Monday, January 31, 2011

New Mixtape: @NovKane The Hostile Takeover Hosted by DJ Woogie & Don Smooth




Nov, formerly known as Novakane is back with a vengeance with his second mixtape The Hostile Takeover, hosted by DJ Woogie
& K103.7FM’s own Don Smooth. If you have never heard anything from Nov, this is a perfect chance to get aquatinted.


DATPIFF
http://www.datpiff.com/DJ_Woogie_Don_Smooth_Nov_The_Hostile_Takeover.m194533.html

DOWNLOAD MIXTAPE (ZSHARE)

http://www.zshare.net/download/85922061cc8a1f3a/

Video: @RayDawnThe86th "Stuck On Fly"




The first official music video from RayDawn's mixtape "Controlled Chaos" (Hosted by DJ MoonDawg of The Aphilliates).

Video: @RayDawnThe86th "Stuck On Fly"




The first official music video from RayDawn's mixtape "Controlled Chaos" (Hosted by DJ MoonDawg of The Aphilliates).

Friday, January 28, 2011

#FELLASBEHOLD FRISKY FRIDAY 3





#FELLASBEHOLD FRISKY FRIDAY 2




#FELLASBEHOLD FRISKY FRIDAY




NEW ARTIST ALERT: CTC Crazy - Ova's feat. Ghost Da King & Koo Koo

FREDDIE GIBBS IN THE STUDIO

RICK ROSS IN TORONTO, CANADA ON BMF WORLD TOUR

MOMENT OF LIFE BY @NICKIMINAJ

@ANGELAYEE AND SPEED DATING

BOMBAY GIN DANCE- JUICY J

WIZ KHALIFA- ON MY LEVEL

DEVIL IN A NEW DRESS VIDEO

Thursday, January 27, 2011

CANNA COLA= MARIJUANA MIXED WITH POP

BARACKA FLOCKA FLAMES IS BACK

Twitter Scraps “You Both Follow” Feature, Tries “Connections” Instead Jolie O'Dell 10 hours ago by Jolie O'Dell

Twitter has just quietly pushed out a new feature called Connections that shows you what users you have in common with other users. Namely, Connections displays what users follow you both and what users you both follow.
You can see the new feature on the right side of any user’s Twitter profile. You can also see Connections features in the Followers and Following tabs in a user’s profile.
Last year, Twitter showed off a You Both Follow section — right around the time it also started playing with You Should Follow recommendations in the same column on the site — but both features were destined for further tweaking.
Connections gives users a slightly broader set of information than just mutual followed users.
An e-mail from a Twitter rep said, “We launched this to make it easy for you to see the connections that you have in common with other users. Basically, we’re focused on the mainstream market around the world. We want to make the Twitter experience easy and enjoyable.”

Connections is just one way that Twitter is attempting to make its product better for new users and non-technophiles. “By exposing accounts that you and another user have in common, ” said our source, “you will now know how those accounts are connected to other accounts you already follow. As a result, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions about which accounts to follow.”
What do you think of the Connections sections so far? Let us know in the comments.http://mashable.com/2011/01/26/twitter-connections/

How Videos Go Viral [INFOGRAPHIC]

In the past three weeks, almost 10,000 Facebook users have “liked” this brief clip of the world’s cutest dog playing with a chew toy. Coincidence? Or spot-on calculations leading to a viral sensation?
How videos get passed around the web — in other words, how they “go viral” like the latest strain of influenza — is more a science than an art. Certainly, creativity is a factor; but there are also tried-and-true formulas for online video success. And the most important factor of all is optimizing for shareability.
For example, on average, a 15-second clip will get passed around nearly 37% more than a slightly longer clip, and Facebook accounts for three-quarters of online shares of video clips — by far more than e-mail and Twitter combined. You’ll also have more luck if you aim your clip at 18- to 34-year-old adults and/or at women; both those groups share far more video content than their peers.
Given those factors, it’s not surprising that the above-linked video, a female-targeted Facebook clip, was so widely viewed and shared.
Take a look at this infographic, which was created by Brian Sieber based on insights from The Jun Group, and in the comments, let us know how you generally share and find out about new and interesting videos online.
http://mashable.com/2011/01/26/viral-videos-infographic/
Click image to view full size.

