Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time
Product Description
Get the business leader’s guide to using Twitter to gain competitive advantage.Since 2006, forward-thinking companies like Apple, JetBlue, Whole Foods, and GM have discovered the instant benefits of leveraging the social media phenomenon known as Twitter to reach consumers directly, build their brand, and increase sales. Twitter is at the leading edge of the social media movement, allowing members to connect with one another in real time via short text messages?call… More >>
Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time
June 30th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I got this book because I was looking for help twittering the girls I meet.
This book didn’t have a thing to with with twittering. I read it cover to cover and all it talks about is chatting on the web. That doesn’t work. The best way to twitter is face-to-face.
I think the author could have done a better job of describing what this book is about. Maybe Mr Comm doesn’t know that “twittering” is the same as seducing women and “market” is another name for a one-night stand, which is the goal of twittering.
If you want to read a book by a true twittering master, I recommend The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed instead.
Rating: 1 / 5
June 30th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I have still not received my book and an article bought from another US
company after your order was delivered to me 2 weeks ago
Rating: 1 / 5
June 30th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Well, well, well… here we were all set to publish a write-up on Joel Comm’s recently released `Twitter Power’ one of the many, many books that have popped up in the wake of the phenomenon that is the world’s largest social networking micro-blog, when all of a sudden we get a call from the book’s publicist in New York asking if we would like to cover – wait for it – the new edition!
Now assuming Twitter books will be almost as prolific and quick to market as third-party Twitter apps (there are well over 1,000 already), we better get going on this! In `Twitter Power 2.0: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time,’ writer Comm takes us on a virtual tour of all the main features of the micro-blog site and the numerous ways that Twitter can be used to expand one’s sphere of influence or to build a following by spreading communication on behalf of one’s business. Like many Twitter tomes, Comm explains how to get started on Twitter, how to build a following, the rules of community, tweet protocol and a complete explanation of all the basics needed to begin using Twitter `correctly.’ Comm goes onto explain, through many of his personal examples (he is a big social networking blogger as well) how to use basic strategies to build and engage your audience through the quality of your tweets, creating a variety of announcements, contests, etc. Comm further illustrates how to manage teams via Twitter and concludes with a tour of the basic third-party applications available for Twitter (Twit-pic, TweetDeck, Twillow, TwitterCounter, etc…) as well as a discussion of some ways to use the Twitter API.
In the end, `Twitter Power 2.0 is not so much about power (as it’s name implies) but rather Twitter basics. It is a beginners book, not an advanced volume. Perfect for someone who still hasn’t joined the world of Twitter, but apt to be seen as boring or nothing new, for those who have already been using the micro-blogging service for a year or more. If you or someone you know has yet to explore Twitter, `Twitter Power’ may be a good place to begin. If you are already a regular user, there is little new here that you won’t already know and may find other books (Brian Solis’s `Engage’ for example) more your speed.
Rating: 2 / 5
June 30th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
I enjoyed reading Twitter Power by Joel Comm. The underlying points are to understand that Twitter can:
- build relationships
- be a communication tool
- allow you to make friends and help people
- grow your network of resources to create more fulfilling connections
Using Twitter has helped me appreciate real-life relationships even more – by realizing the potential and power of sharing, listening and contributing.
If there’s one thing Joel’s book wants you to remember, it’s that `Tweeting is a process.’
The book opens with the explanation of how the low-cost of publishing content online means that we’re not being talked to by professional writers and publishers as much anymore, but we’re talking to each other. Joel explains the social media concept and why it’s so important by people who use it. We’re not just creating conversation, we’re creating communities.
The first several chapters are helpful for beginner tweeters, and offer many tips for personal as well as corporate tweeting. But my interest perked up beginning with chapter 8, Using Twitter to Help Build Your Brand. This is a hot topic for local tweeps I am following. Joel mentions how companies that `don’t get it’ can have a negative impact on their brand.
