Here, I have the top 5 reasons why every business should have a presence on Twitter.

1. Word of mouth, on steroids

How many times have you done business with people you already knew? With Twitter, you can engage with thousands of people, get to know them, and raise awareness of your company and your blog or website. And remember, on Twitter, word spreads faster than anywhere else.

2. Market research

Imagine if you could type something into a search engine, and then listen to thousands of conversations (not websites, conversations) containing that word or phrase. With Twitter, you can do just that. You could search for your own brand, you could search for competitors, emerging markets etc etc etc. Best of all, if you want to, you can join in with the conversation, ask questions and get answers fast. It’s like an instant, free opinion poll.

3. Up your game

By following the right people, you can get the latest industry news before anyone else, and learn new things from other industry professionals around the world. Whether you own a burger van or an international bank, there’s plenty to learn on Twitter.

4. Recruitment

Most recruitment consultants and agencies are using Twitter to post new jobs. Why pay them to do what you can do so easily? Twitter will allow you to source TOP candidates extremely quickly and for free. You can post your vacancy and target that post to get the best possible response. Did I mention it was free?

5. It’s Free!

Consider how much you would normally pay for all of the things listed above. Please, learn more about Twitter, start using it and start saving.

DzinePress have gathered 40 of the best mind mapping tools from around the web, so you can find the best option for you. Which ever you choose, you’ll never turn back once you’ve discovered the benefits to be had from mapping your thoughts.

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Web design

With a new website created by Spreadthick, you will get all of the benefits of great design, brand integration, search engine optimization, CMS (content management system, allowing you to update the website content yourself), social media integration and our unrivaled level of service.

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Brand integration

Because we understand branding and design, a website from Spreadthick will incorporate the key features of your brand identity; typefaces, logos, images, colours and copy styles will be carefully picked to communicate the right message for your business.

Accessible design

As well as the quality of graphic design you can expect from Spreadthick, our websites are created with cross browser compatibility, meaning they can be viewed by more people using different browsers or mobile devices. We also design with the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) in mind.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

There’s no point in having a great website if nobody can find it. We ensure that all of our websites are created in such a way that they rank highly in search engines like Google. We will also provide clients with analytics results so you can track the volume of traffic, where visitors came from, what they did while they were on your site, and where they went afterwards.

CMS (Content Management System)

Like your business, your website should constantly evolve to meet new challenges and opportunities. That’s why our websites come with built in, user friendly content management systems. This means you can update your website yourself, as often as you like, without the extra cost of employing a code writer.

Social media integration

An optional extra, social media integration allows your visitors to engage with you, and helps to build relationships with customers. By using tools like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, you can form a loyal community around your business very quickly and easily.

Online video

There’s no quicker way to communicate your message than via video. We can integrate video throughout your site to act as a 24/7 assistant to visitors, telling them what you do, what the benefits are and how to get started. It’s never been more effective with the growth of YouTube and other video sharing sites like hulu and vimeo, a video can be embedded around the web in a very short space of time.

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1) Give away advice and knowledge

If you receive something for free, you usually remember who gave it to you. By giving away free advice and knowledge you can build name recognition, part of building your brand. Information has never been easier to broadcast, with blogs, twitter, facebook and other online platforms you can provide potential customers with free useful information. Just make sure they know YOU provided that service.

2) Stand united

This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to market any business. Join forces with local businesses that compliment your service. If you’re a decorator, get to know the local DIY shop, the local carpet supplier etc. Offer discounts to customers for each others service. If you’re doing a print run, market jointly, this way you can share costs, gain bigger exposure, and provide better value and one-stop-shop convenience for your customers.

3) Barter

Nothing talks like money, but when money runs out bartering is the next best thing. If you’re looking for marketing services, why not try and barter for them with your own services or goods. You could offer prizes for competitions on local radio stations, newspapers and magazines. You can also just offer goods or services instead of payment, it’s amazing how often it works and how much you can save.

4) Pull a stunt

If you’re in need of a cheap marketing boost and you’re not afraid to make a fool of yourself (or an employee), pulling a stunt on your local high street can be great for business. Whether it’s a flashmob organised through facebook, or a scantily clad young lady handing out flyers, if you can attract attention, you’ll soon attract business.

5) Social media

No shoestring marketing plan is complete without including social media. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube the list goes on. These sites are a great way to build relationships with customers, highlight products and services, gather feedback and leverage viral marketing. It’s a great venue to both market and provide value to customers.

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Successful branding efforts build strategic awareness where people not only recognize your brand, but they also understand the distinctive qualities that make it better than the competition. Branding is more important today than ever due to ever-increasing advertising clutter, media fragmentation, the commoditization of products, and the seemingly limitless choices we are offered in just about every product category.