Lead image courtesy of iStockphoto, Kronick

First Look: Sony’s “Next Generation Portable”

Sony rolled out its next-generation PlayStation portable gaming system today, with similar appearance to its current PlayStation portable, but with a higher-resolution 5-inch 960×544-pixel OLED touchscreen. Calling it the “Next Generation Portable” (but it’s clearly marked PlayStation), Sony showed a new user interface similar to the iPhone. It’s controlled by what Sony says are the first dual analog control sticks. Also on board are social gaming capabilities, location-based games, and compatibility with Sony’s PlayStation 3 gaming console.
A surprising feature are touch controls on the front and back of the unit. It’s also equipped with front and rear cameras, motion sensors, and both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Sony didn’t say which processor would power the hand-held gaming device, mentioning it would be the “most advanced.”

Sony says its PlayStation portable gaming system will be available at the end of this year, in time for the holiday season.

Images courtesy of Engadgethttp://mashable.com/2011/01/27/sneak-peek-of-sonys-next-playstation-portable/

Facebook Launches Group-Buying Prototype

Facebook is currently testing a new feature called “Buy With Friends,” which allows users to get discounts on virtual goods purchased by their friends.
Here’s how it works: A user makes an in-app purchase using Facebook’s currency, Facebook Credits, and shares it in his or her newsfeed. A friend sees the purchase and can then buy the same item at a discount directly in the newsfeed.
Currently, the feature only works for certain in-game purchases of virtual goods. Developers determine the items and terms of the promotion.
Speaking at the Inside Social Apps Conference in San Francisco Tuesday, Facebook’s head of commerce product marketing Deb Liu said that during early tests, more than half of users chose to share their purchases with friends, Forbes reports.
Although Buy With Friends is currently restricted to virtual goods, we can easily envision how this feature could be expanded to include physical goods as well, especially as more and more retailers set up shop on Facebook. The prototype could be Facebook’s way to participate in the kinds of group-buying offers recently popularized by the likes of Groupon and LivingSocial.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, pavlenhttp://mashable.com/2011/01/26/facebook-buy-with-friends/

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

#FELLASBEHOLD TUESDAY TRICKOFF PART 2





#FELLASBEHOLD TUESDAY TRICKOFF PART 1




@PLAYBOYTRE FEAT ASIA BRYANT- EARLINE SON

THE GAME- IM THE KING

Video: Cory Gunz Performs 6"7 Live In Jackson Michigan



Young Money's Own Cory Gunz performs 6'7 in Jackson Michigan. Free Crime!

#MediaBaseMonday by @DAVEHOUSEOUTLAW

MediaBase Mondays Recap Begins..Now...wassup Folks, time for all my Industry A-Alikes & DJs to check into the Most RT'd topic come Monday

No Hold Bars Sarcasm as well as a Professional Industry Read of the Urban, Rhythmic, Urban AC, & Top 40 Charts...#MediaBaseMondayRecap

Urban RECAP: Chris Brown "No BS"has Gone #1 w/ a Bullet.... What a way to bounce back onto the charts w/ Undeniable music..

Urban RECAP: Rihanna What My Name which is the most annoying Record since 2006 Christine Milian Say I has fallen to #2 & dying a BDS's Death

Urban RECAP: Jamie Fox Fall for Your Type & Keri Hilson Pretty Girl Rock is in a battle for #1 as Rawse Aston Martin Music falls flat

Urban RECAP: Both Lil Wayne/Corey Gunz & Nicki Minaj Moment 4 Life have moved up 3 positions to creep inside Top 10 replacing Twista & Trey

Urban RECAP: Trey "Love Faces" has the #1 gainer on the chart moving up 9 positions to get inside the Top 20 @ #17 this week

Urban RECAP: Jeremih feat. Big Homie "Down On Me" continues to grow on radio as the clubs are banging this record increasing its familiarity

