Welcome to this week’s p2w2 Small Business Links (p2w2-SBL) post. In p2w2-SBL we bring you the best resources available on the Internet on this topic. Today, I focus on how twitter can help your business.
Create unbelievably valuable network, meet potential collaborators and find extraordinary business leads
“Just by way of writing, reading and responding to each other’s tweets, unbelievably valuable networking contacts have become familiar workday presences. I’ve met and hired 3 subcontractors for my business, met numerous potential collaborators and even found extraordinary new business leads. I’ve been to numerous networking and social events (lifesavers for a WAHM in a new city!). Interesting, creative, challenging, thoughtful and very deeply caring people have come into my life. New ones seem to appear every week. Twitter has served up answers, opinions and inspiration.” (Laura Fitton: Ode to twitter)
“Do you have a brick and mortar business? Connect with your local clientele by using TwitterMap.com or TwitterLocal.net. These sites will show you all the Twitter updates happening in any given geographic area. Sign into your Twitter account and enter “L: city, state” and then visit TwitterMap or TwitterLocal to find “Twits” near you.”(Carrie Hill: Small Business Owners Need Twitter and LinkedIn)
“How could I hire a stranger to work on an important project? Simple. I knew enough about her from Twitter to be confident she could do the work. Her authentic behavior in the [Internet] told me she was intelligent and articulate. When we briefly stepped into the real world, I quickly confirmed this. And her work was outstanding.
The most valuable social networks, and the most valuable contacts within those networks, are based on trust. Most of my Twitter friends are people I have never met in person and with whom I had no connection prior to twitter. Twitter provides exactly the right environment in which to build trust.”(Joel Postman: twitter is the new anti-metaverse)
twitter is the new discovery channel
“Twitter has become my best way to discover. Discover cool websites….discover blogs, podcasts, even breaking news… It has been an amazing and inspiring
resource.” (twitter is new discovery channel)
“We also combine the power of our collective news/intellectual interests. I get the “best of” ideas that various Twitter friends read or create, any given day. This magnifies the depth and breadth of information I consume.” (Laura Fitton: Ode to twitter)
Twitter is a sounding board. Get advice, directions and support
“Twitter is a sounding board. CEOs of large companies ask questions about products and strategy. Small businesses can do the same.” Joel Postman
“I use Twitter to ask for advice, directions, support, and to ask others for their open-ended interpretations to general questions.” (Chris Brogan: Newbies guide to twitter)
Build traffic; Engage your customers and get insights into your business
Martin Bowling
Twitter helps engage your customers by offering them valuable information and insights. By talking to your customers in a high trust environment, you can get insights into your own business with unmatched depth and volume.
“Building links to a small business Web site? Follow people who can help you out, engage in the community and when they call for help/suggestions, offer yours” (Carrie Hill: Small Business Owners Need Twitter and LinkedIn)
Twitter is Answers (like Yahoo! Answers), a chat room, a water cooler, an advertising tool and more rolled into one.
If you realized twitter’s potential the first time you saw it, you may be a genius. Because, not even Evan Williams, its founder, could have guessed how useful twitter was going to be. Lots of people, including me, can’t figure out the first time why they should use twitter.
“Frankly, twitter went from “what the heck” to “how the heck did I live without this?” very quickly.”
“I began to see how creative/productive Twitterers can inspire. I used it to surround myself with role models. I started getting to know people, and to enjoy the company, humor, conversation and great links.” (Laura Fitton: Ode to twitter)
Twitter is Answers (like Yahoo! Answers), a chat room, a water cooler, an advertising tool and more rolled into one. You can derive value out of it by spending time and connecting with people on it.
