Posted by Vanessa Knipper on Wed, May 26, 2010 @ 12:24 PM
When actor Ashton Kutcher gained his 1 millionth Twitter follower, the quasi-event made nightly newscasts and Internet news feeds. Of course, that's old news. Kutcher is now battling pop singer Britney Spears for Twitter supremacy; both are nearing 5 million followers. You don't have to be among the Twitteratti elite to see Twitter's marketing potential.
The ultimate news feed, Twitter is one of the newer additions to comprehensive social media marketing strategies. With more than 20 million U.S. users, Twitter has the potential to expand your marketing reach exponentially. Twitter allows you to connect almost instantly with customers, as long as you limit your messages to 140 characters, or about two short sentences. Obviously, Twitter isn't a vehicle for providing in-depth information or cultivating deep customer relationships. It's more "Hi" at the coffee shop than weekend seminar. But don't underestimate Twitter just because customer contacts seem superficial. There's something about the constant accessibility, immediacy and repeated contact that appeals to consumers.
Twitter can be an effective marketing tool when used correctly. It has no peer when it comes to quickly disseminating timely snippets of information, making instantaneous announcements to large numbers of people, reaching people scattered in distant locations and obtaining instant feedback. Some of the most effective marketing uses of Twitter include:
- Broadcasting news such as the launch of a new product or an early weather-induced closing.
- Promote an event. Twitter allows you to easily issue repeat announcements to promote special events.
- Announcing special sales. Offering occasional Twitter-only unadvertised sales is one effective way to keep fans tuned in.
- Answer customers' questions. Personally responding to customers' questions or complaints builds goodwill and strengthens customer loyalty.
- Point out useful resources. Providing helpful links to web articles, websites or blogs increases your credibility as an industry expert.
- Obtain feedback. On Twitter you can run a poll, ask a question or ask for advice and receive valuable feedback from customers instantly.
- Introduce new staff or announce a job opening. Who better to become your next devoted employee than a loyal customer who is already emotionally invested in your business?
- Promote your brand. With each tweet you send, you increase consumer awareness of your company and products, and keep your brand firmly in front of consumers.
What are your experiences using Twitter for marketing and/or customer service?Photo Credit:
Metro Library and Archive
Posted by John McTigue on Wed, Sep 16, 2009 @ 01:45 PM
Avon, Ohio – September 16, 2009 – Kuno Creative, a strategic marketing company based in Avon, Ohio, is now a Certified HubSpot Partner. After undergoing a rigorous training course and passing the HubSpot certification exam, Kuno Creative is now one of only thirteen agencies that are certified. HubSpot software is a unique suite of web based tools enabling content marketing, social media marketing, lead capture and tracking and results monitoring that are the core disciplines of Inbound Marketing. Inbound Marketing is a new Internet marketing strategy designed to increase brand awareness and sales through relationships fostered in online communities by publishing content that is relevant to a target audience. Kuno’s Inbound Marketing Services include marketing strategy, setting up the HubSpot platform, integrating it with a client website or designing a new website, blog writing and other content creation, social media promotion and engagement, and measurement and analysis.
"We are pleased to become an official HubSpot partner," said Chris, Knipper, Kuno Creative's President and CEO. "We have been using the software for several months ourselves with great success. We are seeing a large increase in our own website traffic and capturing many more leads than ever before. We see Inbound Marketing as an important new asset that we can offer our clients to improve their sales and marketing results. What makes us unique is that we are a full-service marketing agency that also understands technology, and we’re not afraid to lead the way."
"John and Chris at Kuno Creative have aggressively ramped up on their HubSpot and inbound marketing knowledge", said Peter Caputa, HubSpot's Partnership Manager. "I'm extremely impressed with how they've leveraged their traditional design and copy creation skills to become successful inbound marketers. All of the new inbound marketing methods such as blogging, SEO and creative online lead generation require top notch design and content creation skills. Unlike most traditional marketers, they also possess the analytical and technical skills required to be successful online marketers. Their years of experience as marketers working with small and mid sized businesses gives them a large advantage over other internet marketers that started their marketing careers on the web. I don't hesitate recommending Kuno for design work, as well as ongoing strategic inbound marketing services."
About Kuno Creative
Kuno Creative provides inbound marketing, brand marketing and website development services that help our clients gain maximum ROI from their marketing investments. We are Certified HubSpot Partners, providing best-in-class inbound marketing strategy, design and integration with HubSpot software, training and support, content creation and promotion, web analytics and lead tracking. Based in Avon, OH, we serve small to medium sized business throughout the United States. We offer a free website analysis and comparison with your competitors. Please visit our website at www.kunocreative.com and read our blogs at www.kunocreative.com/blog.
About HubSpot
HubSpot, Inc. provides Internet marketing software that helps businesses get found online, generate more inbound leads and convert a higher percentage of those leads into paying customers. HubSpot's software platform includes tools that allow professional marketers and small business owners to manage search engine optimization, blogging and social media, as well as landing pages, lead intelligence and marketing analytics. Based in Cambridge, MA, HubSpot can be found at http://www.hubspot.com. HubSpot offers free marketing tools at http://www.grader.com and hosts a free marketing community at http://inboundmarketing.com.
Posted by John McTigue on Thu, Aug 06, 2009 @ 03:08 PM
We just released our Inbound Marketer's Handbook, a free download for small businesses. This is our first example of "making a splash", providing real, valuable content with no charge or other obligation. It's a key component of Inbound Marketing.
Once you have gotten your personal brand going with lots of blogs, friends, connections and blogs, it's time to take your campaign to the next level. Think of a block party or street festival. What can you do that will ignite your network and boost your standing to a new level? Create a great landing page for your event or announcement and promote it using the same tactics as your blog. Here are some other splashy ideas:
- Host a "tweet-up" in your area. A Tweet-up is a real-world get-together of people who connect via Twitter. Make it fun. Give your tweet-up a theme and invite a well-known speaker. Invite everybody via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. You can also list your Tweetup in @tweetup, the Tweetups.org directory.
- Start a social media users group in your area and have regular meetings. Invite guest speakers and ask for volunteers to provide refreshments and equipment if needed. You can use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to promote your group.
- Offer something valuable at a large discount, or better yet, for free. People are always looking for great deals. Our Inbound Marketer's Handbook is a case in point. We are offering it for free as a part of our Inbound Marketing campaign.
- Be the first to announce something exciting. If you are opening a new branch or facility, launching a new service or starting up a new community, let the world know via Inbound Marketing. This will create lots of buzz.
Don't forget to promote your splash via your blog, social media sites, e-mail marketing to friends and customers or traditional advertising and marketing. Anything you can do to let the public know. That will raise your profile, your personal brand, your Web site traffic and ultimately, your business performance.