Urban RECAP: Fabolous You Be Killin Em is about to die a BDS's death before it reaches Top 15 especially if Bobby V Words jumps ahead of him

Urban RECAP: In Mixshow, Snoop Wet has a great response as radio forces Capitol to change its title to Sweat on some we regulate you sh**

Urban RECAP: In the Mixshow Chris Brown debuts "Look at Me Now" gaining 200 spins this week w/ Cleveland & DC jumping ahead on this one

Rhythmic RECAP: 6 foot 7 Foot & Moment 4 Life have high gainers on both charts & will research well on both charts in call out

Rhythmic RECAP: New Boyz "Back Seat" is creeping up the charts soon. Be on the look out for this joint as High School Prom time approaches

Rhythmic RECAP: DJ Khaled "Welcome to my Parents Dollar Store they Owned In Your Hood" has 36 stations on Title with Hot 97-NY leading

Urban AC RECAP: Charlie Wilson "You Are" still holds #1 on the chart. Trey Songs "Can't be Friends" is less than 50 spins away from #1 spot.

Urban AC RECAP: The Legendary El Debarge has a top 5 record & top gainer w/over 200 spins this week w/ Lay With You...real music might I add

Top 40 Recap: I just hate that you always have a section at an Urban party that will jump to Usher "OMG" like they never heard it beforel

TITY BOI FT. YO GOTTI- BOO( OFFICIAL VIDEO)

New Video: @Stunnaboi "Ferocious"




New video from Atlanta's own Stunna Boi. Currently making waves, and stamping the streets with his sound, Stunna Boi is grinding hard. Check out his new video "Ferocious" below.

New Mixtape: Sour Diezel Vol. 14 ft. 50 Cent, Vado, Game & more.



The wait is over. Sour Diezel Vol. 14 is here. Featuring 50 cent, Vado, Game, Gucci Mane, and hosted by G-Rod. Check it Out Below



TRACK LIST:

1.INTRO
2.VADO FT CORY GUNZ - NIGHT RIDERS
3.50 CENT-HAPPY NEW YEARS
4.GAME FT LIL WAYNE - SU WUU
5.PROLIFIC FT RAINE - THE WARM UP
6.JADAKISS FT MORENO - CHASE BANK
7.MAX PAIN - SASSY
8.PAPOOSE - 6'7 FREESTYLE
9.GUCCI MANE FT BIRDMAN- MOUTH FULL OF GOLD
10.S.ROB - I USE TO LOVE
11.Musiq Soulchild - Anything (feat. Swizz Beatz)
12.BABY FLOSS FT TITY BOI- MIKE VICK
13.LOST BOYZ - GIVE IT BACK
14.20 BELLO- BITTER SWEET
15.TALIB KWELI FT JEAN GRAE- UH OH
16.MANN- FLASHING LIGHTS
17.JAYSUN FT JIM JONES FREEKEY ZEEKEY - GET BUSY
18.FRED B -DUNGEON DRAGON
19.MAINO FT RED CAFE UNCLE MURDA- WELCOME TO MY HOOD
20.OUTRO

The wait is over. Sour Diezel Vol. 14 is here. Featuring 50 cent, Vado, Game, Gucci Mane, and hosted by G-Rod. Check it Out Below



TRACK LIST:

1.INTRO
2.VADO FT CORY GUNZ - NIGHT RIDERS
3.50 CENT-HAPPY NEW YEARS
4.GAME FT LIL WAYNE - SU WUU
5.PROLIFIC FT RAINE - THE WARM UP
6.JADAKISS FT MORENO - CHASE BANK
7.MAX PAIN - SASSY
8.PAPOOSE - 6'7 FREESTYLE
9.GUCCI MANE FT BIRDMAN- MOUTH FULL OF GOLD
10.S.ROB - I USE TO LOVE
11.Musiq Soulchild - Anything (feat. Swizz Beatz)
12.BABY FLOSS FT TITY BOI- MIKE VICK
13.LOST BOYZ - GIVE IT BACK
14.20 BELLO- BITTER SWEET
15.TALIB KWELI FT JEAN GRAE- UH OH
16.MANN- FLASHING LIGHTS
17.JAYSUN FT JIM JONES FREEKEY ZEEKEY - GET BUSY
18.FRED B -DUNGEON DRAGON
19.MAINO FT RED CAFE UNCLE MURDA- WELCOME TO MY HOOD
20.OUTRO

