If you’re like most people, you’re still trying to figure out exactly how Twitter works, and how it can fit into your home based business marketing strategy. Well, don’t fret because you’re not alone. Many novice and experienced marketers alike are figuring out how to integrate this powerful social media tool into their marketing plans.Launched in 2006, today it is estimated that approximately 5 million people are Twitter users, with approximately 5 to 10 thousand new users joining every day. Clearly, this social networking site has the potential to put your home based business in front of thousands of prospective customers in a matter of minutes.Twitter is a public forum, and some have described it as “instant messaging to the public.” Here’s how Twitter works, on a basic level: Twitter allows you to post texted-based updates, or short messages called “Tweets” limited to 140 characters per tweet. Tweets are displayed on the poster’s Twitter profile, and delivered to those people or “followers” who have signed up to follow you on Twitter. The good news is that you can post an unlimited amount of tweets per day related to your home based business, allowing you to get around the 140 character limitation. When individuals signup to follow you on Twitter, they will see all of your tweets, therefore, the key is to establish a large group of followers who will see your updates on a regular basis.Once you establish your Twitter account, you can begin to build a following by searching for people who have a Twitter account and viewing their followers list.When you view their followers, you can simply click on the button to the right of the person’s picture, and follow each of those individuals on Twitter. Because many individuals set their accounts to automatically follow you back, by following others on Twitter, you can build a massive following of your own quickly, and therefore, build a following for your home based business.Another way to build a following is to simply tell all of your family, friends and associates to sign up as your followers on Twitter. You should also place your twitter URL on all marketing and promotional items. Once you have established a large enough following, you’ll really be able to leverage the power of mass communication. For example, a home based business owner with a following of 100 can literally tweet home base business or product information to those 100 individuals on a daily basis with no costs and minimal effort.Because Twitter is a public forum, however, it’s important to remember to keep your tweets professional, while still giving a personal touch. Tweeting about home based business updates or product information is fine, as long as you balance those posts with helpful or useful information from your particular niche of the home based business industry. Too much self-promotion on Twitter can leave a bad impression among the Twitter community, and can actually damage your business reputation on the long run.
More Thoughts on Why Most Home Based Businesses Fail
Many of us have tried different home based businesses; MLM’s, Direct Sales, Network Marketing, whatever you want to call it, with no success to show for hours of pitching but damage to our relationships with the friends & family we’ve pitched to. Frustrated, we vow to never get duped into another “scheme” again. Here’s the truth about most home based MLM’s and Network Marketing Opportunities: they have too many variables for failure.Variable for Failure #1 – The “Warm” Market: Most home based businesses tell you to start out by writing a list of 100 people you know. Then you are told to pitch your product or opportunity to these people. There is a HUGE problem with this. These people already know you! They know you’re broker than a pyromaniac on the 4th of July! They are never going to join you in a business until you can prove to them that you are successful. If you want to have a successful home based business, you need to find a system that will teach you how to attract people to your opportunity that are already looking for it!Variable for Failure #2 – The “Presentation” Meeting/Party: Attempting to draw people to your product, service, or opportunity through small meetings and parties is flat-out a waste of time. You need to use a vehicle that places your business right under the nose of people who are already looking for it. Millions of people are using the Internet everyday to search for the products and services they desire. Your business needs to be online, on the front page of Google!Variable for Failure #3 – Lack of Automation: Robert Kiyosaki said, “The only difference between a rich person and a poor person is how they use their time.” He also said, “The poor and middle class work for money. The rich have money work for them.” Many home based business owners get burnt out because they lack systems that automate many redundant tasks. They don’t have an automated system for drawing new, targeted prospects to their business. They don’t have an automated system for presenting their product to their prospects. They don’t have an automated system for signing up new members or customers. And they don’t have an automated system for training new team members. As a result, they never gain the time freedom they truly desire. Automation is the key to freeing up time. The most successful home based business owners are those who have systems at work in their business. They have systems for pitching their products, closing their sales and placing orders. These systems allow successful business owners to make money while they are taking a shower, getting their teeth cleaned or seeing a movie! Now that’s the way to do business!Variable for Failure #4 – YOU: Let’s face it, you are not the best sales person. You’re not even sure you understand what owning your business is all about. Many home based business opportunities get you to sign up, promising that your sponsor will teach you everything you need to know to make big bucks. What if your sponsor drops off the face of the Earth a couple weeks after you join? Then what do you do? When considering your next home based business opportunity, find a way to see what their training is like. If the company has an option to fully refund your start-up kit within 30 or 60 days, you may want to consider joining and take a good look at their training materials. If you don’t like what you see, get your money back! A cutting-edge company will have several different forms of training: live calls, recorded calls, video tutorials, webinars and live events. The best home based business opportunities will equip you to never having to rely on a sponsor again.
A Guide on Successful Product Creation and Internet Marketing
Product creation in Internet marketing is getting stiffer and stiffer nowadays owing to tough competition between Internet-based businesses. Putting up a new product requires plenty of brainpower and finances along with an ability to take risk. With that, even if you have the product well-set already, you have to position it strategically in the Internet landscape for others to notice. You should get the interest of Web users and turn them to actual customers. Aside from the usual physical products, many different products that thrive well on Internet marketing include E-books, membership sites, and video lectures.
The long and difficult process of product creation begins with ideas. They are easy to get – compared to the effort that comes with analyzing the market for that idea. Before the idea turns to a product, businesses often spend money, even amounting to millions of dollars, to ensure the success of the new product that emerges from an idea. Businesses undertake many types of market research and surveys before releasing their products to the public. Now, you may think that because your business is small, you can’t afford research or you don’t have to do research; you can and you should. The Internet allows you to disseminate materials needed for your market study to many people at once without your having to spend a cent.
It is a common maxim in business: Look at your destination first before mapping out your journey. So what are the goals you intend to accomplish with your product creation ventures? The everyday travails of your business may make you forget the end in sight. On the other hand, prepare to entertain new developments that come to your mind in your product creation. Your conception of a product may have started this way, but a few tweaks here and there along with some market research results and it ends up another way. Take it as the result of a creative process, not as a failure to reach your goal. After all, your product creation activities are intertwined with a long-term goal that you should strive to sustain at your utmost: profit generation. So if your less profitable initial idea evolves to a more profitable product, be thankful!
With your product made up already, start doing some aggressive Internet marketing. A product purchase typically comes after more than five times a customer is exposed to an informative call-to-buy message. Thus it is important to get the contact details, like the e-mail address, of potential customers who are on the brink of a sale. Use the results of your market research to determine the demographics to which you should concentrate your marketing efforts.
With consistent product creation, you can make an inventory of your products that you can market in due time. Just keep making products – the moment you succeed in making and marketing a product, customers are surely wanting more from you, so give it to them. Keep them on your side through constant product creation.