On Tuesday nights at 8-9pm EDT we host a chat session on Twitter where small business owners can ask questions, share stories and make new contacts. To follow the next chat go to Tweetgrid.com and follow along, you must have a Twitter user account if you want to add to the conversation. For more details on the chat check out Where To Turn For Small Business Answers.
Here’s the recap from Tuesday March 10, 2009.
#SMBIZ Chat
Tue Mar 10, 2009 8pm EDT • Hosted by @SternalPR and @SternalMrktg
Topic: Using Twitter for Small Business
Specialist: Carissa_MomIF, Co-Founder of #GNO and Mom It Forward
MackCollier: If you’re using TweetDeck.com, you can easily follow #smbiz by creating a new column for its tweets use #smbiz.
Ques #1: What is the first thing a small business should do to get started on Twitter?
Carissa_MomIF Take a look at your profile. Is your picture genuine? Is your bio too much of “I WANT TO MAKE MONEY FOLLOW ME..”?#smbiz
technomomdesign: @Carissa_MomIF You’re so right. being personal is what endears followers to you! #smbiz
annebuchanan: Advice: Get some “organic” followers as quickly as possible — friends, colleagues, etc. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: @technomomdesign make yourself valuable. That’s a good one.. but how?? #smbiz
technomomdesign: @Carissa_MomIF i try to be careful not to RT too many contests/stupid stuff. Check out the link you’re retweeting before you RT! #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: Make your photo a real one, I promise as a mom, I’m much more likely to talk to a real person than a logo or a cartoon. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: In your bio: write your business URL and then a short bit about yourself, even a hobby. THEN about business. #smbiz
WayneLiew: Before you start following anyone, be sure to have some useful tweets/updates on your profile first. #smbiz
SternalMrktg: Follow people or companies that provide great information. It’s always good to retweet good stuff. #smbiz
lisasamples: ok, i changed my avatar (photo) as per @Carissa_MomIF #smbiz but i don’t have to like it…
Ques #2: How can small businesses take advantage of Twitter for local audiences? Is Twitter only for global audience? Is the “twitterverse” too big for small business?
CMM_PR: Use the 140 character tweet to identify an issue or piece of news relevant to your community of interest / your followers. #smbiz
jonnew: Twitterlocal.net. There are other tools that allow you to find Tweeple in local markets. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: @SternalPR Use twellow.com search for your area. Not just for global, but a little more tricky for local. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: use summize.com search for your local area. Put tweets out there? Looking for Tweeps in the Dallas Fort Worth Area. ex. #smbiz
WayneLiew: Definitely not. It’s like asking whether an Internet presence is only for businesses targeting international audience.#smbiz
CMM_PR: Top twitter tools to check out in 2009: http://tinyurl.com/7d6a4o #smbiz
Harvatin: Announce new promotions on twitter with keyword that they can plug into your site and print coupon #smbiz
jonnew: Also if you ID yourself from a local market other follow. I do that frequently here in the RVA(Richmond, VA).#smbiz
SternalMrktg: Offer coupons/discounts to twitter followers & tell them to mention it when they come. Or direct to webpage with coupon to print #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: Pay attention to tweetups in your area. I know in SLC there is a big social media club, through the national group. look up yours?? #smbiz
jonnew: Local bloggers are also inserting local Twitter feed in their blogs so you can see local Twitterers. #smbiz
SternalMrktg: Try http://twitterholic.com to search where you rank locally and see who else is in your area. #smbiz
We skipped #3.
Ques #4: How do you find the right people to follow to benefit a small business?