LLOYD BANKS FT. JEREMIH- I DONT DESERVE U

Various Artists @DjVdub Presents: "Corporate Hates Him...but The Streets Love Him"

DJ SKEE AND FUCNKMASTER FLEX PRESENTS: PURP AND PATRON BY THE GAME


Download Mixtape Free | LiveMixtapes.com Mixtape Player

BLOGGERS VS DJS BY RAP RADAR

The Sit Down w/ Dee Vazquez from The Sit Down on Vimeo.


Dee Vazquez rounded up a few good men for another sit-down on Shade 45. This time, the panel discussed Bloggers vs. DJs. A few weeks ago on Twitter, I opened a Pandora’s Box on a similar topic: Do DJs even break new artists anymore? Once upon a time, a jock would actually spin a record if they believed in it. But now, it seems as if they’re second guessing themselves.

Personally, it’s not a blogger’s responsibility to break a new act. It’s certainly not in my job description here at the Double R. Truthfully, sites play a small role in an artist’s success, more specifically, a rapper’s. A majority of people are exposed to up and comers through radio. So if a jock gets hip to a dope track, what’s stopping them from playing it? Is it money? Politics? Both? Honestly, I can’t think of the last prominent DJ to break a hit record—especially from a new artist. Kay Slay comes to mind with Papoose, but the music just wasn’t there. (I doubt it ever will be).

At the end of the day, DJs ought to step up to the plate and take more of an authoritative stance when it comes to this thing of ours. Video killed the radio star, don’t let some kid with WordPress do it too.

SNOOP DOGG- GANGBANG ROOKIE

RED CAFE FT. RICK ROSS- FADED

YO GOTTI- MILLIONAIRE

GUCCI MANE FT. ROCKO- BIRDS OF A FEATHER

50 CENT TALKING TO Q FROM WORLDSTAR HIP HOP ON HOT 97

Monday, January 24, 2011

PRODUCER: LEX LUGER

MY PUSSY IS MAGIC

BUSTIN WATERMELONS

#FELLASBEHOLD KING OF DIAMONDS STRIPPERS

EXXXOTICA 2010

MARKETING TIPS FROM @RONALDSKELTON PART 6

Being authentic in the story about your brand should make you more memorable

Commit to engage followers on all your social media channels. Audit your conversations. Are you truly providing value?

Marketing is getting people to change their minds or to maintain mindset if they are already a customer #Guerrilla

Marketing is about controlling the "story that's told" To get others to tell a great story, start with great customer experience

We are in an information based consumer age: Teach your market about your product.

a target #market is: a specific group of customers at which a company aims its products & services #marketing

Learn to understand "Why people buy" #marketing

#Marketing doesn't need to be hyped, untrue, or pushy. Just share the authentic benefits of your unique product or service

Research is vital to your #marketing. Learn: Who are your prospects, where, why, when, & how they are converted into buyers

kick start Viral Marketing: Start a facebook page, join groups, create a blog, & contribute value where you can

