MIMA panel advice on business use of Twitter

The Milwaukee Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) held a panel discussion recently in an attempt to get to the bottom of what it calls, Twitter 2.0 – The business case for Twitter. Panelists included our own John Gilbert, vice president of digital solutions, (@skyhawke); DeAnne Boegli, public relations manager for TDS Telecommunications (@tdstelecom); and Tarik Moody, a.k.a. The Architect, of 88Nine Radio Milwaukee (@RadioMilwaukee).

Each had different objectives for why they tweet for business. Tariq utilizes his Twitter network to find new bands, connect with listeners, and garner national exposure for 88Nine. DeAnne uses Twitter to make stronger connections with reporters who tweet, and to provide customers with service updates. John tweets for networking and tips sharing, which helps him provide strategic counsel to clients about their digital marketing strategies.

Overall, the panelists shared the same sentiment about tweeting for business. As with any communication vehicle, strategy should drive your decision to tweet or not to tweet. Twitter may not be right for every business. You must ask yourself a few strategic questions before you begin, such as:

• Is your target audience on Twitter and are they listening?
• Can you genuinely represent your company in 140 characters or less?
• Does micro-blogging make sense for your brand?
• Will your tweets be an authentic representation of yourself or your company?
• Are you ready for the transparency that comes with micro-blogging?

MIMA had such positive response to this panel discussion they are hosting a second discussion on June 18 as a follow-up. Click here for more details.