Carissa_MomIF: That’s hard to gauge. Really your goal is word of mouth. #smbiz
CMM_PR: Identify influencers or business leaders in your market sector, review their follower list and leverage. #smbiz
WayneLiew: For now, I mainly use search.twitter.com. I will follow authoritative influencers in my niche as well. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: If I sell to mostly women who crave a custom made designer totebag? Do I only follow women? Heck no! #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: I want to talk with the Husband’s out there who are looking for a surprise birthday present for their wife… ! #smbiz
Harvatin: Q4 Use twitter search to look up people that are discussing your buzz words. Like people are great to follow. #smbiz
deegospel: I use tweetgrid or monitter to search geographically near me for fans talking about my clients, then i reach out to them #smbiz
JDEbberly: It’s important to consider following those who join you that are of your industry. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: @JDEbberly Right but be sure to branch out! You want to talk to a lot of people to get the word of mouth going… #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: I choose to unfollow when they haven’t uploaded a photo, or have only a handful of updates. #smbiz
MyPreciousKid: Use all of the bio space for twitter to tell people who you are and what you offer. Let them follow you. #smbiz
mvavrinak: @SternalPR #smbiz seems like great forum… sorry I can’t stay long. Wanted to add that Twitter is collective focus group for ideas. #smbiz
JDEbberly: RETWEET! Ask those people you follow and value if they have anyone they can recommend for you to follow. Great way 2 make connections #smbiz
Ques #5: How do u tie Twitter into existing mrktg and how can it bring customers back into the store?
AbbieF: @SternalPR Not sure I’ve figured that out yet. Want 2 follow those in same biz or who can offer valuable advice. Qlty v. quantity. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: go with the 10% rule. but be authentic. #smbiz
mvavrinak: #smbiz tweet the new offer on your web site, tweet the new menu items, tweet special available to followers (retail) *more*
Ques #6: How can Twitter help bring customers back into my store?
mvavrinak: #smbiz Keep your blog current. Make info valuable to customers/target market. Twitter to share links to yours & others’ content.
Carissa_MomIF: Follow up Follow up Follow up. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: I’m totally happy to talk to customers in the store, and oh darn if my shopblog should happen to come up… better for me huh?? #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: Be yourself. If you have a funny streak, let loose. If you love something totally unrelated to your biz, PERFECT #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: show the world and especially your clients and potential clients that you are human. #smbiz
jonnew: Getting them back into store makes hyperlocal approach even more important since local is your target customer. #smbiz
MyPreciousKid: Offer a freebie, then send a coupon and catalog with it #smbiz
MyPreciousKid: I offer a free child carseat ID card to 10 winners a day. That tells me they have kids ( my niche) and I send a catalog + coupon #smbiz
mvavrinak: #smbiz Twitter is give and take. I ask questions, I answer them, I try to help ppl see what we’re all about. Ppl do biz with those they know
Carissa_MomIF: I think it’s best summed up in Twitter Karma. @fussypants does this best. #smbiz
mamikaze: Auto-DMs with links to your site or mentioning your product are a huge turnoff. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: FOLLOW up.. talk to them, give them a reason to remember you for YOU first, your business second! #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: I’m in the process of helping some larger companies understand the nature of the personal level of social media. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: they get it, but they don’t too… as a small buz owner you have the advantage there. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: If you are the only one behind the scenes, it’s already all about you! Market yourself! #smbiz
mvavrinak: @mamikaze so true! be authentic to succeed. this is about relationships. #smbiz
JDEbberly: RT! The great thing about small businesses is that they are more human - you build relationships - run your twitter account that way. #smbiz
Carissa_MomIF: @AbbieF Right get your customers invovled in an ongoing conversation! #smbiz
apowerpoint: @mvavrinak Agree - call it ‘crowdsourcing’ or ‘diversity’ but it is better than ‘birds of a feather’ #smbiz
Harvatin: The great thing about small businesses is that they are more human - you build relationships - run your twitter account that way. #SMBIZ
Carissa_MomIF: @Harvatin Exactly, run your facebook that way too… #smbiz
Harvatin: At the small business I worked @, we connected our customers with what they were looking for, even if it wasn’t @ our store. #SMBIZ
AbbieF: @SternalPR Link all ur comm efforts - TW 2 FB, 2 blog, 2 web. Max ur online presence, offer opps 2 ppl that can only b found online. #smbiz
SternalPR: @AbbieF I linked my FB with Twitter and my FB family got very upset over the volume of “tweets”. Had to stop. #smbiz
AbbieF: @CathyBrowne FB fan page is fun way to get started in soc media. #smbiz
New Ques from @technomomdesign: What do you guys think of having multiple twitter accounts?
