CollaborativEye

USA Today had an article earlier this year that showcased some Twitter myths that are confusing a lot of people. While Steve Strauss is undoubtedly an expert, and right for applying a healthy skepticism to "Twitter snake oil", he is dead wrong on a number of things.

Twitter small business myth #1: "'People just want to buy things from you."

OK sure, when I go to the local drug store for antacid, I want to buy it and leave. But I can buy that antacid anywhere -- I have no loyalty to one place or another. If you want to build loyalty, you need to provide people more than a transaction. Maybe it is a smile, or extra help getting stuff to your car, or your small business's involvement in the local community. These are the things that create loyalty. How can Twitter build loyal customers? There are many possibilities, and many are still emerging.  For example, let's say you run a local bakery (which Steve would probably say is not a candidate for Twitter usage). Why not build a following of people who are interested in baking tips? Things you've learned through the school of hard knocks. Share ideas for recipes, special ingredients, or tricks. Maybe even give out some of your recipes (gasp!) People who love baked goods will look forward to your Tweets. And you can be sure they will be thinking of you when they crave a luscious cinnamon roll!

Another example is a local coffee shop (another business Steve says is not a candidate for Twitter). WRONG! People who go to coffee shops, wait for it, LOVE coffee. I can identify with this one. I like to learn about different types of coffee, tips on brewing, trivia on coffee, etc. I would love to follow a coffee shop that gives out tweets like these. You don't need to be a marketing whiz to figure out that if somebody is exposed to your business brand often, they are more likely to visit and purchase something from it.

Next: more small business twitter myths including Too much information, Too much time, and 140 chars is not enough.