How I use Twitter for business

The Heavy Chef Project

Practical Learning About Digital Marketing

How I use Twitter for business Posted in Digital Strategy, Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Fred Roed, 2 comments
Published on 7 September 2009

Since registering my Twitter account around a year ago (I’m a casually late adopter), I’ve watched the steep rise of this humble little social networking tool with interest. At first I did not know what all the fuss was about, but then I quickly realised Twitter actually held some importance other than tweeting about a colleague who left only two squares of toilet roll or whether I think Daniel Craig makes a crap Bond or not. So, for the sake of crystallising my thinking on the matter, here are some reasons why I’m a fan for business usage of Twitter:

1. Recruitment
Head and shoulders, my favourite reason for using Twitter. The last few recruits within our digital marketing agency, World Wide Creative, have been directly or indirectly from Twitter. Since we started building our Twitter community, we’ve subsequently saved thousands on recruitment agency costs by spreading the word through the ‘verse.*

2. Resources
My second favourite use of Twitter; as a statistics and case studies resource it’s unparalleled. This is particularly pertinent at the end of a long day when I’m tired, grumpy and my patience for refining searches in Google is wearing thin. I can ask my audience something like “Anyone got something relevant on the impact of circus dwarves drinking alchohol in advertising campaigns?” and I’ll get a response within minutes. Guaranteed.

3. News
No doubt, if it’s newsworthy, it ends up on Twitter quicker than you can say “scoop”. People are tweeting about plane crashes from the plane, for Heaven’s sake. Nowadays, of course, the line defining what’s actually “News” is somewhat blurred. And so, you’ll have to filter through pics of Demi’s bum before you get to the stuff that you need to know – but, believe me, if you want to know stuff first, Twitter’s your tool.

4. Knowledge and Inspiration
Someone say “@smashingmag”.

5. Entertainment
Yep. It’s not all serious around here. I’ve got a bunch of folk I follow purely because they provide me with a break from my busy, complicated life. They’re funny as hell and God bless ‘em for it. Side note: Christopher Walken, Twitter was designed by the Creator as your personal mouthpiece. Come on board.

What now? We’re busy formalising the Heavy Chef Twitter strategy, but in the meantime follow me @Fred_Roed, or other chefs @Louis_JvR and @Lands23 (or follow us in advance @heavychef if you feel inclined). We want to figure out something that will be a little different from the normal “check out our latest post” approach. Watch this space.

*It is policy at World Wide Creative that if you use phrases like “Twitterverse” or “Tweeps” you are summarily assigned to be mauled by a snarling, rampaging pack of programmers. We’re not kidding.