0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

94 ● 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business
Social. Instead of boosting business, the promotions actually backfired—
regular customers who weren’t savvy enough to sign up for the group discounts
were angry about paying full price. Many of the bargain hunters
never came back.
So, turn off your smartphone and read on for some really great ideas
from respected tech and social media gurus, including my friend, Guy
Kawasaki, best-selling author, speaker, and founder of www.alltop.com.
GREAT
IDEA
Twitter for Business: Tips
from Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki told me he believes business owners
don’t need a web site anymore.
Really?
“Web sites are a total waste of time,” declared Kawasaki, a best-selling
author and keynote speaker. He was one of Apple Computer’s first employees
and later returned to the company to craft its innovative marketing
strategy. “Twitter is fast, free, and ubiquitous. If a businessperson doesn’t
get it, that person is an idiot.”
No one wants to be an idiot, so I asked him how exactly can Twitter
help boost sales? Kawasaki says it’s simple: only tweet when you have something
interesting and important to share. “If all you do is promote yourself
on Twitter, no one will care.”
I asked Kawasaki to provide examples of how Twitter posts can translate
into dollars. “Dell Outlets use Twitter to advertise discounts on computers,”
he explained. “Koji BBQ is a street food vendor in Los Angeles.
They use Twitter to tell followers where to find their truck every day.”
He contends that Twitter works so well for business because it’s an
opt-in platform. Clients and customers who sign up to follow you or your
company are obviously interested in what you are doing or selling.
Kawasaki also pointed out that Twitter works really well for experts
in a particular field. For example, if you are a human resource consultant,
you can build a following by sending out practical personnel tips. Once you