0."

What is Twitter?

Twitter is described at the Twitter site as a microblog. It's that and a blog on steroids at the same time. Instead of writing a blog post (or in addition to writing one), you type and send a short message of up to 140 characters via the Twitter site, your mobile phone, an instant messaging program, or a third party application. The message goes out to cyberspace instantly and to people who are subscribed to your feed. Or in Twitter language, your followers (people who receive your Twitter updates) can read your tweets as soon as you send them — via mobile phone, IM, RSS feeds, and the Twitter website.

Unlike blog posts, you can specify who receives your twitters, and you can send private messages to individuals in your network. You can also track specified words and be updated via mobile phone or IM whenever a word you're tracking is used. (Web updates are reportedly coming soon.)

Who twitters?

People who want to tell their followers that they just had lunch or are on their way somewhere twitter. Friends and family members twitter to stay in touch. Some people use Twitter to share something interesting that they came across or to give their opinions about recent events. Adults twitter. Kids twitter. Unfortunately, spammers also twitter (but if you don't follow them, their spam won't reach you).

Twitter isn't only for casual conversation and tidbits. Barack Obama uses Twitter to announce events he's attending and updates to his website. CNN uses Twitter to announce breaking news. A conference organizer posts deadlines and updates via Twitter and used Twitter to announce that three followers would be randomly chosen to win conference passes.

The growth of Twitter

Twitter has been experiencing growing pains. Recently the Reply feature had to be turned off temporarily in an attempt to keep Twitter working during high load times. While this article was being researched, a "Twitter is over capacity. Too many tweets! Please wait a moment and try again" message appeared several times at the Twitter site. But those who thought that Twitter wouldn't last appear to be wrong. As with blogs, Twitter has continued to grow in popularity and usage. According to a May 2008 report, nearly 1.2 million people per month had signed up with Twitter in the past three months. Twenty-four percent of users are classified as heavy users, and traffic is much higher on weekdays than on weekends.

Twitter as a networking tool

Twitter allows users to follow other people for short periods of time or indefinitely. It can help users build relationships and develop new ones. You can learn more about people in your network by following them via Twitter, and you'll have more to talk about with them. When you're looking for someone for a particular task or job, you'll be better able to decide whether you want to work with them.

Some ways to network with Twitter:

Publish tips and interesting bits of information related to your area of expertise. You'll develop more followers and build a reputation as an authority in your niche.

At events, update followers with schedule changes, your whereabouts, brief reviews, and tips on what to avoid and what not to miss. Give out your Twitter username to people you meet at events, and if you follow each other, you'll have added to your network.

When you have a good number of followers, ask questions via Twitter about how to solve a specific problem or to find out who has information about a topic. Chances are that someone will know the answer, and the interaction will help build relationships.

Search Twitter conversations via Summize.com for topics that interest you, and start following people whose tweets are about your interests. Add a lot at first and then reduce the list to those whose tweets are most worth following to you. Some of them may start following you as well.

Twitter as a marketing tool

Twitter can be useful as a marketing tool to be used with other marketing methods. Because people have to choose to follow you and can stop following you at any time, it's a form of permission-based marketing.

Examples of uses for Twitter as a marketing tool:

* To summarize and link to new blog entries, newsletter issues, and other updates to your website
* To announce sales and other time-limited offers
* To introduce new products or services
* To publish news about your area of focus, especially breaking news
* To share bits of knowledge that are useful to your followers and that help establish you as an authority in your field
* To initiate conversations with your followers

Publish your Twitter username at your website and on your business cards, and keep your tweets with your Twitter business account professional.

Related blog articles

* How to Become a Known Niche Authority
* Newsletter or Blog? Have Both!
* How to Market Your Brand via Social Media Websites

Your Site May Appear on Digg

But So What If No One Diggs You Except Your Mom?

Print media – newspaper, magazines, catalogs and such – are losing relevance in the digital world in which news is up to the minute – with videos - let your web hosting provider explain. You can read all about it in tomorrow’s newspaper – minus the video, of course.

With the proliferation of social search engines like Digg and Reddit, the future of dailies, weeklies and monthlies seems pretty bleak, unless…

…with the advent of more and more sophisticated RSS aggregators and bigger pipes, many print outlets are turning to the web to stay afloat – but just barely at the moment. The NewYork Times, the grand dame of national newspapers, is stuffing RSS feeds with content, changing their tag line from “All the News That’s Fit To Print” to “All the News That Fits We Click.” Time marches on.

But if the NYTs, Washington Post, LA Times, Boston Herald and other information powerhouses are giving it away for free, what chance do you, owner of Fred’s Newsletter, against such formidable competition.