As marketers, we need to work hard to ensure that we are offering our customers strong brands that are clearly differentiated and that offer clear, real value and unique benefits. The need for branding has never been greater.

Here are just a few benefits you will enjoy when you create a strong brand:

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Time and again we all see businesses throw lots of money away trying to grow their businesses with traditional branding techniques because everyone else is doing it. These branding myths can break a company before it even gets off the ground. Times have changed–technology has created new ways to build and brand your company; traditional techniques don’t always work anymore.

Myth 1: Offering a consistent and great product will produce a successful business.

Is the quality of your product or service important? Of course it is, but it has very little to do with how successful your new or established business will become. The truth is that some very profitable, successful brands offer a marginal product while some failing businesses offer amazing products. The success of your brand venture is dependent on much more than just the quality of your product. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that creating the perfect product or service will have the world beating a path to your door. Your superior product or service will make you proud, but it won’t make you money by itself.

Solution:

You can always launch a beta test for your product or service to start getting exposure.  Post on social networking sites and ask readers for their opinions and feedback. A great way to start to build your e-mail list is to post on a social network and link back to your site with e-mail capture and a survey readers can download and participate in. Make the survey about them, not about you or your product or service.

Myth 2: The more you spend on advertising, the more profitable you will become.

You’ll hear this mantra from every advertising salesperson out there. Unfortunately, constant repetition gives this myth credibility. If you do anything in business just because it’s what everyone else is doing, you’re in big trouble. Many current brands spend huge amounts of money on their monthly advertising budget; most of this money is wasted on ineffective ads. There are much smarter ways to build a brand. Don’t get me wrong; there is a place for advertising in branding–but it’s brand maintenance, not brand building. Advertising lacks the credibility that building a brand requires.

Solution:

The best way to build credibility is to utilize the media. Online, print and broadcast media outlets are looking for quality content and contributors daily. Offer valuable tips tied into current events for readers, viewers and listeners. You’ll gain massive exposure and credibility if your campaign is planned and executed properly.

Myth 3: Word-of-mouth and referrals will make you a successful, profitable business.

This myth is the major cause of failure for underfunded startup brands. I’ve heard many new business owners say that they don’t spend a penny on advertising or any other branding method because they’re waiting for “word-of-mouth” to kick in and build their brand. Years ago this was possible; in a small industry without a lot of brand competition or mass messaging, it didn’t take long for word to spread. Those days are over, though. With a different customer attitude and the many options available to the consumer, waiting for word-of-mouth to build their brands leads many businesses to shuttered doors. It’s a great way to increase business over time, but it isn’t something to base your business plan and success on. It isn’t proactive, and it simply doesn’t work in today’s competitive climate. It’s wishful thinking, not a realistic business plan.

Solution:

A great way to build a list and incorporate word-of-mouth into your marketing is to launch a blog. They’re free to set up and, if used correctly, you’ll not only engage your potential customer, but you’ll also build loyalty and word-of-mouth. Blogs provide valuable content for your customer in your area of expertise. They’re excellent education and relationship-building tools.

Myth 4: You need to possess a wide range of skills to become a successful entrepreneur and brand.

I’ve met many personable, skilled, well-organized, business-minded individuals who failed to create a profitable brand. If you’re great with people, a real motivator, good at accounting and a hard worker, yes, you’ll have an advantage. But the truth is that even if you have none of those skills or attributes, you can still run an extremely successful brand. There’s one brand-building skill that most businesses don’t even consider. If you master this skill and make it your No. 1 priority, you can launch as many successful brands as you wish. Here it is: daily marketing. Notice I didn’t just say marketing, I said daily marketing. I’ve never met a business owner who made this task his or her No. 1 priority and didn’t succeed.

Solution:

What are you doing every single day to market and grow your business? Commit to doing five new things each day to grow your business–make that call, post on a new site, launch a blog, release an article. Your business is likely to grow by leaps and bounds almost overnight.

Myth 5: The costs to brand your business (including advertising, PR, marketing and social media), are enormous.

So many people believe this myth that it’s practically written in stone. Yes, many new brands fail because they lack funding. But you don’t need to spend a fortune to launch or grow a successful brand. I started my business with no capital, using all of the tools available on social networks and through online and print media. You should focus on marketing to larger markets online and build your credibility through media features and placements.

Solution:

You can reach hundreds, even thousands, of new contacts and potential customers or clients using online tools such as Twitter or LinkedIn.  Another great way to get exposure for your business is to contact local media outlets and persuade them to run a feature on your business. Even if you’re looking to expand worldwide–start close to home. This type of coverage shows larger-scale media outlets that you’re newsworthy.