A readily admit that I am a "Twit" – someone who loves Twitter and tries to use it properly – not "someone who is regarded as contemptible," as defined in the dictionary, (At least I hope I’m not the latter!)
As I talk to tire dealers and tire companies across the country, it strikes me that most understand LinkedIn and are beginning to get their heads around Facebook as a business tool, but Twitter often is misunderstood.
Many believe that Twitter, a micro-blogging site, is all meaningless blather like “I am having my morning coffee now.” Admittedly, there is some of that that going on. Used correctly, however, Twitter can be a powerful tool for:
• following the latest news
• tracking the ideas and whereabouts of people who are “in the know”
• Becoming a “thought leader” and making connections with other key influencers
• Making valuable business connections
• Improving SEO (search engine optimization) for your website
Twitter is also a wonderful way to get the inside scoop and make connections at conferences. If you are going to the Global Tire Expo/SEMA Show next week, now would be a good time to get your feet wet with Twitter. SEMA has almost 5,000 people following it at http://twitter.com/#!/SEMASHOW.
If you want to follow Twitterers at SEMA, however, you need to use what is called a hashtag. Hashtags allow Twitter users to track what many people (especially people whom you aren’t already following) are reporting or thinking about a particular topic or event.
Once you have established a Twitter account, to track hashtags through your web browser:
1. Go to Twitter Search.
2. Search for a hashtag you want to track. Include the “#” in your search query: #sema, for example.
3. Keep that page open in a browser tab, and refresh it periodically to see the latest results
If I plan on only following a hashtag for a short time (up to a couple of hours), I usually just track it via Twitter Search. But for something I want to watch from several hours to a day or more, I use a different tool called Hootsuite. Hootsuite allows you to configure up to 10 columns in which you follow Tweets according to criteria you specify. So if you search for SEMA via Hootsuite, a column will appear showing all the latest Tweets using that hashtag – and it will automatically update for you. You can add, delete, or reconfigure columns anytime you like.
This all sounds more complicated than it really is. The best thing to do is join Twitter and start kicking the tires; it’s all pretty intuitive. If you want to connect with people who are interested in cars and tires in your market, you can do that via Twitter!
I’ll be at SEMA all week. Send me a Tweet, and I will be glad to sit down with you to help you get started. Twitter is steadily gaining importance in the tire industry, and certainly with consumers. You need to dive in!
Christine Taylor is vice president of social media marketing for JTMarCom,a Nashville-based marketing agency that helps companies with onlinereputation management and integration of social media into theirtraditional marketing programs. With a combined 35 years of experiencein the tire industry, the agency places a special emphasis on workingwith tire and automotive aftermarket companies. Follow Christine on Facebook and Twitter (@chrisgtaylor). She can also be reached at 615-714-5469.