#FELLASBEHOLD MONDAY RISERS 3



Thursday, January 20, 2011

Ladies Behold

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

SYDNEY OF BAD GIRLS CLUB SUCKS SWILLA

WAKA FLOCKA FLAME- BRINGIN GANGSTA BACK

CLEVELAND FAN GETS RAMMED

SNOOP DOGG WITH MARTY JAMES- EL LAY

Cousin Jeff Johnson

How To Use Twitter For Business: 5 More Incredibly Interesting Case Studies

In the last post I listed 5 Twitter case studies and how companies are using Twitter for business. Due to the popularity of the post and with over 737 views in 48 hours it seems there is slight unkempt appetite for this information.
So here are 5 more companies and how they have experimented, tested and implemented Twitter to push their brand out into the market place.
1. @CoffeeGroundz
CoffeeGroundz is a popular, albeit modest, Houston, TX based independent coffee shop that sells a variety of locally roasted coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, and alcoholic beverages. There are a couple of booths, 16 tables and another ten on the patio. If you come to CoffeeGroundz, J.R. Cohen, its general manager, strives to make sure “you feel at home.”
Initial Twitter Goal:
To keep his angel investor happy (The general manager, JR. Cohen started using Twitter in October 2008 at the prompting of a CoffeeGroundz angel investor).
He went out of his way to interact with Houston customers following him on Twitter. Growth in followers was slow and organic, but the connections with followers were strong. He would ask his followers from Houston to “come into the store and ask for J.R.” J.R. then seized the opportunity to meet with each and every patron who asked for him by name, strengthening his bond with his followers. To J.R. and his customers “this is what social media is meant to be.”
Most interesting Twitter experience?
Halloween morning 2008, one of CoffeeGroundz’s regular customers, Sean Stoner (@maslowbeer), requested to place a ‘to-go’ order for a breakfast wrap. It is argued that Sean’s request for an order ‘to-go’ was the first of its kind on Twitter. And because J.R. is an avid user of the Twitter service, was able to reply quickly to Sean’s requests. With this reply, J.R. spawned a whole new way to place and receive an order online. JR seized on the opportunity to grant Sean’s request and started taking to-go orders via direct message from all of his Twitter followers. J.R., to this day, continues to receive ‘to-go’ orders via DM. Customers can also reserve a table/booth, order from the patio, or reserve the place for events through direct message.


2. @NAKEDPizza
Founded in late 2006 as one small store in New Orleans in an area that flooded during hurricane Katrina, NAKEDPizza (originally named World’s Healthiest Pizza) was launched as an ambitious business model that seeks to change the nutritional profile of fast food in America. By way of example, NAKEDPizza is demonstrating that pizza does not have to be part of the problem in our national epidemic of obesity and chronic disease, but in fact can be part of the solution.
Why Did They Start Tweeting?
Jeff Leach and Randy Crochet, co-founders of Naked Pizza, started using Twitter in March 2009. Mark Cuban, an early investor in the company (have to keep the investors happy), advised Jeff to sign up for a Twitter account to
  • Help create a community around healthy eating
  • Save on marketing costs
  • Drive sales
Note: Interesting to note that 2 of the elements of the Twitter strategy were to reduce costs and increase sales
Marketing Challenge
There is a heavy focus on direct mail within the pizza industry, which proves to be particularly costly for owners. Opt-in newsletters cost $2000 to $3000 per year for even small database of names. Open rates are dropping to single digits and for small business owners, this can be prohibitively expensive. “Direct mail is sent to a single address but there are multiple people in those houses. We want to maximize and extend our marketing reach and Twitter helps us do this in leaps and bounds.” Jeff now takes that newsletter content and feeds it to Twitter.
Today, Jeff claims that Twitter is mission critical to his business, so much so that he has created a kiosk within his store, where customers can sign up for a Twitter account if they hadn’t already been users. In addition, right next to Naked’s online ordering page, there will be the Naked Pizza Twitter stream in case customers have questions about the company’s product offering.
How has  NAKEDPizza  used Twitter in interesting ways?
A custom Twitter button in the point of sale system. Naked Pizza relies heavily on tracking promotions that are fed into the company’s Twitter stream. In a test run April 23, an exclusive-to-Twitter promotion brought in 15% of the day’s business.
Takeaway: Keep experimenting (Jeff continued to experiment) and you will hit a home run… or two.
Note: On May 29th Naked Pizza set an in-store sales record, the bulk of which came directly from Twitter. A whopping 68.60% of total dollar sales came from customers who said “I’m calling from Twitter”.

