by Kris Kiler

If you’re involved in promoting anything you’ve heard of Twitter. There’s a lot of talk about this social networking phenomenon and how it can be used to promote and build a business. It’s a valuable tool that can be key to information product marketing.

What is it? Twitter is a social media device that allows people to send short micro-blogs of up to 140 characters from almost anywhere. You can send and receive these short messages (called “tweets”) from the Twitter Web site (www.Twitter.com) and other Twitter programs that can be downloaded to your computer and/or smart phone. According to Neilson Online, the number of unique visitors to Twitter rose from 475,000 to 7 million between February 2008 and February 2009. That’s a 1,382% increase in a year! If you want to sell products, it sure makes sense to go where the people are.

Check out a list of Twitter programs here:
http://www.rachel-levy.com/confused-by-all-the-twitter-application/

Think of Twitter as a way that you can get public messages out to your audience instantly. Your audience can be made up of existing customers, potential customers, colleagues, and those that simply have an interest in what you have to say. Twitter is gaining momentum and quickly becoming an important stage for online conversation and communication. With over 6 million users and millions of messages being posted every day, you can quickly see why you want to get on the Twitter bandwagon.

While it’s a great way to build and keep in touch with your network, it’s also a powerful way to promote and sell informational products like ebooks, audio, and video products. As an author or infopreneur trying to sell your products you must have two things: market and reputation. Twitter can help you communicate relevant information about your products as well as help you build a reputation as an expert in your field.

Marketing with Twitter

You can use Twitter to post updates on your products, services, company and any news that needs to be shared. Twitter is commonly used to post sales, promotions, and specials. Keep in mind that Twitter is all about breaking news and good conversation so make sure you post in a manner that is personal, interactive, and conversational. Think about what type of information your potential customer would benefit from. If there’s a benefit, they are more likely to follow your updates. If you look like you’re always posting advertisements, you can loose followers and credibility.

You can also utilize the free software programs available to make your life easier. One great tool is Tweet Deck, which lets you use a global search function to find other Tweeters who meet the profile of your target market. Imagine that you are promoting a book on how to discipline teenagers. You would input terms like parenting, adolescents and teens to target the profiles of folks who are already communicating on those topics and likely to want what you have to offer. Follow those people who fit your profile and see who follows you.

Building Your Network with Twitter

Twitter can be used to give your brand personality and build a huge base of loyal followers who see you as a trusted authority figure. One of the biggest benefits of twittering is having the ability to stay in constant contact with the people on your list. Don’t over do it. If you’re twittering several times a day about useless information then your followers will probably get sick of you and stop following you. However, sending a pertinent and useful information and links keeps you on their minds and will help to promote both your brand and the individual products you offer.

In order to do this you need to make certain that each Tweet offers a valuable resource or a solution to the burning problems of your target market. For the informational ebook on disciplining teenagers the Tweets might be links to other valuable speakers and books, a talk show link on the topic or a nugget of wisdom on how to talk to teens.

You can also let your followers know about a blog or website where you go into greater depth and offer more valuable information on the topic. To that end, twittering can be a powerful way to build internet traffic. Just don’t focus your tweets on selling, focus on offering value. That is the key to create a brand as a trusted expert in your field, and twittering is a great tool to do so.

Remember, Twitter is an instant messaging tool with a twist. It is an excellent way to quickly interact and chat with potential customers in your market. It’s real time and provides a tool that allows you to reach out to your audience, as well as influence subscribers. It’s a great way to build relationships.

Is Twitter for everyone? No. But it is an excellent tool for savvy marketers who want to increase the volume of communication for their products and who want to do it in the shortest possible time. Twitter is a key to building quality marketing for information products and those that recognize its value will find their business excel.

About Kris Kiler

Kris Kiler is an experienced marketing consultant and entrepreneur. He has been designing websites since 1996. He works with clients to help them navigate their success on the Internet through the design of their website, email marketing, Internet products and services, and supporting print collateral. As President of Telos Publications, he published more than twenty-seven publications—overseeing everything from acquisition, editing, design, printing, and marketing. Kris is a Certified Job and Career Transition Coach and is author of Ready, Aim, Capture!: The Secret to Successful Internet Marketing and coauthor of 101 Ways to Generate Top Book Sales: A Handbook for Authors Ready to Plead Insanity.