Twitter is one of those social media venues people seem to "get" or they are completely lost on "why" they should use twitter.
In the words of Dave Barnhardt,
"Twitter is the most powerful prospecting tool on the planet."
The following Twitter health check is for establishing a Twitter foundation. Using Twitter as a prospecting tool is its own topic. Stay tuned for that one.
Check Your Twitter Health and Score Below
o I have a twitter handle which reflects my real name/not my company or my job description.
o I have at least 1000 relevant followers and I follow at least 500 relevant people.
o I know who the leaders are in my industry and follow them on Twitter.
o I follow news staff or stations which report on my industry.
o I use http://search.twitter.com to locate targeted followers.
o I often Tweet about great service I receive at local businesses or questionable service from national brands.
o I have Twitter on my phone and can post throughout the day.
o I use a Twitter client such as TweetDeck or Hootsuite to search for key phrases and words from my followers in order to engage in real time conversation and provide opportunities to aid in solving their challenge.
o I use a Twitter management tool such as http://twitter.grader.com/ or http://www.twitalyzer.com/ to measure my activity, engagement and RT levels.
o I actively seek out new blogs and information on how to leverage Twitter for my business.
Rate Yourself
8-10– Congratulations, in general terms you are positioned to have Twitter serve your business needs. You can build in almost any direction knowing you have already created a foundation to support Advanced Marketing, Strategic Growth and operationally sound marketing systems.
7-8 – Health is good but a little more effort and it could be solid. You can still move into Advanced Marketing routines, however, a rating of 8 or above will assure advanced tactics are the most successful.
Danger Zone! 5-6 – Things could fail quickly. Remember your competition is eagerly trying to out score you. Many people in this range tend to “throw things against the wall to see what will stick”. This is a danger range and it’s easy to get lost, waste time, waste money. Don’t be fooled because there is some items in place, they have to be strong enough to build upon.
Below 5 – You are in danger of being “unmemorable” if not already there. This is typically the range of the beginning business or the “old school” business owner. This is the range to help you understand the starting point and how to narrow your focus for the most effective.