3. @AmericanApparel
The Los Angeles company and leading basics brand provides hip clothing for people of all ages. Vertically-integrated American Apparel is the largest clothing manufacturer in the United States.
How and when did they get started?
American Apparel employees began exploring with personal accounts in 2007 and established @americanapparel shortly thereafter. The account was started by Lisa Kim from the web marketing department and now multiple people are involved with responding to comments Twitter users make about the company, taking advantage of the opportunity to interact directly with customers.
Most interesting Twitter experience?
American Apparel fans with blogs occasionally write posts with favorable mentions of the company or its products. In some cases, these AA fans use Twitter as a conduit to share their posts with the company directly. In one memorable encounter, Lisa @americanapparel received a DM from a freelance photographer (Ryan Marshal @ThePanicRoom) chronicling his wife’s pregnancy with week-by-week photos of the mother-to-be in American Apparel threads. After seeing the blog, Lisa and American Apparel liked the photo series so much that they not only provided the new mom with free clothes, but used the images as the basis for an ad campaign showing cute and comfy looks for expectant moms.

Lisa also connected her colleague in online advertising with the photographer to set up American Apparel advertising on the blog. They ran a unique banner ad for baby clothes, and the blog (pacingthepanicroom.com) became one of American Apparel’s top performing sites for online ads.
Takeaway: A serendipitous Twitter interaction can lead to fresh and creative ideas for engaging customers with campaigns outside of Twitter

4. @Pepsi or  @PepsiCo
Pepsi may be a classic brand, but it’s using 21st century tools to collaborate and build relationships with customers. See this post “Pepsi Forgets Super Bowl Advertising And Goes Super Social Media Marketing” For years, PepsiCo, based in Purchase, NY, has had a toll-free number that consumers can call to share product feedback. People call in all the time, and the company considers the line successful. But when Pepsi brand managers wanted faster and more personal ways to connect with soda drinkers, they looked online—and in January 2009, the team started using Twitter to listen to and talk with consumers. (The brand twitters as @Pepsi; the corporation twitters as @PepsiCo.)
“We’re trying to humanize the brand, to make it more accessible to consumers,” says Anamaria Irazabal, brand director for Pepsi. “On Twitter, they can complain or praise, and we can use it as a way to gauge how people are feeling.”
Reaching a new audience
Interestingly, the company finds the conversations on Twitter are different from those on the toll-free line. The callers, says Irazabal, tend to focus on products. Twitterers, on the other hand, tend to have opinions not just on the products, but on promotions, too. “They feel they’re invited to give their opinions on the how the brand should move forward, and they’re very detailed.”
After the spring 2009 launch of Pepsi Throwback—an initiative that involved packaging with a retro look and real-sugar sweeteners—the company was able to collect quick reactions on Twitter. The company has also found asking questions works well on Twitter. Even something as simple as “How many Pepsis do you drink a day?” generates a lot of chatter.
“Consumers own the brands as much as we do, and they want to share their interests and likes,” says Bonin Bough, director of social and emerging media for PepsiCo. “Twitter is the only medium where we can have a two-way continuous dialog about the brand.”
Fast response
Pepsi brand managers find that Twitter is useful not only for quick responses from consumers but for quick responses from the company, too.
When Michael Jackson—who made high-profile commercials for Pepsi during the 1980s—died suddenly in July, the company used Twitter right away in its “Thank you, Michael” tribute, engaging with fans. “We can move at the speed of culture,” says Irazabal. “Twitter means we can react to something that happens and provide a platform for dialog, That’s the key word. It’s about engagement and building the relationship.”
Dealing with complaints
Although Pepsi finds that nearly all of the conversation on Twitter is very positive, people do sometimes complain via tweets. The brand managers try to address negative comments very quickly.
“We try to gauge the overall tone and type of problem,” says Josh Karpf, manager of social and emerging media for PepsiCo. If somebody doesn’t like a piece of advertising, the company accepts that. But if a person has had a problem with a product or is attacking the company in some way, Pepsi has a process in place to resolve the issue directly. The company responds once in public, and if the person stays negative, they switch to DM and then to email or phone if needed. Internally, a cross-functional team can help solve problems.
“When we respond quickly,” says Irazabal, “people give us kudos.”
The logistics
Pepsi’s assistant marketing manager, Rachel Mills, works closely with two agencies to coordinate the @Pepsi Twitter account. With Mills’s oversight, one agency does the day-to-day twittering. But Mills sees all the tweets, and she gets involved if there’s a problem of any kind. Another agency helps Pepsi develop its digital promotion calendar three months ahead of time. The calendar—along with guidance on tone of voice and how to respond to certain types of comments—help Pepsi maintain a consistent brand presence across the Web, including its Twitter account.
Finally, Pepsi requires that staffers maintain personal accounts on social media sites—not to interact on behalf of the brand, but to learn about the channels. “It’s very hard to talk to agencies if you have never used the tools,” says Irazabal. “So we ask our teams to use these tools to learn what we can get out of them.”
Measuring success
Like many brands, Pepsi looks at the number of followers it has. But the company also looks at the sentiment of tweets, rating them on a scale from positive to negative. The balance changes from week to week, and the company—which considers itself to be in experimental phase with Twitter—is still figuring out what affects consumer feeling and how to measure it.
Takeaway: “We’ve got a lot ahead of us, and we’re learning every day.” In other words “Have a go”