“Firms that don’t get social media look like interlopers, uninvited guests who have gatecrashed the cool people’s party.”
Joel gives examples of many companies that get it right, and some that just don’t get it. It’s important to know that people and Twitter followers prefer to know that there is a person behind the company. While it’s important to remember a company’s tweets should appear human, they’re also representing the company. For corporate branding there needs to be a balance or at least understanding to `mix it up’ when it comes to types of tweets.
I did enjoy this book; it was an easy read and I appreciate the references to Twitter strategies, as well as links to the many sites and Tweeters both personal and corporate, of which I value their advice and am now following.
@webbiegirl on Twitter
http://www.mialynnlee.com/category/book-review-twitter-power-by-joel-comm/
Rating: 4 / 5
June 30th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Pretty much everyone has heard of Twitter. Commercials and web sites all talk about Twitter. Just what is this Twitter website – and how can you use it to develop your brand?
Joel’s book “Twitter Power” is aimed at the very novice user. Not only that, but this is really a “Joel Promotion Book” which mentions Joel’s business brands at least 8,000 times. I am probably not exaggerating. But let’s start from the beginning.
Joel says that 2 years is a “lifetime” in internet terms, to show how powerful Twitter is – and then promptly quotes stats about Twitter from back in August 2008. Isn’t that a “lifetime” ago? He promotes his blog, his mom’s blog, his photos … aren’t we supposed to be discussing Twitter here? When he’s digressing about Flickr, he’s showing images of StumbleUpon nonsense.
His stats are often meant to be encouraging but are highly questionable. He says half of Twitter’s users only follow 10 people or are followed by 10 people. That to be in the top 10 of all of Twitter you only need 80 followers. He’s trying to make you think, “Hey, I could do that!” But as usual, these stats are rather silly. Surely this is including INACTIVE accounts. I am sure most ACTIVE Twitter users have more than 10 followers. It’s twisting information to suit his purposes.
Twitter isn’t a “teen” thing. A full quarter of users are 35-44 years old. This is primarily a way for adults to stay in touch with topics they are interested in. It’s a free press release engine that directly reaches people fascinated by your topic.
He then moves into a few useful tidbits. Choose a meaningful username (like “TrekBikes” rather than “xyzzyforfun”). Post a good quality photo to brand yourself as high quality, and use your background to continue that promotion. Make valuable posts, not spam. Many people get their tweets on their cell phones, where they pay per message, and they will delete you quickly if you make them pay for garbage. Don’t just mass join other people in the vain hopes of getting friends. Search on your topic and join matching people. Web users are very savvy about the quality vs quantity issue.
Don’t just blast your message. Engage in conversations and provide value. Don’t create multi-tweet messages where you have to read each one in order. Twitter isn’t built like that. Consolidate your message into short posts, and link to an external blog if you need more info. Speak in full English whenever you can. Yes, it’s a challenge to get it to fit in the space required – but it means you have to post quality content.
When you post something generic, like “going to the library”, always have a personal touch on it, to connect with users. Add in fun tweets to bring a smile, and discount ideas, to save money. Use the feed for news, support, feedback, and offers.
Put your Twitter info in your email signatures, on your business cards. Have it a normal part of your branding.
A pet peeve of mine – Joel encourages people to run contests but makes NO mention of the serious legalities involved. What if you run a contest and are eliciting addresses from under-13 users, and get sued for the dangerous privacy issues that involves? Contest are gambling, and many countries have VERY serious laws against gambling.
There’s a thirty day plan in here, but really it’s very simple. Create an account. Follow people. Make posts. Make more posts.
I read through the book, gave it a month to ponder, and then read the entire book again. I had almost the exact same notes both times. He is WAY too heavy on his personal promotion in here. This is almost a “support Joel and his projects” book. He is VERY light on details and examples.
Yes, if you’ve never used Twitter at all, you’ll find this useful – but you’d find many other competing books FAR more useful without all the self promotion in it.
Rating: 3 / 5