Tweexchange…Easy Branding for your Twitter and Web Presence

Social-marketing media today is lightning fast. Dream up a business venture, a blog, a political action committee…well, anything? Then you better get legit. And on the Web, that means a Facebook account, a Twitter handle, and a website with media and a great blog. But creating a brand–the name and image you project to the public–requires a seamless transition across social-media networks.

That’s why Tweexchange is such a cool idea. It’s the latest Twitter app from Long Island’s Blast Applications. Tweexchange used to operate outside the Twitter TOS as a black-market bazaar for buying and selling Twitter handles. Now, this speedy site instantly checks whether the username you’ve picked out for your new Twitter account is still available. If it’s not, the site will offer up a list of similar alternative names. The coolest part? Tweexchange has joined with GoDaddy.com, so you can also see which website domain names related to your username are available.

I decided to try it out myself, imagining that, one day, Ashley_Urbane could launch as a Twitter feed/website dedicated…well…to me (I’ll come up with a brilliant idea later). So I typed Ashley_Urbane into Tweechange. Whoops…it was taken already (by me!). But a ton of similar names were available…Ashley_Urban, Ashley_Urba, Ashley_Urbanes, Ashley_U (maybe I’ll open an online university?)…you get the idea. Right next to my potential Twitter names, the Tweexchange linked up all of the available GoDaddy domain names. AshleyUrbane.com?! Sounds like a winner!

If someone is selfishly hoarding the Twitter username you covet, you can opt to be notified when it becomes available (Twitter deletes usernames 60 days after their suspension). As the Washington Post notes, the notification service costs $5–chump change if you’re branding the business of your dreams.

CoolTechZone.com says, “Clever is one way to describe Tweexchange utilizing GoDaddy’s desire to built up their existing customer base.” That’s true, but it’s also a fast and easy way for the tech-fearful in America to brand themselves in the blink of an eye.

Blast Applications, the founder of Tweexchange, was just accepted into the Apple IPhone developer program. Their last application, Tweact, flips text so it’s mirrored upside down–a fun way to freak your friends out online.

Social Media Marketing: Scaling the Beast

I had an opportunity to chat with Chris Boudreauxover over the holiday break about a number of things surrounding Social Media, and the many projects he is pioneering. I will be presenting at the upcoming Optimization Summit with Chris and several other great speakers. Chris created SocialMediaGovernance.com which provides tools and resources for leaders and managers who want to get the most from their social media and social application investments.

Chris penned a recent article over on his blog titled Tips for Scaling Social Media, which  outlines the topic nicely. The next question that clients typically ask once they wrap their minds around the multitude of benefit that Social Media offers, is, how can we do this in our organization? Or, the larger mid size business chime that Social Media only works for small businesses and doesn’t scale for us.

Social Media Has an Evolution Process

We have all lived in Instant America for some time now,and in business we expect results quickly. There is certainly several “Soft Sell” pieces about Social Media Marketing, however, the primary reason for any business to utilize Social media marketing is, To Sell More Stuff Anything less than selling more stuff, to more people for more money is Just a Hobby.

It Is Only What You Put Into It

Like, how may times have we ever heard that, lot’s right, but it rings very true with Social Media Marketing. While your organization will greatly benefit from enhanced SEO that Social Media Marketing  quietly delivers, the real Pay Dirt comes with time as you move Left to Right across the graph that Chris has laid out.

Does It Get Easier

As you and your organization traverse the Social Media trek, a wonderfully amazing occurrence surfaces. Your customers, those folks some have labeled as Evangelists start to circle the wagon. They bring lots of vibrant energy to your Brand, and, the real pay off comes when the Evangelists start to help you Sell More Stuff.

Engagement; A Lost Art

We speak of Engagement with the customer today as if that is something new, but it really is just a Lost Art. I grew up in a small rural farming community in mid state Ohio. My father was a home builder. We lived on a small farm that my grandfather and father sort of farmed.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

The closet town was a few miles away. Way before 24/7 grocery stores, the ones that used to close by 6:00 PM and just sold groceries, AND they bagged AND carried your groceries to the trunk of your car. The owner of the store was also the head butcher. Whenever we would go to the grocery store my folks were always greeted by first name, seemingly by everyone in the store. But the piece I remember the most was that the store owner “Knew” our family, all of us, and knew lot’s of things about us, including exactly how my dad liked his cut of meat.

The biggest takeaway from all of this was the Experience, in a time when creating that happened as a part of the business exchange, and not a targeted strategy.

Are Those Days Gone

Certainly lots 0f Brands are working hard to create and execute a Customer Experience. Will the days of the grocer knowing the cut of meat ever return, well, maybe.

Think about Amazon, Netflix, iTunes, they all know me pretty well, and they know individually other of our family members, at least based on our preferences. They have enacted a different form of Engagement, and I can even reciprocate with comments and reviews.

We Are Connecting Again
We returning to those old days of Engagement, albeit it may not look exactly the same. Think about blogs, (we do that here at Digital Sherpa you know, LOL) Blogs allow a two way conversation, and a rich interaction with the followers and commentators, and Your Customers, and Your Competitors Customers.

And there is another thing, a pretty important one too, the Internet allows like minded folks to connect and organize at hyper speed, literally with a single click. It does that by scanning for “keywords and phrases”, henceforth that whole world of SEO (Search Engine Optimaxzation) has unfolded.

The Internet, allows your Company Blog to be a super charged Outreach Machine. Provide some great and value driven content on your Blog, and guess what Shows Up, Engagement!

Social Media Campaigns Build Strong Community Preference

Consumers are engaging with businesses and brands they follow through social networks and media platforms. A recent study by Razorfish entitled “FEED: Digital Brand Experience Survey” polled users that were active “friending” businesses as summarized in a recent report.

The research showed a dramatic increase in awareness or inclination to consider the brand when in the market to buy, and then to ultimately purchase or recommend the businesses’ service or products for consumers following those businesses through their online social communities. Here are some of the highlight results:

DigitalSherpa programs allows companies and brands to integrate social media into their marketing plans by simplifying the process and doing all the heavy lifting at an extremely affordable monthly cost. Just email us at ajapko@nci.com and let us help you put the social web to work for your business.