Twitter the book?

By January 6 2009, 12:37 pm 4 Comments
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Twitter really arrived last year. The microblogging service was being sought by buyers, celebrities like Britney Spears were signing up and then there was the book. You missed the Twitter book?

‘Twitter Means Business’ was published at the end of last year by tech journalist Julio Ojeda-Zapata. He takes a look at the microblogging service and tells you why you should care about it. It has had loads of flattering praise heaped upon it.

So if you are still thinking “how does “Twitter fit into all of this social media stuff that me and my brand/agency/client are supposed to care about?” then you might want to have a look. You don’t even have to buy the (whole) thing. The first chapter is available for free download.

The book looks at how companies are harnessing Twitter to engage customers and promote their products as well as monitoring what is being said about their brands on the service. It comes with plenty of examples of what companies like Comcast, H&R Block, Mars, Evernote, JetBlue, Whole Foods and Zappos are using it for.

 

Note sure if there is a section on celebs and other high profile figures using it, but their embrace of Twitter has garnered much publicity. Barack Obama famously used it throughout his Presidential election campaign, Britney is on board as are the likes of Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross – well he has time on his hands.

 

With 2009 looking likely to be a major success for Twitter, even more so than the past 12 months, which was more like the wider launchpad for the service, then you really ought to know what it is about and what the top tips on how to use the it and its related tools are.

It also has sections looking at what is maybe some of the most interesting stuff about Twitter, which is how it is being used for PR. Ask Pepsi. PRs at PepsiCo posted messages on Twitter after users began criticising an ads, which depicted a cartoon calorie committing suicide. Nice

Huw Gilbert, communications manager for PepsiCo International tweeted: “Huw from Pepsi here. We agree this creative is totally inappropriate; we apologise and please know it won’t run again.”

One member “tweeted” back: “Thank you . . . for having the guts to get on Twitter on behalf of Pepsi and give us an update on the suicide ad.”

That’s how you do it.

 

Of course another reason you know that Twitter has really arrived is that scammers are now targeting it as another way to steal parts of people’s digital lives.

 

[Twitter]

  • http://ladygeek.org.uk Belinda Parmar

    I still dont really ‘get’ Twitter and feel no desire to twitter. If blogging is to reflect, is Twitter to connect?

  • http://www.principlesagency.co.uk Ian Wright

    Interesting piece Gordon, Twitter is growing day by day in the UK, and some world leading brands/businesses are already creating some serious debates/ and business deals already via Twitter.

    Just as with SM when talking to consumers you have to do it right by joining in and not interrupting the conversation.

    However Twitter is just the start of what’s coming in 2009, given the big ‘R’ as well globally, then Twitter offers some unique opportunities.

    Belinda, having checked your blog, I would be very interested to know why you don’t really get Twitter? You have taken the time to create a very interesting wordpress blog which is great.

    However I firmly believe Twitter is going to change a lot of things online.

    I have seen the results of this personally already since i joined in late 2008.

    Twitter is already making major waves with Facebook already looking at tying up a $500m stock/share deal to buy it. Facebook world leading social media network interested mmmm??

    Yep I know Facebook has monetising issues but they will crack it soon, just look at MySpace – everyone raised their eyebrows when Mr Murdoch paid a huge amount of money a few years ago, take a closer look at it now it’s massive and starting to make money, even if it has diversified.

    Twitter as we know it is just beginning and has a long way to go.

  • Gordon Macmillan

    Belinda I’m surprised you don’t Twitter as well. I kind of feel that Twitter is like the pulse of what’s happening within your online community. It is full of useful ideas as well as chatter and generally i find it more helpful than not.I I think you should start.

  • http://www.principlesagency.co.uk Ian Wright

    Belinda, please start if you made all the time an efort to make your wordpress blog then trust me Twitter is for you.

    I can show you how to get a lot of highly targeted followers that can only benefit you and your organisation and improve yours and your companies profile.

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