After last week's taping (airing today) of Brandswag.tv, I've been thinking about a question asked on the show. "Who should advertise on Twitter using BeTweeted?" Great question. My quick-response, I'm confident, was still the correct response. Basically, it's any company that has a product which would play well in the social media arena. This can mean anything people readily share and talk about with their friends--movies, books, articles, news, etc.

But, I want to go deeper than that. Maybe you're not familiar with social media, or maybe you're not sure if your product is one people will talk about. There are several things to consider when thinking of advertising on Twitter.

1. First, do you intend to use Twitter yourself? If you're not going to join the conversation, forget it. People want to engage with you on Twitter. This is the chief flaw of all the "get rich quick" affiliate and MLM programs that get spammed to the hilt on Twitter. There's no personality. There's no relationship built that would warrant the kind of trust it requires for me to go into business with you.
2. Are you excited about your product/service? I know that seems like an odd question, but it's very true that many people just have a job, not a passion for their work. If your hocking a product without passion, you won't be able to keep up the high energy required to use Twitter effectively.
   
3. Are there a lot of people, even within niche markets, who would be willing to introduce your product? The premise of BeTweeted is that you're product is always introduced with @reply features that mean our twitterers are introducing you to their followers. We've seen several very unsuccessful Twitter ads because they were simply not the sort of product one would introduce to their following: adult content, questionable motives, personal products, etc. Be reasonable.
   

If you can say yes to these three questions, I believe you should be using Twitter advertising to grow your business. Learn how BeTweeted can help you advertise on Twitter.

Labels: Advertise, Affiliate, Twitter

In a random email this morning, subject line "No question, just comment," Morgan writes:

Just wanted to write and say I think you guys are doing the whole "advertising on twitter" thing right. It's not about spam bots - it's about blogs and other sites paying tweeters and retweeters for doing what they're already doing. Hopefully we can see, through services like yours, a shift from the random spamming on twitter, and annoying banner ads, to really personalized advertising - personalized and personal, unlike Phorm's "personal" ads.

So... yeah. Didn't really have a question, but just kudos.

Well, Morgan, we thank you!

Labels: Affiliate, Monetize, Social Media, Socially Responsible, Spam, Twitter

Ok, all you Twitterers out there, listen up. Whether you're an affiliate guru or just a beginner, these ideas can help you. In a recent article on brand integration, Adage author Larry Dobrow gave a great example of crossing the line of validity when it comes to celebrity endorsement. Bret Michaels apparently gave a plug for how much he likes hanging out at Dave and Busters on the air.

Adage asks (and I echo): seriously? I'm expected to believe that Bret Michaels hangs out at Dave & Busters on a regular basis? This is most certainly not the venue of choice for Hollywood residents.

So, what can you take from this as a Twitter user looking to up your stock and make some dough of our links? Or, any links for that matter--blog sidebar ads, email footer links--anywhere you might hock a product for a referral fee.

It's simple: be real. I see far too often that Twitter users are so eager to make any money they will share any link, whether they believe in the product or not. Around here, I call that bordering very close on the line of spam, if not indeed crossing it. Your followers would agree. In theory, they're clicking links for two reasons: yes, they're intrigued enough by the tweet text to learn more; but also, they are clicking because you said you liked it too!

When you understand this influence you can have, and resolve to use it well: that's socially responsible!

Labels: Advertise, Affiliate, Blog, Monetize, Socially Responsible, Spam, Twitter

Okay all you public relations pro's and marketing mavens out there, are you offering "social media" services yet? Perhaps you're still waiting to see if it's just a fad. Maybe you're unsure how to deliver it as a service model, or maybe you view it as a competitor. Well, Phil Johnson, a blogger over at Advertising Age thinks you're missing the boat -- and I agree!

If you make your living charging any company, large or small, for your advice and/or services in the area of public relations, marketing, sales, or just plain business consulting, then your customers need to hear you say "Twitter." It's not about being trendy. It's about offering best-in-class service.

There are countless services that you could begin to introduce, or perhaps you're already offering and can enhance by using Twitter. Here are a few:

• Thought leadership. Gain a following to build the persona of your client as a thought-leader in any relevant industry topic.
• Lead generation. Yes, it can work. If your client has the right type of business, you can generate leads using Twitter. Good, solid, qualified leads.
• Customer service. Especially for software or computer-related services, Twitter is a great way to have instant dialogue with needy customers.
• Sales & Promotions. Offer a sale, a deal, or a discount using Twitter. This is obviously great because of the ability to track the results very clearly.
• SEO. Yep, it can work. If you can make sure your links are followable by bots, you cannot deny the obvious benefit of links from Twitter.

The list goes on. And, of course, if you're interested in using BeTweeted as part of your services to the client, check out our Affiliate Program to see how we can work together.

Labels: Affiliate, Social Media, Twitter