Great Twitter Management Tool

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[box type=”note”]Important note: This is an older post and some of the features described here are no longer supported by Tweetadder.[/box]

Tweetadder: The Power of Automated Network Building

For the past several months, we have been trying out a popular Twitter automation program called Tweetadder. What Tweetadder does is allows you to automate a number of important tasks related to your Twitter accounts. It is truly a fantastic program for marketing on twitter. Here is my review thus far:

Tweetadder review

Features include automation that allow you to:

I manage a large number of accounts and Tweetadder has been magnificent so far at handling them all. It is a local program that you install on your computer, rather than a web based program such as Hootsuite. This has advantages and disadvantages but for the most part I am happy with. I like the fact that it is a one time purchase and not something you must subscribe to monthly.

What I primarily use this program for is helping grow the network size of my accounts. To do this, you create some automated searches for keywords relating to your account. Then you automate the number of follows and unfollows per day. Lastly I automate the thank you messages to send out something polite and relevant to each account.

In the end, once everything is configured, all I do is look at the program now and then. It makes me smile every time. Every account grows very quickly and I do almost nothing. I do use Hootsuite for actually tweeting but Tweetadder can be an effective tool for that as well if you want to do it all in one.

I have had to contact support several times about a few issues but each time they responded to me in a reasonable time frame and were able to solve my problems.

The two biggest drawbacks are rooted in the fact that it is a local and not a web based application. Because of this, your computer must be on for Tweetadder to do anything. Also, collaboration is difficult because your settings will be stored on the computer. They can be transferred to other machines but it has to be done manually. Plus you only get two or three licenses.

In conclusion, Tweetadder is a very helpful program for anyone who manages multiple accounts and wants to grow a large, relevant following.

One Fantastic Concept Every Strategic Marketing Plan Should Address, Who Eats My Beef?

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If your goal is to create a brand that attracts fantastic, loyal clients, then answering this question is important, “Who will consume what I provide?” Who will buy what I sell and who will buy the most of it? Here’s an analogy, If I sell Kobe Beef, I’ll want to find the people who will eat it.  Even more so, I’ll want to find the people who will eat a lot of it.

Focused marketing efforts on narrower, more capable, target audience reduces the cost of operating and increases profits.  Keeping the choices of where to search for new clients focused, and removing excess headcount from direct marketing campaigns decreases cost. Loading the sales funnel with clients who not only want the product, but also have the resources to buy it, improves the amount of revenue per dollar spent.

Back to the Kobe beef analogy, I’m not trying to convert vegetarians.  I’m not looking for people who can only afford chicken, pork or even the common masses who eat beef. I’m looking for people with the resources and desire to buy high end Japanese beef!  Correctly identifying the target audience creates a company with faster client acquisition and increased profitability.

It’s my belief that Entrepreneurs and small business owners get the concept and implement it in most of their important decisions, except when it comes to marketing. Here’s my hypothesis. When looking at buying into a company, if there’s too much friction to closing, or too much work with too little profit Entrepreneurs won’t buy in.

Conversely, if it looks like a profitable scenario then they’ll sign on and start to work hard.  They’ll dedicate time, blood, sweat and tears to build something from nothing.  Pride grows around what has been built.  It’s the best, our customer service is better than the next, our prices are set just right, and an all too common creep of scope begins.

I believe it grows from a desire to sell the product or service to everyone that we can.  A sales thought process wrapped around quotas and validated by the fear that a group that “could” or “should” buy will be excluded from our reach. Yes, everyone who eats meat “should” be able to enjoy Kobe, but not everyone has the resources to buy, and this is the distinction.

Yes they should. Perhaps they could, but how hard does the company have to work to get the sale.  Why waste the money trying to talk the masses into buying, when we can simply refine the target to include only those with the resources and desire to act.  Remove the friction. Remove the work. Hand hot leads off to closers and increase conversions.

So, you relate to this analogy.  You want to speed up customer acquisition and decrease costs.  Address this one fantastic concept, internalize it and answer the question, “Who will eat the most of my beef” or, how do I identify my target audience? No matter how you slice this question up, the answer comes through marketing research.

It can range from simple conversations and brainstorming to intricate surveys and focus groups.  It can be low budget or high, but the more you put in to this part of your strategic planning, the more you will profit later.  Whether you’re starting a business in Michigan and creating a new business marketing strategy, whether you’re a longstanding company in Jackson County expanding market penetration, or whether you’re a regional organization looking to expand nationally, the process starts by looking internally to define yourself and your audience.

Reason to Exist? What’s in a Marketing Plan

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To be your self in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I had a conversation with Eric Stroller where we were discussing a template I’d created for a Social Media Marketing plan. One of the points he identified as being critically important was a section on why the client should use social media.  He said that he thought, “… all companies should have a “raison d’etre”, a reason to exist.”  Hence the title of this post.  Regardless, Eric had a point that struck deep with me.  That if you’re going to lay out a plan, you better realized why you’re doing it.

Why you’re doing something is critical.  Why do you sell what you sell?  is it because you want to make money?  If so, check out this TED video featuring Simon Sinek:

http://vimeo.com/12892793

Simon and Eric share a common belief: Understanding “why” is critical to everything else you do when creating a plan. Why am I in business?  It’s not to make money.  Making money is a side product.  Why do my clients buy from me? It’s not quality or price, it’s because they see what you see; they believe what you believe.   This above all else dictates emotional connection.  So, who connects with you?  Can you answer, “Who is my ideal client?” Who gets you? Who believes what you believe?

social environments of people just like your best customers.  Where are they?  Are they online? More than likely, but maybe not.  It’s the answers to the questions; why, who and where that will dictate how to go to market and what marketing vehicles will be effective in a strategic marketing plan.

In future posts, I’ll dive into the benefits of target marketing, segmentation, effective methods for understanding your target audience, and we’ll look at some ideas for implementing those ideas, working out who your ideal clients are, and how to replicate the success you already enjoy. Sign up for ownRSS feed for updates or follow me on Twitter, facebook or LinkedIn to read this exciting next post.