Jessica Miller-Merrell - Tweet This!: Twitter for Business

2009 Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR

All rights reserved. Use of any content or any duplication or republishing without the express permission of the author is strictly prohibited.

For updates and to learn more about the latest information and news about Twitter as well as other social media platforms, visit my Web site at: www.tweetingmybusiness.com

For updates and information surrounding this book, follow: www.twitter.com/tweetingthis

Manufactured in the United States of America.

For information, please contact:

Brown Books Small Press
16250 Knoll Trail, Suite 205
Dallas, Texas 75248

www.BrownBooksSmallPress.com
972-248-9500
A New Era in Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-1-612547-78-7
LCCN: 2009911583

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Second Printing, 2011

Author contact information:

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR
Follow me on Twitter at:
www.twitter.com/blogging4jobs

To my husband, Greg, and Baby Ryleigh.

Over the course of my career, I have used tools such as chat rooms, blogs, Myspace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter as a form of communication and as a way to inexpensively recruit candidates and promote events. Because I have been a relatively early adopter, friends, colleagues, and businesses have looked to me to help them leverage these online tools to recruit employees and grow their business.

Fast-forward to December 2008: my husband, Greg, and I were nine months pregnant with our first child. It was late morning when my water broke on December 12, and I posted on Twitter the following: My water broke. Heading to the hospital. When Ryleigh came into the world very early the next morning, we announced her arrival through both Twitter and Facebook. Over the course of 2009, Twitter became my place to engage others, seek comfort, and build and grow both business and personal relationships. In April of this year, when my husband lost his father, I turned to Twitter to find comfort with my virtual support network.

Since I first logged on to Twitter in the summer of 2008, it has grown and changed dramatically. Quantcast.com estimates that from October 2008 to September 2009 Twitters traffic grew from 5 million users to 27 million in the United States alone. Facebook, another popular social media platform, boasts more users than some small countries with over 100 million in the United States. Even still, businesses are most surprised by the fact that the largest growth for both these platforms comes from the 35- to 50-year-old demographic and not the 1834 crowd.

The concept of Tweet This! was developed during the first few weeks after Ryleigh was brought into this world. I was on maternity leave from my corporate job. It became clear during my time off that there was a need for a Twitter business resource for the small- to medium-sized business, entrepreneur, and consultant. With that in mind, over the course of several months I began working on a Twitter manual which then quickly became a book. I hope that you will find Tweet This! to be an easy-to-read resource for the beginning to advanced Twitter user. I have worked hard to provide a variety of case studies that emphasize the importance of time management and getting the most out of Twitter for the small business. The strategies discussed have been tested by a number of business owners and experts, including me.

I hope that you will find this book, and Twitter, to be valuable resources to grow and shape your business. My book has led my family and me on an incredible journey that has resulted in me leaving the corporate world, realizing my own dream, and starting my own consulting practice.

So sit back and enjoy Tweet This!

This book couldnt have happened without so many people. Id like to recognize and thank, first and foremost, my wonderful family: my husband, Greg, who supports me in whatever I do; my daughter, Ryleigh, now ten months old, who has forever changed our lives in so many ways; my parents, Terry and Leigh; and my sisters, Jamie and Julie, and their families. I love you all! I also want to thank my in-laws, Barney and Shirley, who taught me to live and love every day. Barney, you will never be forgotten. Ive appreciated everyones help and support in so many ways.

After my family, Id like to thank a list of amazing and special people who helped me do this: Irmas Burgers, Bill Vick, Dave Gardner (who also served as a case study and editor), Sheri Guyse, Becky McCray, Matt Galloway, Mark Stelzner, Samuel Gordons Jewelers, Daniel Gordon, Ryan Parrott, Trichology Salon, Greg Welchel, The Oklahoma Gazette, Chris Wilson, Eddie Roach, Sharlyn Lauby, Giovanni Gallucci, Angelika Movie Theatres, Latoicha Givens, Brian Blake, Kevin Jessop, My Workster, Oklahoma Humane Society, Harvey Jenkins, and Edmond Active.

And finally, Id like to thank my publisher, the Brown Books Small Press, who helped me make my dream a reality. Cynthia Stillar did an amazing job of keeping me focused and had a great eye for detail.

To everyone, I am deeply grateful.

Twitter was a service originally created for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? It was originally developed for use with SMS text messaging. Twitter users post tweetsposts written in 140 characters or fewer.

Think of Twitter as a virtual cocktail party or water cooler. It is a place where people come to get to know each other and stay connected and up-to-date on the latest news and information. I use Twitter to promote my new blog posts, upcoming seminars, and articles I have written. I also use it to develop new relationships and follow those within my industry or others that I admire. Twitter can be used a thousand different ways for a thousand different reasons.

Here are some common uses for Twitter:

• Twitter users stay connected with friends and family members.

• Bloggers use Twitter as a mini-blogging tool.

• Businesses use Twitter as a customer service platform for public relations, brand management, and as a marketing tool.

• Developers use Twitter to make API Tools of their own.

• Job seekers use Twitter to find unadvertised jobs.

• Business professionals and recruiters use Twitter to find leads and candidates.

• Some use Twitter as a source of breaking news and information.

Picture yourself driving on the highway as you make your way on your morning commute. As you weave in and out of traffic surrounded by thousands of other morning commuters, a billboard sign grabs your attention. The Hard Rock Caf is coming to your town. You make a mental note to yourself to visit the Hard Rock Caf Web site when you arrive at work. Later that morning after checking e-mails and voice-mails, you visit the Hard Rock Caf Web site and casually mention it to several of your co-workers in person and by e-mail. Word quickly spreads throughout your office and circle of friends, and by the end of the day, the new Hard Rock Caf is the talk of the town and among your family, co-workers, and friends.