Social media opens up a whole new playing field whose rules are still being defined.  While it is certainly an avenue a nonprofit should consider, all platforms are not created equal and a bit of research is required to determine what's right for a particular organization.

Twitter is a convenient, portable and ubiquitous social media platform that delivers messages, or "Tweets" of 140 characters or less in real time.  They can be sent and received using mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices, and there are a number of additional benefits to using Twitter as a means to get a message across, gather volunteers, solicit donations and follow up afterward. It forces all users equally to be brief and to the point, ensuring clarity on an even playing field.  With messages limited to simple text messages and small images, the message really stands out.  It is portable and fast, so updates can be sent while they are still fresh.  In addition, Twitter messages can also be "re-tweeted", adding the potential for exponential expansion of the charity's network.

However appealing Twitter is in the world of social media for nonprofits, nothing is perfect and there are potential downsides to the service, in particular regarding its use by well-meaning, but perhaps misguided volunteers.  The platform's viral capabilities are a double-edged sword. Great pieces of wit and wisdom and total flubs alike can be instantly spread around the world, with little hope of controlling the end result.  A tweet can go viral if it is re-tweeted by enough people, and the postings do not necessarily end with Twitter, as postings have wings and minds of their own in Facebook, Twitter and social sites.

Tweets, like Facebook posts, are open to impulsive decisions that cannot be taken back.  Allowing volunteers to tweet on behalf of the organization opens it up to a lot of potentially positive exposure, but it limits control over public perception and the brand. One misguided post or even a benign one taken out of context could potentially go viral and spell either the end of the campaign or a world of trouble trying to manage damage control.

While Twitter is an emerging force in the world of networking, it is not the only social media platform for nonprofits.  Before deciding to go the route of the tweet, organizers should evaluate how the platform fits in with their demographic, nonprofit branding and their overall fundraising goals. Twitter is a double-edged sword, but a powerful one.

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About the Author:
Born and brought up in Oklahoma City, having a Ph.D. in European History, Kelly is a passionate writer and a voracious reader. She has been fortunate enough to live in many countries and cultures because her husband Lawrence works with the US embassy and has to travel a lot. Kelly volunteers for a local non-profit organization to help underprivileged children, and works as a freelance writer the rest of the time.
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With the twitter user base now in excess of 100 million people, there should be no reason at all as to why your website, business, product or brand is not taking full advantage of this fantastic "microbloging" service. Twitter is now one of the biggest social media websites on planet today and is growing at an exponential rate! In this short article, we are going to give you some tips, techniques and strategies on how to get your website, business, product or brand started with Twitter.com

For more information about marketing with Twitter.com, please visit our website LearnIM.net

Once your account has been created, it is time to start work on your profile. Firstly find a good "avatar" or profile picture to use with your tweets.  Tip: people like to speak to other people and don't want to stare at a logo or business related image. Therefore, it is a good idea to upload a good mug shot of yourself. Make sure you choose a photo that you are happy to show the world as this will become your online image / avatar. Next you need to write a good BIO or biography about you or your business, product or brand, ideally you want to sound authoritative and position yourself as you have great information to contribute to the BIG conversation happening on your feed.  Next you need to go through and find people that you would like to follow. This is a very simple task to complete, simply go to the top of your Twitter window and click on the search bar to find people that you would like to follow. If you are in the knitting or Crochet niches, you would use the search terms "Knitting" or "Crochet" after you are happy with your chosen niche or area, you need to click on the "Search" tab located next to the box.  If there are people interested in your specified niche, (chances are there would be) you would instantly see a whole range of users appear below your search. The words or terms, in which you searched for, will be picked up as keywords in user's tweets.  Once you find a user or users that you would like to follow, and then simply move your cursor to the right of the user you want to follow and click on the follow tab. You are now following this user. Now you are all done as far as the general setup procedure goes, you can however access your profile by clicking on the "profile" tab to change further settings. Now you need to find good information / content that you want to promote to your followers (followers come from users following you after you have followed them or if they like your tweets / updates.) Make sure that you reference any or all information that you post to your profile (if it is not your own) to ensure the correct author's details are shown.

