Twitter Traffic Driving - How Internet Marketers and Affiliate Marketers Can Use Twitter to Drive Website Traffic

Twitter is a powerful Internet marketing tool to drive targeted traffic to your website. Twitter is a microblog which allows Internet marketers to send targeted messages to niche markets.

Microblogs

Microblogs enables users to efficiently send messages to followers. Microblogging involves sending short, targeted messages to your followers. These messages can be anything including:

• News and Press Releases
• Event Announcements
• Current Activities
• Reviews and Previews
• Articles
• Opinions
• Questions and Answers

Text messaging, instant messaging, and blogging are the three technologies that birthed microblogging. Not only does it allow marketers to push their message to their audience, it empowers them to engage in public and private conversations with their audience.

Microblogs also enable Internet marketers and affiliate marketers to network with and target niche markets. Internet marketers can build a network of followers in which whom they can send targeted marketing messages.

What Are You Doing?

Twitter started out as a way for users to answer the question: What are you doing? Throughout its growth it has evolved into a more robust messaging platform. Some of the features of Twitter include:

• Direct private messaging
• Saving favorite messages
• Sending status messages
• Replying to messages
• Searching for people and messages
• Profile and background customization

Twitter and most other microblogs limit you to 140 characters of text in your messages. But some microblogs also allow links, videos, images, audio, and other files in messages.

Twitter Strategy

Internet and affiliate marketers are charged with converting Twitter followers from conversation to action. It is also an excellent opportunity to build and expose your brand.

Very similar to opt-in email lists, you can build a 'list' of followers. You can then direct your followers to your website where they can:

• Subscribe to your mailing list
• Purchase your offers, products, and services
• Redirect to your affiliate offer
• Move further along the sales pipeline

Power of Headlines

Twitter updates can only have a maximum of 140 characters. The 140 character limit dictates that Internet marketers have to be creative in how the use the space.

For Internet marketers, Twitter updates should be viewed as headlines. Twitter updates, like headlines, should entice followers to take action and click a link in the message or subsequent messages.

Creating effective messages that delivers results involves:

• Providing relevant and valuable information that resonates with followers
• Personalize your messages with your own voice
• Linking to affiliate offers indirectly through your website
• Consistent and frequent updates
• Creative and unique messages
• Conversational tone and 'natural' participation
• Shortening links with short URL services