140 Character Free Marketing

There’s a lot to be said about Twitter, the micro-blogging tool that has fast become a new way to share, comment, ‘retweet’, and link ideas more rapidly than ever before.




What’s rarely mentioned is the fact that Twitter is FREE. Do you realize what this means? Free, as in you don’t have to open your wallet, do an expense report, ask permission (you might want to check with IT though), or wait for a moderator for every comment. Why this stands out to me is the fact that sharing information in small, bite-sized amounts has been around for some time, what was once a PostItÆ became an email, which became a text message. Meanwhile blogs were making it easier than ever to express views to a large audience. What still gets me is that one of the most surprising ideas in communication to come along in a while, Twitter, is a free tool that makes the conversation more lively, direct, and personal than anyone could have imagined.

Dive In, the Water’s Fine!

Twitter's prehistoric document, circa 2000. An early temporary name was "Stat.us." Credit: Jack Dorsey.
Twitter is an ideal tool for internal marketing. It’s a free way for you and your peers to share ideas, get updates, check-in, and make news from almost anywhere, at any time! I’m sure even Twitter’s creators, Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone could not have foreseen the popularity of a 140-character conversation. Who knew we could get ideas across so fast? Twitter is a growing phenomenon, and as such it has flaws, sometimes it’s slow, or it will be unavailable for a few minutes. While it’s clearly not ideal for sharing top-secret financial intel, it’s great for getting a group on the same page, and helping them stay on the same page for multiple days and weeks in a row. This is all because Twitter connects people by allowing them to ‘follow’ one another. If you have not used Twitter yet, and are just not sure if it’s for you, let me tell you – it is! Simple idea, revolutionary results!

Imagine Using Twitter…

You work for XYZ Co. and you want to get people excited about an upcoming
off-site event. After a lot of hard work, you are ready to roll-out fliers, and
updates and can’t wait to kick-off this two-day intensive training session. You
have 30 participants, two lead trainers, and two assistants for a total of 34
people, plus you making it 35 people. You know the pace will be fast, and you
know the results will be awesome. The only thing you need now is a way to
connect all these people. Email could work, but it’s a little more than you need
– information wise. You decide to use Twitter to keep everyone in the loop for
two weeks leading up to the off-site. You also realize it would be a great way
to poll, and dialogue about the off-site after it’s completed. You are really
excited, and after sending out an email, you find that 26 of the people,
including you, are using Twitter already. excited, you meet with the nine people
who are new to Twitter and get them up to speed.

Those new to Twitter
are surprised it’s so easy to sign up and login. Once everyone is up to speed,
you create a group called MyXYZ-L&D and all the participants become
followers of this group. You are all set! Now all you have to do is broadcast –
or tweet – when you want to share information, ask questions, and more. You even
find that you are sending tweets live from the off-site, as other members of the
organization has joined your group of Twitter, and wanted to be in the loop too!

All for free Twitter allows you to connect, share, and market the work you are doing, the progress you are making, and you real-time feedback in ways no email or survey can deliver.

What is at the core of this tool, and others like it, is the ability to make marketing a personal process. You are not sending a blind email to the entire company. Instead you are reaching the people who need, want, and value the information you are sharing.
One caveat: Twitter is only one part of an internal marketing strategy, a great tool indeed, but it’s only one part. For example, if you use Twitter to conduct an informal survey, be sure to Track, Publish, and then Market the final results. Even though the medium is digital, there are real people involved. The way to ensure they stay involved is to tweet wisely. In other words, just because it’s only 140-characters does not mean it’s any less viable. Make the most of it to enjoy the reward of increased awareness about the work you are doing, and the ways it’s making the organization stronger.

If you’re ready to get started, click the big blue ‘T’ and start tweeting! There really is nothing like it!