This pretty much sums up the basics of getting started, for more advanced information, please visit our website LEARNIM.NET

PLEASE NOTE: ALL INFORMATION MENTIONED ABOVE IS SIMPLY MY OPINION AND THEREFORE, NO GUARANTEES ARE MADE TO VALIDATE THE USE OF THE INFORMATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: LEARNIM.NET

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About the Author:
Tyler Leese runs a website called LearnIM.Net helping users to get started online with internet marketing, brand awareness, product exposure, business marketing etc. His highly sought after skills have put him in the front line of trusted internet marketing and social media marketing experts.
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This social site is still going strong and is officially defined as a social networking and micro-blogging service. You can think of Twitter updates as mini blog posts written in 140 characters or less.

Twitter is a little different from any other form of social media, but at its heart it is essentially a communication tool.  When people first begin using it, it can seem a bit confusing.  You may wonder, how can I really type anything of substance in 140 characters or less—and how can I make the most of it once I've signed up?

I personally built a large part of my own business through Twitter and many of my clients and students also report great success with this social media site, so what exactly is it that we are doing to bring about such stellar results?

Upon really giving it some thought, I came up with six important steps you can follow to get the most out of your time on Twitter.

1. Set Yourself Up for Success. When you create your Twitter profile at twitter.com, be sure to use a real photo of yourself and list your location and website URL.  For your Twitter bio, you don't get much room, so be sure to include a succinct description of what it is you do. Tip: Include keywords in your bio that reflect how you want to be found in a search.

2. Understand Twitter Lingo. Twitter has spawned a whole new world of vocabulary–some clever, some silly.  There are some basics you should be aware of, as you'll surely come across them being used sooner or later.  Brush up on the meanings of terms like "re-tweet," "direct message," "hashtag" and more. Tip: Check out the "Twittonary."

3. Build Your "Tribe."  The more people you follow on Twitter, the more followers you'll gain and the richer your experience will be.  Use directories like Twellow.com and Wefollow.com and Twitter's own "find people" function to get started.  Look for people who fall into your ideal target market by searching by keyword and/or location.  Tip: Search everything on Twitter in real-time by using search.twitter.com.

4. Build Those Relationships.  This is where the rubber hits the road.  I always say that Twitter works if you work it. First, understand why you are there and what your goals are, engage in 2-way conversation (instead of just broadcasting and promoting your own stuff all the time), continually follow good people and use Twitter consistently—once every two to three weeks does not a consistent user make!  If you have made the decision to use Twitter as a marketing tool, then really use it.  Tip: Find key people to build relationships with by using Listorious to search Twitter lists by category.

5. Generate Valuable Tweets.  Getting stuck on what to tweet about is a common stumbling block.  Be sure to share links and resources that reinforce your expertise, ask and answer questions, re-tweet and acknowledge others and show some of your personality.  Tip: Use tools like stufftotweet.com and the twitthis button to make finding and spreading content super simple.

6. Manage Your Time and Your Strategy.  Use a productivity tool like Hootsuite, a desktop client like Seesmic or Tweetdeck, and utilize Twitter lists and a Facebook application such as Selective Tweets to automate, delegate and save you valuable time.  Tip: Check out this post on social media productivity tools to get you up to speed.

The biggest Twitter takeaways?

•    Understand why you are there and what you are trying to achieve;
•    Spend a good a good amount of time interacting and engaging with others;
•    Mind your manners: for every 1 promotional tweet, do roughly 10 non-promotional tweets;
•    Share valuable content—yours and others';
•    Take advantage of the many tools and applications that can boost your productivity.

Follow my advice, and in no time, you'll be tweeting like a pro.

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About the Author:
Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. For FREE tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com
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If you aren't particularly familiar with Twitter, here's a quick run-down: It's a text-based social interface site that allows users to write short, 140-character messages (nicknamed "tweets") that are visible to everyone on the site. You extend your viewer base with a simple button labeled "follow" and there is no specific number indicated to how many people you follow. If they want to watch your tweets, it's very simple for them to follow you in return.

But before you jump right in and start, there are a few things you need to know to optimize your Twitter usage. Internet Marketing with Twitter is not about simply pushing your product. If all you do on Twitter is push link after link to just your website or product, you often won't gather the interest necessary to make this a lucrative venture.

