Speak Your Mind in 140 Characters

Using Twitter is not as terrifying as you think.

By Andrea Fitting
President and CEO, Fitting Group

If you've been wondering about Twitter and whether or not it offers any advantages for your business, you are not alone. Any business person who has not had their head in the sand for the last two years is wondering the same thing. Anyone can use Twitter to inform whoever might care about what they are doing or thinking every minute of the day. Some people are big fans, while others think it's a big waste of time. But for business, Twitter offers a real opportunity, even if it is not directly tied to revenue just yet.

Twitter gives any business the opportunity to express the voice of its brand and to connect with people who appreciate that voice. Through the content of the tweets and the things you link to, you can fortify and clarify your business point of view. The true personality of a brand can shine through, as long as you are consistent and transparent.

Consistency and transparency are two of the most important things people want from the brands they buy. They want to know your stance on everything from trivial news of the day to very important subjects that could change your life. This is true about consumer brands and business brands alike.

And, not only do people want to know what the people behind the brand think, but they also like to feel they know and understand the brand personality — have a relationship with it, in a manner of speaking.

A company like Cisco Systems (www.twitter.com/ciscosystems), with well over 21,000 followers, is speaking to your inner geek. Fitting Group tweets are saucy, sassy and all about branding (www.twitter.com/brandspanking) as you might imagine. We try to bring you the best and most surprising branding items we come across on a daily basis.

Twitter is free, it's global and it's powerful. It is the fastest growing social media tool — easy to use and eventually, I believe, you will be able to track it to sales and growth. So try it out. You can start slow by inviting your current clients and other business associates to follow you, and you can limit your tweets to a few a week. As you grow more confident and find your voice, you'll find your own special brand of twittering.

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