I’ve touched on the subject of using social media to LISTEN to your prospects and customers. I believe any successful salesperson will tell you their most valuable sales tool is their ears. Listening to your customers and prospects is the easiest way to provide them with the products and solutions they need. Although the concept is easy to understand, it is rarely practiced . There are a lot of social networking tools out there (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) but what is the best way to use them as listening tools? I am going to share with you some of the ways I personally use social media to help understand what marketing services small business owners are looking for.
In the next several months, I plan on posting a series of case studies and tips that will help you get the most out of your social networking efforts. The first post will focus on tips and hacks that will help you listen and find potential customers through Twitter.
Tip 1. Install TweetDeck.
TweetDeck, a 3rd party application which runs on Adobe Air, allows you to quickly see all the replies and direct messages you have received without having to touch your mouse . In addition, TweetDeck allows you to create custom “search” panels that will track specific keywords or topics you or your business have an interest in following. TweetDeck also allows you to simultaneously update your Facebook status (if you choose).
Tip 2. Get Twitter Search Results when you do a Google Search.
If you have not yet started using Firefox as your default browser, we recommend it for a variety of reasons. We love the variety of add-ons and plugins for Firefox which allow for customization and improved workflow. Installing the GreaseMonkey script into your Firefox allows for you to change how pages in your browser will appear. When you combine the GreaseMonkey script with Twitter Results script, you will now see up to the second Twitter searches along with your Google search results.
Tip 3. Twilert – Twitter Search Alerts via Email.
How cool would it be if you were alerted everytime someone posted a comment about your company, product, competitor, or industry on Twitter? Twilert will send you an email anytime someone posts a tweet containing the keyword(s) you assigned in your profile. One of the nice things about Twilert is that you can designate geographical settings so that you will be notified of prospects tweeting within the local areas of your marketing campaign.
Although these tips will help you do a better job of listening to prospects, it is important to remember that Twitter, or any other social networking site for that matter, should be viewed as a two-way communication tool. Far too many businesses are strictly broadcasting their marketing messages and therefore miss out on the true value of these tools.
If you would like help in creating a social networking strategy to build customer relationships and improve your online visibility, call Blue Lynx Marketing at (863) 286-1041.
You can follow Blue Lynx Marketing on Twitter @bluelynxmktg.
Do you have any Twitter tips or tools that you use to help engage with your prospects? I’d love to hear how you are using them.