So, on that note, I'll start with this: instead of pushing only your website and product tweet about things related to it as well. For example, let's say that you have a business selling electronics. Instead of merely pushing your online site, do also share news and innovations in the field. There is a good reason for this. People will often think you're just spamming them if what you do is send link after link to your page, and you don't want that. But by sharing related news as well, you not only look legitimate, but garner interest.

Another thing to think about when considering Twitter as an internet marketing tool is what you intend to actually say on it. As mentioned above, product links, related news, and innovations are a good start, but if you use those alone, it's often not enough. More ideas on things to tweet about might be special events or sales, daily offers, and employment opportunities. You can also use it to send short memos and notices to your employees if they don't work in the same office as you. The possibilities are vast in this sense.

A third thing you need to know is that in addition to Twitter itself, there are various programs you can use to take further advantage. One program, called NearbyTweets allows you to search for local Twitter users based on interest, and even arrange meet-ups if you desire. Another program is TwitterAnalyzer and it is essentially a tracker. It analyzes your Twitter account based on a number of factors, and tells you how much reputation your profile has, and how watched/followed it is.

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About the Author:
Nermin Hadzikadunic writes about internet marketing and social media for FindMaster.com. You can find out more about how social media is being incorporated into search engine optimization by visiting www.Findmaster.com
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The problem with this and pretty much every other thing in life, is that people want immediate gratification. There is no patience and no true understanding of the value of working to achieve the desired results. So, people turn to automated systems and other programs that offer to build their Twitter followers list overnight. I have two basic problems with those systems: they fill your followers list with spammers and other users which harm you more than they help you, and secondly, they can get your account removed. This is the Right way to build your list.

Find Gurus or Experts in Your Niche– Once you identify the Gurus in your area and go through their followers list and follow, on average, 3 to 5 pages worth of their followers. Make sure the people you add have posted something within the last few days. You don't want to add people who only sign in sporadically.
Use the "Find People" Feature – Click the "Find People tab on your Twitter page. You will be redirected to a page with a search box in it. Type in keywords related to t he market your wish to tap. Then, you will get a list of all the people who have added your keyword to their profiles. Add as many as 500 of the people from those results in a day.
Use Twellow – This is NOT an automating service. Twellow is the Twitter equivalent to Yellow Pages. The advantage of this site is that it allows you to find people based on groups, keywords and even location. You can then see their picture and bio right there and decide whether you want to follow them or not. You will also be able to see if you are already following them or not, and if they are following you. Use this tool to add no more than 500 people per day.
Follow Your Followers' Followers – Once you have alist of followers, go through the list and pick 3-5 people in your list and follow 3-5 pages of their followers. See, you will increase your exposure by an average of 1,000 people everytime you follow someone new. And, although these are followers of people who follow you, they do not have access to your tweets unless they have been re-tweeted (RT)
Provide Real Value – Make it a point to inspire, educate, and help people on Twitter. The more value you provide the more you RTs you will receive and the more your name will become known. Peopl will then want to follow you because of your content, not just because you followed them first.

A word of caution: Don't be too aggressive with any one strategy for adding followers on Twitter. If you get too hungry and start following thousands of people at a time, they will freeze your account until they figure out what you're doing, and you could have your account permanently removed. So, don't risk that. Remember, in most cases, and Twitter is no exception, slow and steady wins the race! Happy Tweeting!

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About the Author:
Marcy Amaro is the owner and creator of http://www.GlobalMarketingClassroom.com .  She is a Christian, wife, mother of two, and a former English teacher.  She has found a way to put her family back at the top of her priority list. You too can have the time and resources to focus on what's really important and enjoy life once more!   Find out how at http://www.StrategicMarketingMaven.com .
 
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This sounds simple, but tweeting should become a habit just like going to the gym.  Once you skip just one day at the gym, it's easy to break your healthy habit.  The same goes for Twitter, once you skip a day of tweets, it's easy to move this exposure out of your top priorities.  This can be a deadly use of social media. Make sure you are not only promoting your products or services or you will find you are losing your followers. Incorporate personal Tweets, maybe you're not focusing today and you need a Starbucks break.  Tweet about it! Who knows, your next client could be a huge Starbucks fan and begin to interact with you!

