Twitter Expands the Online Marketing Map With E-commerce

An article in the NY Times describes how Twitter is moving into the realm of e-commerce...

Twitter Gets Into E-Commerce
By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER

Last year, we wrote that Twitter was considering e-commerce as one of its revenue models. On Tuesday it unveiled its first foray into selling products.

The company announced @earlybird Exclusive Offers, which will be time-sensitive deals on products and events that will appear on the @earlybird Twitter account. People can follow that account to get access to the deals.

Read the whole article here...

Beware of Twitter Scams

Anyone who has spent even a minimal amount of time on the Internet has learned that cyberspace is home to a plague of scams designed to extract money from unsuspecting victims, collect and use private information, and even seize control of their computers through malicious hacks.

Social networking site Twitter is not immune to scammers; in fact, the rate in which Twitter scams are being discovered and reported is growing steadily as more sophisticated criminals try their hand at Twitter scams.

Many of the Twitter scams are just slight variations of phishing scams: you receive an email that appears as though it is sent by Twitter or by a Twitter user. The email either mentions that there is a problem with your account, of, if pretending to be from a Twitter user, displays as a direct message asking you to log into Twitter to view a posted picture or some other item or message of interest. In both scenarios, the key factor is that you are being enticed to click the link provided in the email to log into Twitter.

However, this is in fact a classic phishing scam. The link does not actually go to Twitter, even though the page you land on might look like Twitter. It is in fact a cleverly designed copycat site that will capture your username and password when you attempt to log in.

A somewhat inventive Twitter scam utilized Twitter itself to gather usernames and security question answers from users. Dubbed the “Twitter porn name scam”, this hashtag trend invited users to create a funny porn name for themselves by adding their answers to common security questions to their username. Once this was tweeted, the Twitter scammer now possessed the usernames and security question answers to many accounts. Because Internet users often use the same info for various accounts, scammers could often hack into users email accounts with a few tries, and possibly even a bank account.

Another Twitter scam sends a message to Twitter users that tries to convince them that they have just won a free cell phone, and provides a link to claim their prize. Clicking the link sends users to a website where they need to fill out their current cell phone number and a few minor details. The scam then succeeds in enrolling the user in a subscription text service of one kind or another.

These are just a few of the Twitter scams populating the social networking site; some are still being used, and new ones appear regularly. It is important to always remember never to give anyone personal information without being able to accurately verify who they are, and always type the Twitter web address into a browser yourself in order to login, rather than using links provided in emails.

Using a Twitter Profile to Gain a Following

When you use Twitter for marketing purposes, one of the first things you want to focus on is your profile. This will not only indicate to other users who you are, but whether or not you have something of interest for them. How you create your profile can either encourage or discourage others from becoming part of your marketing success.

Keep your profile highly intentional and well targeted. Stick to the plan and don’t mix your personal profile with your marketing profile. Don’t include unnecessary personal information, pictures of your pets or your most recent vacation, or stories of that funny thing your two year old did the other day if it has no bearing on your marketing.

Use a real name, not a company name. Most people will use their real name, although some people prefer to use a pseudo name when they start marketing on Twitter in case they make a mistake and have to create a whole new campaign. If you use a company name you’re going to turn people off. A real name is a personal connection.

Your username should reflect something important, powerful, and relevant. You can use branding here if it fits. You can also use your profession. Avoid usernames that are irrelevant and personal like soccerguy, catlady021, or sailingfan if they have no bearing on your business.

Make sure you take the time to enter the information that is requested in the profile set up. People like to know who they are dealing with and that there is an actual person on the other end. An incomplete profile is actually a red flag that will keep potential followers away.

Your bio is the place to interject who you are. It’s not a resume or a chance to write a brief cover letter. This is where you can bring some of your personality and even an interest or two into the limelight. You can present yourself as a real person here. This helps to create connection in the right setting.

While you might be tempted to lock your Tweets to feel like you have control over who is following you and who isn’t, this is a bad idea. Remember that this is for marketing purposes. Any locked settings will often prevent someone from following you. Make it an open account. Set up a locked account for your personal Tweets, not your marketing ones.

A headshot is not a bad idea as it gives a face to the name. If you are busy on more than one site, it’s usually recommended that you use the same headshot for all sites. Tweeters are often Facebookers and etcetera. Maintaining the same look will help. However, use something different for your personal accounts. Avoid avatars, especially those that are cutesy and irrelevant.

Marketing isn’t just about being out there. It’s about being out there and getting noticed. Therefore, taking the time and using a custom background in order to reflect either your brand or the proper qualities of your business is a great idea. It shows your potential followers that you are not just here for a day to “see what happens” and it helps extend your familiarity.

Twitter has a very useful tool for helping your profile become more follower friendly. If you take a moment and use the grader (twitter.com/grader) you’ll be able to receive direct feedback in helping your profile reach more users in a more productive manner.