Think Small Web Communities

If you have something worthwhile to say, worthwhile people will listen if we can just hook up writer and reader. But if the humongous social search engines like Digg, del.icio.us, Stumbleupon, citulike, Reddit, Spurlnet and other social SE’s are growing bigger and accessing content from reliable sources like The LA Times, what chance have you got to have your daily news and views picked up and, yes, actually read.

Simple. Think niche.

The big, egalitarian search engines collect feeds from readers interested in everything from taxidermy to tax shelters. Not so with the smaller, more focused site comminutes with search engines powered by the people.

Getting Noticed Small Time

There are three steps involved in getting your news picked up by smaller socially-driven search engines – and they’re all free, which in itself makes the strategy appealing to the new site owner with a very limited marketing budget.

Step one: Identify your reader. What segments of the web community would actually be interested in your thoughts from Squirrel News Today? Well, you’d be surprised. People who feed the squirrels, watch their antics in the park, companies that eliminate squirrels in the attic (you know, Squirrel Be Gone), nature lovers, hikers – just use your imagination.

Step Two: Give the reader something of value. A free subscription works great if the quality of your squirrel news isn’t pure nuts and berries. Squirrel aficionados want their rodent updates straight up, without a lot of editorial opinion.

Step Three: Add an open blog to your feed and let the readers post their own squirrelly thoughts. This builds a community, provides unusual perspectives (From squirrel lovers? Who’d a thunk it?) and expands your publication’s name and reputation, making Squirrel News Today the #1 online publication among the (growing?) ranks of squirrel lovers.

Popular Niche Communities

Squirrel lovers or not, these are the people you have to reach to be heard. So, let’s look at some of the more popular niche communities. Hmmm. Not a squirrel-loving bunch among them.

Deviantart.com caters to the artistic community with exhibitions and an outlet for would-be artists. Some of the posts are pretty good. Some look like they were done on black velvet, but there’s no accounting for taste. If your feed caters to the coffee house crowd, get hooked up and get noticed.

Urbis.com is another arty site – avant garde to old guard, but if you’re a struggling artist or graphic designer, and you want some exposure within the art community, these subscribers and readers are the people you want to meet.

Yelp.com is the site for business travelers. There’s information on cool restaurants, city sights, how to get around, the night life, spas – all there delivered to the subscribers’ RSS reader each morning. How sweet is that? It’s free marketing, people. FREE!

Realestatevoices.com employs the Digg “reader votes” model, only instead of covering all the news, this social search engine focuses on – you guessed it – real estate. So, if you’re an agent, a professional investor, a contractor, rehabber or flipper, you’ll want to get caught up on the land business over morning coffee. And your feed is right there to read with the java.

Personally, I like BakeSpace.com. It’s a great feed for swapping recipes and, yes, the search engine is growing. There are more recipes for three bean salad on this one spot than in all of Mongolia, which either says something about three bean salad or Mongolia. Not sure.

WebMD.com is a well known web brand, and, like many other large sites, they maintain a community zone where visitors can pick up the latest on what bug is making the rounds in schools and where. Good information when you kid comes down with the sniffles.

And speaking of kids, check out imbee.com. Think of it as MySpace for the younger crowd. Now, if this is part of your market, or their parents are, this is a great place to feed in to. It’s a teeny-tiny community of teeny-tiny readers.

Finally, for the serious news junkie, visit Helium.com. If you have something newsworthy, or happen to glance out the window and see a CAT 5 tornado heading your way, snap a picture, add it to your Helium feed and you’re a reporter. (P.S. After taking the twister shot, head for the basement. You’re about to lose the roof.)

No, you might not get the exposure you’re looking for on Digg. My best post has been dugg six times in six months so the chances of you finding it are about zero. But take heart.

Make your views, news and cookie recipes heard by feeding to smaller sites looking for information on niche topics. Who knows, you could become the next Lenny Slobotnik, publisher of Squirrel News Today and recognized authority on rabies vaccinations.

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Looking For a Shot In the Arm? Try a Little Viral Marketing

It sounds nefarious. Maybe even a little illegal but viral marketing has been around for centuries. It just looks and sounds different on the world wide web. And if you aren’t using it, give it some thought. With a viral marketing campaign, you just might like what you come down with.

What Is Viral Marketing? Your Web Hosting Provider Explains

This article is offered by your web hosting provider and explains viral marketing strategies and how viral marketing can help the success of your website.

