What's All The Tweeting About?

What's All The Tweeting About?
Twitter Offers A Unique Platform For Communication

Twitter is a "microblog". Think of it like a blog, only smaller... in fact you only have 140 characters (not words, characters) to communicate a message, so what you say has to be short, concise and of interest.

Twitter is simply a means to communicate with an audience of people who want to hear what you have to say. It's two way communication with your customers and prospects. And it's free!

Using Twitter is very easy - you sign up for a Twitter account and then start posting the 140 character messages, known as 'tweets', immediately. Once you've posted a tweet, it goes into your Twitter feed. Anybody who is following your tweets will then see your update within their own Twitter account - similar to how a blog's RSS feed communicates with RSS readers.

Of course, if your 'followers' are subscribed to hundreds of people, you may only have exposure on the main page of their account for just a few seconds, which is one of the reasons that people Twitter so much - so they can stay top of mind.

By default, Twitter feeds are set to public. This means that you can search for anybody who uses Twitter and see all of their past tweets.

So, what's all the fuss about this tool. And, how can you as marketer think about using it? Try these ideas:

· Extending the reach for those individuals or companies that already have a blogging strategy in place, and want to deepen or further ties. Good examples: Carnival Cruise Lines. The ScienceNewsBlog's weather tracking updates. Andy Carvin's PBS blog on education and technology.

· Retailers announcing sales and deals. Good example: Deals on Dells. Blue-light specials at Amazon.

· Increasing the ability for frequent updates to blogs or web sites or news. Examples: The NY Times, CNN, BBC, Adrants, and those of us here at MarketingProfs.

· Building consensus or a community of supporters. President Obama's successful campaign can be tied directly to his use of Twitter and Obama News Updates.

· Building buzz. Example: Sneak previews for followers.

· Updating breaking news at conferences or events. Share your experience with your followers presents you as a thought leader.

· Updating your network to shape your own personal branding: What's going in your life and your business.

So, is this hype or the next thing? Probably somewhere in between. Social media continues it's evolution and Twitter represents the latest platform breaking down the walls of communication as we've know it.

Sources: Marketing Profs, Web Profits

The New Shape of Shapes Salon & Day Spa

Asterisk Creative has teamed with Shapes Salon & Day Spa to create a website that is both visually appealing and user friendly. The site allows for monthly specials, on-line gift cards, and booking. Take a moment to visit the site at www.shapesdayspa.com.

The website is just the first step in the new evolution in Shapes. They will be using a variety of interactive media to stay in touch with their clients. So, be on the look out for specials on services and products.

Shapes Salon & Day Spa is a premiere full service day spa with three locations to serve their guests.

Common Market

The AC team is very excited to welcome our new neighbor, Common Market, to the South End. Stop by and check them out. They have an awesome selection of beer and wine. It is a great place to grab lunch or to just chill out after work!
http://www.commonmarketclt.com/

Hire Resolution

Asterisk Creative teamed with Hire Resolution to create a website that conveys their fresh approach to finding the right fit when hiring new employees. We created a vibrant site that drives home their innovative approach.

Check it out at www.hireresolution.com

Asterisk Creative Cafe

The Asterisk Cafe is open for business. We understand that we feed ourselves everyday and we need to do the same thing for our businesses. Remember this!

Marketing is the food for your business... So, order up one of our tasty originals or a side item to kick start your business!

User Friendly Websites & SEO

The design principle at Asterisk Creative has always been to design and build user friendly websites. We approach each project with a results driven strategy and search engine strategy.

Take a moment to read this article to further understand how important a well designed sites means to your site conversion rates and SEO.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=103636

On-Line Marketing in 2009

There are so many great advances in technology that have created new visual mediums to create brand awareness and to capture greater market share

A recent headline from eMarketer trumpeted Marketers Eye Online Video in 2009. The stats below show what marketers are focusing on.



Video gets the attention of about two-thirds of marketers. This is pretty significant. But more than 4 out of 10 are also eyeing social media.

All of these offer great opporunity to market your company, but you have to start with a solid, well designed, and user friendly site. The idea is to drive traffic to your site and to convert users into sales.