Yes the rumors are true. Twitter has reached it’s peak and will start declining in popularity. Here’s proof that Twitter has peaked!

My friend Ervin Grinberg has become a Twitter maniac since he came to my Twitter workshop a few weeks ago. Every day he’s sending me more Twitter resources. Yesterday I told him about TweetDeck and he found an incredible resource for TweetDeck users. Check out Richard Barley’s ultimate TweetDeck resource guide to learn everything you ever wanted to know about TweetDeck

I found a great new tool that automatically Tweets your new uploads to Flickr. Check out SnapTweet to set up your free account. Simply enter your Twitter login and your Flickr URL and your accounts will be connected. Upload a new picture to Flickr and it will be Tweeted automatically.

How does this help drive traffic to your blog or website? I have my blog connected to my Twitter account using the Twitter Tools plugin. My blog also connected to my Facebook account using the SimplyRSS application in Facebook so every blog post appears on my Facebook page automatically. I also tie my blog posts to many other social media sites using my RSS feed that I created at Feedburner. It’s an automated system that automatically updates many sites once I create a blog post. A quick and easy way to generate traffic to your blog and website.

My copy of Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time, by Joel Comm arrived yesterday afternoon and I couldn’t put it down last night. I’ve been Twittering for over  a year and I know the basics. I know the fundamentals of tweeting and retweeting, Twitter etiquette and how to customize by Twitter page (I’m ted_prodromou if you want to follow me). I know there are a ton of Twitter tools that make my Twitter life easier and new Twitter sub-communities poping up everywhere.

Joel’s book didn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know because I’m a techie and I spend at least 10 hours a day online working and playing. I discovered everything I know over a year and a half through trial and error. As I came across new tools and resources I bookmarked them and i use many of the tools today.

I love Twitter Power because Joel created the ultimate A to Z guide for all Twitter users. Whether you are an absolute beginner or you’re a savvy tweeter, this book is for you. As a beginner, you are led step by step from setting up your account to making your first tweet. You’ll learn how to create a profile that attracts followers, how to follow others, how to customize your Twitter background and proper Twitter etiquette so you don’t offend people.

For the more advanced user, you’ll learn how to do market research using Twitter and how to tap into conversations about your product or service. You’ll see how major corporations are using Twitter to connect with their prospects and clients to build lasting relationships. Some major companies are even doing free tech support using Twitter. I guarantee you’ll learn a ton of valuable tips that will enhance your Twitter experience exponentially.

You’ll also learn about the vast array of 3rd party Twitter tools and communities that make Twitter even more powerful. Joel’s compiled a comprehensive list of Twitter tools and resources so you have everthing you ever wanted to know about Twitter at your fingertips.

I highly recommend grabbing your copy of Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time today.

I was reading an interesting article in Search Marketing Standard last night about the use of Social Media by the Inc 500 companies. Take a look at this chart of the fastest growing companies compiled by The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research.

It’s very clear that social media has been accepted by the masses and has become an integral part of every smart company’s marketing strategy.  Small businesses have been embracing social media for years and the big boys are scrambling to catch up./ 

At the Social Media Strategies Conference last month, it was clear large companies are embracing social media but haven’t figured out the best way to use it. They’re experimenting with it to see how their target audience responds to their presence on sites like Facebook, MySpace, and even Twitter. 

Most large companies haven’t directly funded their social media campaigns and they’re splitting up the blogging, tweeting, and commenting among staff members. Some companies alternate blog posting between different employees while others scour the internet for ongoing conversations about their company. When a negative conversation is found, they jump into the conversation to do damage control and turn it into an opporunity to build a strong relationship with a disgruntled customer. 

It’s clear that social media use is on the rise and will continue to grow as more people embrace it. How are you using social media to promote your business now and how do you plan to use it in 2009? Please comment below and let me know how it’s been working for you and what hasn’t been working for you.

To your online success,

 Ted

This week I attended the Social Media Strategies Conference in San Francisco and I was amazed by the strategies being used by big business. They’ve jumped into social media with both feet and are exploring every possible avenue to build relationships with their customers. I’ll go into more depth about each company’s strategy in future blog posts because this blog post would go on for pages if I tried to summarize what I learned. It was a great event and I met so many sharp people. I highly recommend attending the next conference in the spring. Keep an eye on www.webguild.org for more information.

Some of the things people are doing include:
1. H&R Block is using sites like Second Life and eHarmony to connect with prospects
2. 1-800-Dentist is using social media extensively to engage and educate prospects
3. Kodak is building a large presence on sites like Flickr which drives people to their website where people can join their community to discuss cameras and photography.
4. Everyone has jumped on the Twitter bandwagon to see what people are talking about so they can proactively diffuse negative conversations
5. Every company is using social media and communities to provide customer support and gather feedback
6. Intuit is integrating user generated content into their products. Hundreds of user generated “how to” videos are being added to the Help section of their products
7. Edmunds.com built one of the first online communities and is a social media leader

The list goes on and on. All big companies are focusing on building communities to build relationships and build their brand. With recent budget cuts, companies are spending less on media advertising so they’re now focusing on social media which has a minimal cost to them. They admit they’re all in the learning stage but they are making tremendous strides by building a comprehensive strategy first, then implementing and testing.

I’ll share more tomorrow.

To your online success.

Ted