It goes by many names and is defined differently by different users. In its simplest form, viral marketing is any marketing, promotion or advertising that builds on itself, i.e. propagates. Further, viral marketing utilizes the resources of others to spread the message, meaning it doesn’t cost a lot of money, if any at all.

Web experts narrow the definition to the W3 and describe it as an online [only] promotional device that persuades other web users to “pass it on,” and the next thing you know you’ve got the next big thing,

Perfect example. YouTube.com. Anyone with a cell cam and the smarts to upload a video can change the world in 24 hours. We’ve seen law enforcement use alleged excessive force, dogs on skateboards and politicians who can’t remove a foot from their mouth. (Makaka? What was that guy thinking??!!)

In the pre-web days (some of you may remember) it was called ‘word of mouth’ (WOM) advertising. Anybody remember Pop Rocks? Put a handful in your mouth and they popped in thousands of little CO2 explosions. One kid tried them, told her friend who told his friends and on and on. Other examples of viral marketing in the real world? ‘Tickle Me Elmo,’ ‘Beanie Babies’ and ‘Cabbage Patch dolls.’

Politicians (especially now) have caught on to the power of viral campaigns. Hillary Clinton had a “Choose Our Campaign Song” competition on her campaign web site that drew a lot of hits. Other politicians have discovered that online adverts are low cost and potent – especially when done with some originality. Every candidate has a web site now and it’s a popular way to raise campaign funds with “the kids” today.

Viral marketing doesn’t stick around long. Its vaporous, here today gone today. But while it’s making the rounds, spreading from computer to computer and media to media, it packs a potent punch – one that draws attention. Global attention.

Second, How Do I Launch a Viral Campaign?

Viral campaigns are cheap. Word of mouth (WOM) advertising is free and extremely effective – if you do it right. So to get your viral campaign spreading like the flu, here are some dos and don’ts.

Because viral marketing is WOM marketing that means you have to go where the people are. Otherwise, how are you going to get word of mouth if you don’t have any mouths? And where do you find people on the web? Lots of places.

Blogs are a good place to start. Post on a few blogs or forums with a back link to your site, but here’s one taboo: Don’t post something that looks like a straight up ad. It’s just so…so juvenile.

Go to “You Tube” and check out some of the comments viewers have left. “Hey, if you think that guy could surf, stop by Bob’s Surf Shack on Rte 118 for the best in surf board buys.” Talk about desperation. Viral marketing, despite its name and the way it can spread globally in just hours (minutes) has to have “something” to say or show to the world. If it looks like an ad, not many people will be stopping by your surf shack because you sound (and look) like a rookie.

Build Your Own Website

Rosie O’Donnell keeps her face (and opinions) in the news through here own blog and each day, people line up to hear what Ro’ has to say. Today, rosie.com ranked 13,871 on Alexa and in web land that’s better than excellent.

Of course, Rosie had an audience before launching her site. That helps. But, it also helps to have something to say – something different, something controversial. Oh yeah, controversy sells.

Social Sites

They aren’t just for ‘tweens and teens any more. Lots of adults, companies and even products have their own place on My Space or FaceBook. And these places are notorious for WOM marketing. Rumors spread and, sometimes, they’re even true! If you’re looking for name or face recognition, social sites will provide web space free – and you can say (almost) anything you want to say, even if it measures an 11 on the 1-10 Crazy Scale! In fact, crazy sells, too!

Cross-Channel Advertising

The more ways to reach a reader or listener the more successful your viral ad campaign will be. So, for example, if you run 30 second spots on the local cable channels, consider adding a competition that requires TV viewers to log on to your site, fill out a form and win a brand new refrigerator or whatever. (A trip to Barbados would be nice.)

If you run a weekly ad in the Hometown Bee, include your URL and a reason to visit: “Visit us at anysitehere.com, print out the coupon and we’ll take 20% off your next purchase.” You’ve just employed two different media (multi-channel) to spread your message. And friends in the area will tell other friends.

How Do I Create a Viral Ad?

It’s not easy. In fact, it’s darned hard and big companies (Subaru, Coke, etc.) spend millions to create viral ad campaigns. But, now that viral marketing has been around for a few years, the researchers have had a chance to put it under the microscope and come up with several “must have” components to launch a successful viral campaign:

Authenticity is critical. Bob’s Surf Shack (see above) lacks authenticity. It’s just an ad so it won’t catch on as the next big “thing.”

Originality is another must have. Look, today’s key demographics have seen it, done it, lived it. What’s hot today is stone cold tomorrow. So, if you’ve seen it before so have a few other billion people and you’re just not going to hit the ‘buzz’ wave. Creativity – real creativity – is the essence of a good viral campaign. And if you don’t have a lot of creativity, don’t worry, others do – for a fee.

