Why You Can’t Afford NOT to Have Twitter

On VancouverMom.ca, I’ve been publishing a list of Vancouver’s 50 Essential Photographers. These are independent photographers who focus on maternity, family, newborn or kid – and have wicked talent. The interesting thing about these photographers, though, are that they mostly work alone or maybe with one other partner. They are small businesses who have a small marketing budget. Their businesses are generated mostly by word-of-mouth and referrals. Their success hinges on building relationships and being accessible and engaging with people. Afterall, if you’re going to strip nude and bear your pregnant belly, you outta feel comfortable with the person behind the lens.

And yet I’m amazed at how many of these photographers don’t use Twitter.

Yes, yes, Twitter is the latest thing and like – what was that thing called? MySpace? – it might end up disappearing into the ether so that in the year 2015 we’ll all be laughing and saying stuff to each other like, “Remember all the twits who’d tweet? har har har.”

Sure, there are people out there who don’t tweet. I’d actually say a lot of people. But really, we’re in the now, and small – especially independent – businesses can’t afford to not tweet. Here’s why:

Take Advantage of Other People’s Love of Twitter

Twitter plays a large role in my marketing right now. Whenever I post a new article on VancouverMom.ca, it also hits my Twitter feed. So if you’re a photographer and you happen to be in one of my articles, I’ll directly mention your Twitter ID in my tweet. If you were set up properly, my visitors could check out your profile and even potentially visit your site. I have even created a Vancouver-50-Photographer list on Twitter to group all the photographers. If you’re listed, other people who check out the list will find out. But if you don’t have a Twitter ID, you’re not taking advantage of any of that free PR.

It Gets Indexed By Google

If you go and Google “vancouver_mom” (my Twitter ID) in quotes you’ll find 591 results! When someone is searching for something vancouver mom related, I’m increasing my chances of popping up in their search terms.

It’s Free

Look it doesn’t cost anything. Why not just sign up and add a few followers? Even if only to take advantage of point#1 – Take advantage of other people’s love of Twitter.

You Might Miss Out

Twitter IDs right now are like domain names. I missed out on “vancouvermom” and have to resort to “vancouver_mom” with the underscore instead. Not that big of a deal, but what if you were using your name? Or had a common company name? You might be stuck with using some configuration that isn’t very relevant to you.

Easily Build Relationships

Having recently landed in Vancouver from Toronto, I have to tell you that most of my business relationships have been made through or enhanced by Twitter. Build relationships with your peers (excellent for those who work independently) or customers and do it cheaply and easily.

It Doesn’t Need To Be a Time-Waster

Some people are afraid of the learning curve required. Or the behemoth amount of time that might be wasted on Twitter. I would even say that spending more than a few minutes on Twitter a day is counter-productive. You need to think about how Twitter fits into your marketing scheme and don’t overdo it. You should be managing and developing your business instead. There are ways to keep your Twitter feed fresh, like tying it with your blog feed. Or downloading a mobile app so that you can check and send tweets while you’re waiting in line somewhere.

Go now and set yourself up on Twitter. At a bare minimum, do this:

Go Go Mama Go’s Steps To Getting You Up and Running On Twitter in Less Than an Hour

• Pick your Twitter ID. (5 minutes)
• Customize your profile colours and background. (5 minutes. 10 if you want to be fancy.)
• Upload a photo. (2 minutes)
• Input your URL. (2 minutes)
• Write a blurb about yourself. (5 minutes)
• Add a few friends – maybe 20. Start by checking out relevant lists to make life easier on yourself. (10 minutes)
• Update your site and your other social media tools like LinkedIn with your Twitter ID. (10 minutes)
• Use something like TwitterFeed so that your Twitter feed is updated whenever your blog or Facebook status is updated. (10 minutes)
• Download a mobile application like TweetDeck so that you can update Twitter on the go. (10 minutes)
• Send your first tweet. (1 minute)

Related Posts:

1. Joined the Twitter Revolution
2. For The New Year
3. Easy SEO Rituals
4. Review of HootSuite
5. Postcards From the Edge (or the West Coast Anyway)