2. Build a friendship with your consumer.

In order to be at the top of your consumer's mind, you must build a relationship.  Consumers don't want to only be reminded of you when they are making a purchase; they want to have a continuous conversation. An easy way to strike up a conversation is #FF (or Follow Fridays), where you choose several of your followers and reply to them with #FF.
 
Example: #FF @SavvyWithJenna

3. Use humor to connect.

Strive for a light-hearted relationship.  Consumers want to enjoy the relationship you create and humor is the best way to establish it.  *Warning, remember you are still representing your business. Share a funny story about your day – a good laugh will always brighten someone's day.

4. Gain a focus.

Have an objective for your communication.  If you do not have a strategy, it is difficult to measure any effectiveness in your efforts.  Are you looking to target a special industry? Do you want to reach a target individual? Maybe you're looking for newly engaged brides, just search for #engaged!

5. Think like your consumer.

Consumers are faced with over 5,000 advertising messages a day.  Consider what will spark the interest of your followers.  How would you reach you with your message?  Give the consumer a message they want to talk about.  Twitter is a viral medium.  If you post something that is useful for your market, many will RT (or Re-Tweet) your message to their followers in turn spreading your messages even further than you can imagine. 

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About the Author:
About the Author:Jenna is the author of Driven: Start Savvy and Strong with Jenna, a weekly e-zine dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs. Driven serves advice on growing your business, enjoying your life, and expressing your unique style. Sign up for Driven: Start Savvy and Strong with Jenna today at http://www.savvyandstrongwithjenna.com/landingpage.html
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What hasn't been commented on is Brittish Airways total lack of response (well, as far as I can find); the silence is deafening.  BA does have a twitter account @British_Airways and is active on Twitter and has responded to other complaints around the same time:

But, apparently complete silence on the high profile Shane Warne. Mystifying. Or is this a new tactic (otherwise known as "the Emu strategy").

What are the lessons here? Following are some thoughts:

This is a classic example of how social media can negatively impact your brand. However it's also simply the classic example of customer feedback and how it is dealt with. Negative feedback is just as important as positive feedback, if not more so, as it gives a company true insight into where service improvements can be made.
This could be handled by BA as a great PR opportunity. My father always used to say (and it's probably a famous quote from someone) "It's not the mistakes you make that are important; it's the way you fix them". Social media is a great public forum; ideal for fixes.
Is BA monitoring its' brand on social media? Is it possible that these tweets weren't picked up until they were quoted in newspapers and on-line forums around the world? Monitoring is so important. With the tools available today companies can get instant social media feedback on their brands. If BA were really "switched on", these tweets could have been picked up and addressed at the time.
Does BA have a crisis management strategy? Again, there has been much reporting on BA's handling of recent strikes via social media and even positive comparisons to Nestle. But they knew the strikes were coming in advance. What about their response to negative social media press as it happens?

In summary, all companies (whether actively engaged in social media or not) should at the very least:

monitor what is being said about them and their brands and employees via social media
have a strategy to deal with any social media crisis that occurs (include a reputable social media lawyer).

Any thoughts on this?

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About the Author:
Vivienne brings a wealth of commercial expertise in all areas of managing a growing business. She heads up the marketing and business development areas of the practice as well as overseeing the commercial success of the business.
Vivienne has extensive international business development and management experience across a range of industries, working with major global corporations. Her key expertise lies in developing strategic relationships and ensuring ongoing business growth with attention to profit margin.
Her experience includes

Public relations with Shearwater, Zimbabwe
Account management with Lonrho PLC's Russian trading division, London
Account management with BankEnd, Finland and Estonia
Global account management with Global One Telecoms (JV Sprint USA, Deutsche Telecom and France Telecom), Sydney

Vivienne has worked with many global corporates including, Deutsche Bank, ING Bank, Nestle, Phillip Morris and Deloittes.
She is an experienced and professional public speaker, particularly when given the opportunity to articulate her enthusiasm for B2B engagement with social media.
Vivienne is now the General Manager and social media advocate at BlandsLaw, a specialist employment law firm, who are also leading the way in providing strategic legal advice on social media.
You may contact Vivienne by email at vstorey@blandslaw.com.au
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