Identifiably helps. If the viewer or reader of your blog can identify with what you’re saying, you’ve got a convert – and someone who will spread the word to others, which is the whole purpose of viral marketing to begin with.

Finally, your viral ad, like all ads, requires a call to action. The call to action tells the reader or viewer what s/he is expected to do next – whether it’s run out to find the Coke can with the red tab or visit your tiny web site for a discount and some free stuff the reader will want and use.

A Couple of Don’ts

Real quick. Some mistakes and don’ts:

The campaign doesn’t fit the product, service or message. The best example is the dancing baby that appeared on the TV show “Ally McBeal.” Because the creator never copyrighted the dancing, diapered cutie, it was picked up by thousands of site owners. For a month or two, it was a hot topic. Now, you can pick up the animated gif on every clip art site on line.

Viral campaigns move quickly (thus the name) so if it isn’t working after a week or two try a different approach.

The campaign lacks relevance to the target market. Mountain Dew, the caffeine king of soft drinks was way ahead of the power drink curve when it introduced MDX – with even more caffeine. Unfortunately, the advertising agency was unable to reach the target demographic the way Rock Star and other energy drinks do (Rock Star sponsors the Girls Gone Wild NASCAR entry). Instant relevance. Good-bye MDX.

Don’t pay. There are a ton of free outlets on the web from the gargantuan, eyes-of-the-world “You Tube” to a little blog on how to tie flies or whip up the perfect soufflé. There’s no need to pay. The web chews up content like a wood chipper, so give the web what it wants – free content in exchange for the free use of someone else’s outlet to the world.

Don’t forget the human who will be reading or seeing your campaign. The same rules apply today that applied 1000 years ago. Appeal to the emotions of the viewer and better yet, make that viewer feel as though s/he’s the one who’s ahead of the pack by “passing it on” to a friend. It could be the latest joke making the web rounds, your funny take-off on a news event or a great new product. Remember, people must be touched to be moved to action. Politicians take note.

Don’t set high expectations or goals. Viral marketing is a gimmick – a successful one in some cases, but certainly not in all. Set the bar low and you won’t be disappointed. Besides, you’re using free resources to get your marketing message out so you really can’t get hurt too badly.

Finally, don’t bet next month’s rent on a viral campaign. Most flop (Xbox 360, e.g.), and the ones that do succeed don’t make a lasting impression (except that Makaka guy who’s now out of office).

Viral marketing works but it takes ingenuity – a new view and a belief on the part of the viewer that s/he is a part of this “movement.” The need to belong to something bigger than the self has been a tried and true marketing strategy forever so make the viewer a part of the family and kindly ask them to…

...pass it on. Stay tuned to this web hosting blog for more information about website marketing.

Viral Marketing: Contagious Profits

Viral marketing sounds new and high-tech but it’s been around since the first street vendor gave out free samples of dried dates a few thousand years ago. In essence, viral marketing is simply putting the goods and services out there to tempt others to see what’s up for sale. As any good pizza place will tell you, the exhaust fan draws in customers better than any print adverts. People smell that pizza cooking and that brings them in.

The Advantages to Viral Marketing

The biggest advantage is cost. Viral marketing is free or extremely low cost, perfect for online business owners on miniscule marketing budgets. For the $15 cost of some printed business cards, you can start your own viral marketing campaign. Lots for cheap.

Another advantage is that viral marketing, when done well, is self-perpetuating. It expands of its own accord, saving you time and, again, money. For example, if you leave a stack of business cards for your pet sitting service at the local vet’s office, each person who takes one becomes a potential salesperson for your biz – someone who will tell a friend or neighbor about your service. Viral marketing at its simplest.

Finally, viral marketing can be turned on a dime. If plan A isn’t working, you can switch to plans B, C and even D quickly, in part because you haven’t invested heavily in plan A.

So, viral marketing in the real world isn’t new, but on the w3 it’s still a fairly fresh concept – but one that’s been around long enough to have a proven track record.

Stationery, Business Cards and Local Adverts

There are lots of opportunities to use viral marketing to draw visitors to your space. Let’s start with your business card, stationery, invoices and such. Does your web site address appear on all printed documents associated with your business? If not, you’re missing a no cost marketing opportunity because you have to pay for those things anyway.

Check out TV adverts. Somewhere on most ads you’ll see a reference to the company’s URL – its website. Watch an ad for Ford Motors and you’ll see ford.com right there on the TV ad. Why not? Ford’s paying for the ad so why not push the company’s web site at the same time.