Note: Now Dell has receieved so much press about it’s use of Twitter that I was thinking about not including it in the Twitter case studies but as I like the Number 5 (not 4) I had to include it. Sorry to those individuals that have overdosed on “Dell Twitter Love”.
5. @DellOutlet
Dell Outlet faces a common but vexing challenge. A division of the giant made-to-order computer business, Dell Outlet carries refurbished equipment and other inventory that it needs to sell quickly. Because the division has to get the word out fast, it doesn’t have the luxury of hiring an agency and developing an ad campaign. Instead, the outlet relies primarily on email marketing, paid search results, search-engine optimization and affiliate links to raise awareness and drive sales. It’s always looking for new, cost-effective ways to reach people.
Holding Conversations
When company employee Ricardo Guerrero discovered Twitter at the South by Southwest conference in 2007, he thought he’d hit on a good channel for pushing out information. The rest of the team agreed. “We thought, ‘Great—this has a really short lead time, and it will let us communicate our message effectively,’” says Stefanie Nelson, manager of demand generation at Dell Outlet. “We started using it for one-way communication.” The company was surprised when people responded. “They wanted to ask questions. They wanted to share their experiences, good and bad,” says Nelson, who’s based in Austin, TX. “We realized that people were really interested in talking with us.”
Raising Awareness
So instead of using Twitter just to let people know about deals, the company has come to think of it as a good place to interact with customers—and to raise awareness about the brand. “When we respond to people on Twitter, they get really excited, and we gain advocates.” That doesn’t mean Dell Outlet has abandoned the deals. In fact, the company often posts offers that are exclusive to Twitter. They twitter only a few times a week so as not to spam their followers, and they use tracking URLs to gauge what followers find most appealing.
Increasing Sales
Do the coupons work? Big time. Not only do they get retweeted and picked up by coupon sites—both of which spread the brand name—they also drive sales. Dell Outlet has booked more than $3 million in revenue attributable to its Twitter posts. In addition, the division has done research showing that awareness of the outlet has grown, too. “The uplift has been more than we dreamed,” says Nelson.
Connecting with customers
Dell now has more than 80 Dell-branded Twitter accounts (including @dellhomeoffers for new system deals) offering everything from videos of new technologies to promotions for Asia-Pacific customers. It also encourages employees to twitter, and has well over 100 employee accounts. Dell uses many of those accounts (with names like @StefanieAtDell), primarily for customer service exchanges that require direct messages (Twitter’s private channel) and to reach out to people who are twittering about Dell (which they find via Twitter search).
Takeaway:It’s smart to reach out to your current customer base. They’re already interested in chatting with you, and they’ll tell other people about you. But no matter who’s following you on Twitter, “offering relevant information that people are interested in is key.”

How are you using Twitter for your business?http://www.jeffbullas.com/2010/01/20/how-to-use-twitter-for-business-5-more-incredibly-interesting-case-studies/