Millions are in love with Twitter.
This rapidly growing "microblogging" service lets users exchange compact text "tweets" that can often lead to meaningful conversations and profound relationships.
Now companies are harnessing Twitter to engage their customers, promote their products and monitor what is being said about their brands.
Embracing Twitter can help a business thrive. Ignoring it can be a disastrous mistake.
"Twitter Means Business" from Happy About Books is a field guide for companies seeking to master this essential new social-networking service.
As a top U.S. technology journalist, I've created a unique blend of professional reportage and social-media insight. My book is based on months of research into Twitter best practices in business, as well as my own extensive Twitter use.
"Twitter Means Business" profiles businesses of all types and sizes that have learned to exploit Twitter in a variety of creative, effective ways.
The book provides an intimate tour of the "twitterverse," and gives companies detailed tips on how to use the service and related tools.
This is the title for businesses interested in Twitter. The book's popularity in its first month of release has made it the top mass-market debut in Happy About history.
Here's what's inside:
Foreword by Jennifer Leggio
Learn how the ZDNet social-media blogger went from Twitter newbie to twitterverse addict, and how the service became a vital business tool for her.
Chapter One: “Twitter: Why you should care”
Get an overview of the service and learn about its growing relevance to businesses of all sizes. This chapter summarizes the ways firms use Twitter: In stealth mode, as a way to push out information, and – most vital – as a way to start conversations with customers. (Download this chapter for free.)
Chapter Two: “Five Companies Using Twitter”
Dig into five detailed case studies. The famous companies profiled here – Dell, Comcast, JetBlue, Whole Foods and Zappos – have led the way in corporate Twitter use. They use the service in different ways, which shows the flexibility and versatility of this medium.
Chapter Three: “Still More Firms on Twitter”
See more than a dozen quick-hit case studies focused on the likes of the H&R Block tax-service firm, the Mars Snacks candy supplier, the Geek Culture comic artists, the music-gear maker Sonos and software maker Evernote. Learn how Twitter is used in the media.
Chapter Four: “Twitter and Public Relations”
Read about public-relations agencies that harness Twitter. As the PR industry has embraced Twitter en masse, it is persuading its business clients to give it a look. Firms such as the Graco baby-product maker use Twitter, thanks to advice from public-relations advisers.
Chapter Five: "The Twitter Experts Weigh In”
Absorb the wisdom of seasoned Twitter users. The author hosted a Twitter-based round table among social-media veterans in the Twin Cities and elsewhere. This chapter has a full transcript of the tweets from the event, which explores how Twitter means business.
Chapter Six: “Twitter Tips, Tricks and Tools”
Get Twitter basics, then dig deeper. This chapter shows you how to bend the service to your will. Tour the vast ecosystem of services and software meant to augment Twitter. Learn about Twitter competitors like Friendfeed, and how to juggle multiple services.
Epilogue: "I Live My Own Book"
Learn how I became my own "Twitter Means Business" case study when I used the service on behalf of my employer, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, during the Republican National Convention. I was in for a wild ride over a week of speeches, riots and tear gas. (Download the epilogue for free.)
Afterword by Albert Maruggi
Mull the lessons of this book with Albert Maruggi, a top social-media practitioner and Senior Fellow at the Society for New Communications Research.