You can do the same with print and non-print materials like company stationery and local TV adverts. In fact, wherever you list a contact telephone number, list your web site’s URL as well. It’s just another way for potential customers to learn more about your company and convert from potential customers to buyers.

Web Cards

In addition to printing up business cards with all of you company information and a cool looking logo, print up some low-cost web cards. You can even do this yourself with a decent color printer and perforated business card stock available at any office supply store.

A web card should be colorful and eye catching. It should include your URL and a brief description of what you’re all about. So, a web card might look something like this:

Hand these web cards out to anyone. Keep them on the counter and stick one in every shopping bag if you run a brick-and-mortar outlet. Stick one in every shipped order. Give them to family and friends to pass along to others. Attach a web card to every invoice and every piece of correspondence that leaves the office. It’s so low-cost all you need is one sale to recoup your marketing “investment.”

Referral Incentives

There’s nothing like a word of mouth referral to develop a core base of dedicated buyers. If one customer likes your goods and your client care, s/he will tell others just how good you are. And then they tell their friends and their friends and before you know, the world is beating a path to your “better mouse trap” cyber shop.

Lots of sites have a “Refer a Friend” option but they aren’t used as much as they could or should be. However, by offering a small incentive, this online feature will certainly get more use. So what do you offer? Well, it doesn’t have to be much.

Offer a free discount coupon (cheap) or a free entry in a prize giveaway or maybe a free e-book. Just provide a little incentive for a visitor to recommend your site to a friend or family member and you’ll more than pay for the cost of the referral.

Give-Aways

If you check your pen and pencil holder you’ll probably find examples of viral marketing – giveaways. There’s a cool pen from your bank, a text marker from the local vet and a pencil with a garbage can eraser from your trash hauler – each with the gifter’s URL prominently displayed.

Try this. Google “promotional items.” You won’t believe what pops up. There are companies that do nothing but sell imprintable promo items. Coffee cups at 79¢, tote bags for just 49¢, key chains for 10¢ and t-shirts at $2.59 a piece. Pens, in quantity, are just 9¢ apiece. So, you give away these low cost items. And, surprisingly, they get spread around from friend to friend, neighbor to neighbor. That one gel pen that cost you 19¢ might be seen by 10 different people.

Mail Promos

This won’t be cost effective for smaller sites with a limited number of clients, but if you have a client base of a few thousand, consider printing promo cards delivered to customer’s mail boxes by snail mail. (You remember that, don’t you?)

Now, it’s going to cost per card for printing and, even with a bulk rate stamp, postage could get pricey – especially if you’re e-mailing 10,000 pieces. But…

…if you cover a very narrow market niche, or your site sells high ticket items, this dual pronged approach may deliver the results you’re looking for.

And hey, add a short promo offering 15% off all items your customer buys when s/he refers a friend.

Your Billboard? Everything Moving. Everything Standing Still.

If it moves, put a bumper sticker on it – nothing but your URL and a few words about what you do or sell: anythinggoes123.com The Consignment Shop That Cares. Boom. You’ve said it all, or your bumper sticker has. And that bumper sticker is going to be seen by thousands of people. (Note: Don’t put bumper stickers on cars without the owner’s permission. It tends to make them mad. And, it’s illegal.)

Window signs, "Knitter on Board. annesknitting.com" is all you need. And knitters will love them.

If it’s standing still, think about posters, yards signs and even billboards with nothing but a URL and a brief description of what visitors will find there – www.KXOY Rocks Your World!

On-Line Viral Marketing

Post blog entries on other sites related to your market. Each will have an arrow pointing back to your site. Myspace.com and other social sites give you free space to list your site’s URL. “Hey, man, don’t forget to check out my site at www.whoeverI am.com cuz it rocks.”

Enable visitors to download coupons, T-shirt decals or plans for a cool paper airplane. Give them something free. Just make sure it has your URL in big, BIG TYPE. Just the URL and one or two words to describe what you do…

mycoolsite.com
where the ‘60s rule

…is all you need to draw collectors of vintage ‘60s memorabilia. Groovy, man!

So, Spread Your Virus

It’s part guerilla marketing, part digital theater, lots of hype and a whole lot of fun. And, once your guerilla tactics make initial contacts, your URL will start to build brand recognition.

Just be creative. Money isn’t a major factor in viral marketing but creativity and innovation certainly are. So, spread your virus, spread your URL with anything from preprinted pads (great for printing companies) to really cool coffee mugs (perfect for boutique coffee shops).

In no time, you’ll be highly contagious and.that’s a good thing in ecommerce.