aranarose: I have 2 Twitter accounts. This one, and @Connecting2Give #smbiz
SternalMrktg: I have a personal and a company one. For @UnderstndnMrktg we only tweet blog posts and articles on #smbiz
AskHR: @aranarose i have 2 also, this one and @lisasamples #smbiz
jonnew: No problem especially if they have two distinctly different purposes. #smbiz
AbbieF: enuf trouble keeping one going. I tweet as me and for my biz, linking back to my blog or website as nec #smbiz
AskHR: People who follow this acct. do not want to hear about my 5 year old or my giveaway in most cases #smbiz
SternalMrktg: @AskHR I feel the same with my different twitter accts. Can talk about anything in life with this one, not the biz one. #smbiz
deegospel: @SternalPR I have a separate account for my blog, because that audience doesn’t necessarily won’t all of me. LOL. #smbiz
AbbieF: @SternalPR By link I mean mention on TW that uv posted to your FB fan site. Ask you FB fans to follow u. Not the “status” updates. #smbiz
CathyBrowne: I use FB less and less and Twitter more and more, so I don’t link the updates #smbiz
CathyBrowne: @AbbieF Ah, I see…I have no fans on FB…maybe I should make a page and see what happens:-) #smbiz
Side Ques: What apps or sites do you use to set up multiple twitter accts. for your small business?
jonnew: You can use Tweet Deck with separate ID’s. Twirl allows you to do that as well, I’m pretty sure. #smbiz
technomomdesign: @jonnew yes, twhir lets you have multiple accounts #smbiz
@rickjmiv: @Carissa_MomIF #smbiz finding the right people = search on relevant topics, check out twitterfall, tweetdeck, and twello …
SternalMrktg: @rickjmiv Never tried Twitterfall. Will have to check it out. #smbiz
Question 7: Are there any Twitter spam laws small business need to follow?
AskHR: @SternalPR I wouldn’t tweet anything professionally that I wouldn’t put in writing or say in person #smbiz
Harvatin: @SternalPR I’d say a consensus has been built around not auto DMing after a follow. What do you think? #SMBIZ
MackCollier: @Harvatin Yes PLEASE don’t auto-DM after a follow! Make all your communication personal, not automated 
#SMBIZ
Smartalyx: @Harvatin Auto-DM is severely falling out of favor. Most users prefer a DM that is personal-ex. comment on recent tweet/profile. #SMBIZ
SternalPR: @Harvatin I’ve got to think auto-DMs are very counterproductive to the engagement experience - though many smbiz may not know. #smbiz
deegospel: q7: also don’t get into a twitbate (debate) with press or pr. #smbiz
CathyBrowne: @Harvatin I just wrote a blog post about auto-DMs and how they de-humanize…most people dislike them http://cathybrowne.com #smbiz
Ques #8: Do you have a specific strategy in place for using Twitter for ur small business?
Smartalyx: @SternalPR Q8- Openness, transparency and communication. Like Auto-DM, “pressure selling” is not well received #smbiz
deegospel: q8: I do have a strategy in place, but it changes the more uses i find for Twitter, the more people use it. I’m in PR, so… #smbiz
Harvatin: @deegospel I think no matter what you do, you should always remember your home base and make sure it is obvious in your tweets #SMBIZ
rickjmiv: #smbiz finding the right people = search on relevant topics, check out twitterfall, tweetdeck, and twellowhood.
rickwhittington: @SternalPR My game plan? Be helpful, be interesting, and if that turns into something, then so be it. #smbiz
Harvatin: I think it is appropriate to mention that customer service can be done on twitter, follow comcastcares to see how its done #SMBIZ
SternalPR: Just saw that #smbiz was a trending topic on Twitter in just its third week!!! Thanks everyone!!
RealTimeTrends: #smbiz - is now the #6 trend on twitter. Follow here: http://idek.net/4Si - twIRC Channel: http://idek.net/4Sj
wthashtag: #smbiz is now trending http://wthash.com/smbiz
SternalPR: Fyi, Next Week’s #smbiz is dedicated to FILING TAXES. Come with any questions you have for your small business taxes. Will have experts with answers!
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