Some people are making great use of the search features on Twitter. Many will at least have a search for their company name, and maybe a few important industry keywords, or keywords of interest to them. The question here is whether you are really “in the know” about what others are saying about your boss, your employees, or your friends? It does not take much to find out, and you don’t need any fancy software or the latest hot Web application.

Keeping an eye on others’ use of Twitter is such a simple thing to do, but then, sometimes the simplest of tasks are the ones that remain overlooked.

If you don’t monitor your social media channels carefully, you are only getting a very small piece of the potential value. So, here is just a small tip to help you:

Add a search for every employee (or friend, and etcetera)!

Sure, you can create groups using Twitter, and the many available 3rd party applications like Seesmic and TweetDeck to help you monitor others’ communications. This is a good way to measure what they are saying, but what about keeping an eye on things people send to them as a separate monitor altogether?

Maybe an employee is not following up with a question from a potential customer, or maybe somebody is sending them angry tweets. If they do not respond, you may never know about it. If I am the guy in charge of monitoring social media, I want to know this information. More importantly, it can provide a more interactive way to communicate as a group. Most larger or social media savvy companies know this, but I still find many companies and individuals who overlook the possibilities.

Let’s say for example somebody sends something to your employee (or boss, friend, or etcetera) but you know they will not be able to answer for a little while. Wouldn’t you be the greatest if you responded with assistance?

You don’t have to make it complicated!

There are a lot of services focused on Twitter searches, such as Monitter, and of course Twitter’s advanced search. There is a Web application for nearly anything you want to do with Twitter. In this case, you do not have to sign up, log in, or anything so difficult at all.

Here is an example search for a company I like, so I will use their blog contributors. If I want to keep an eye on what people are saying to HubSpot, I simply add a search to my desktop application (I use Seesmic) that looks like this:

OR @bhalligan OR @prashantkaw OR @onstartups OR @mvolpe OR @shaxxon OR @rickburnes OR @pc4media OR @repcor OR @jeannehopkins OR @pamelump

Note that the search begins with “OR” and it continues with “OR @username”. The limit is 140 characters, but of course you can add multiple searches.

Since I am already using my desktop application, it is a handy place to save and monitor the search. You can also save the search on Twitter’s Website if you don’t use a desktop application.

For many people, the importance and reach of Twitter is obvious. Some have not yet seen the importance, but they will. You could stand in any room and ask people a simple show-of-hands question: “How many people here used the Internet ten years ago?” and you would see a decent number of hands. If you pulled that back a few years, a lot of hands would lower.

By now, we all notice television, radio, print, and other media talking about and writing about Twitter. They are the early-adopters. They are the ones you can expect to hear from again, and you can count on to listen and understand how media involves community today. Others may find it increasingly harder to have a voice if they let time slip by without embracing Twitter and other social media.

As an example to show the usefulness of Twitter, and its reach, I just sent a late-breaking, last-minute press release to some local news agencies. I will tweet about it. I will be sure that if they are watching their industry, they will cover it, or at least tweet me to let me know they heard it.

Please see the press release below, and ask yourself, “If I am a news director, what do I do with this?” I invite you to give your thoughts in the comments of this blog post.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Topeka Author Talks With Local Business Owners About Using Twitter

Why is the whole world talking about Twitter? Author Mark Aaron Murnahan (Twitter @murnahan) answered many questions about Twitter each day, until the Twitter community asked him to write a book about it.

Today, Mark will speak to Topeka Business owners about benefits of using Twitter.

Topeka, Kansas – 3 August 2009: Twitter has created a communication style that cannot be denied. With millions of users “tweeting” the latest happenings, it is hard to call it a fad. After learning of a structure fire one hundred yards away from home that was reported on Twitter by a local television station, Murnahan was convinced that Twitter deserved a closer look. At noon today, Mark will speak to a group of Topeka business owners at The Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant about why Twitter is important to them.

It is easy to see that television, radio, and print media have found usefulness in Twitter, and Hollywood clearly loves “tweeting”. Last fall, presidential candidates rushed to the service, and during an outbreak of Swine Flu, the Centers for Disease Control used Twitter to send and receive updates on the impending threat. All of this publicity leads many people to Twitter.com each day to find out what it is all about. Many are still left with a lot of questions on how it can be useful to them.

Murnahan says: “The simplicity of Twitter makes it very attractive. That same simplicity also leaves many people with questions of how it can be useful in their business and personal lives. I want to answer those questions, because when more people understand Twitter, we all benefit.”

“Twitter for Business: Twitter for Friends” is available on Amazon.com or at tfbtff.com and is expected to be released in major retail outlets soon.

About the Author

Mark’s background in Internet technology reaches back to the mid-1990’s, and he is the CEO of YourNew.com, Inc. He has used Twitter to engage with thousands of people around the world. It has been a study in people, cultures, current events, friendship, business development, and public relations. With over 22,000 Twitter updates to-date, hundreds of thousands reading his “tweets”, and frequently topping the charts at third party user rating services, it is easy to see that this book was written by a true fan of Twitter.

For more information, please contact Mark Aaron Murnahan toll free at 866-293-2489, by Twitter @murnahan or visit http://twitterforbusinesstwitterforfriends.com.

###

Follow up:

Here is a compilation of clips from the event.

I kept you waiting, and wondering when “Twitter for Business: Twitter for Friends” would finally be ready. Well, I finally approved it for release, and now it is time to tell Twitter and the world! The work has just begun. Now it is time to test the value of social media and ask people to help spread the word.

Twitter for Business: Twitter for Friends is Here!

As I announced just hours ago, I received my latest physical proof of the book this afternoon. After reviewing it, taking a deep breath, and crossing my fingers, I am pleased to announce that it is now available for purchase.

Who Can Benefit from this Book?

• Twitter lovers who want to know how to get the most of Twitter’s many possible uses and amazing tools.
• Twitter lovers who want to help build a stronger and more enjoyable community.
• Anybody who tried Twitter but didn’t stick around long enough to see the great value in it.
• Anybody who is not using Twitter, but should be.
• The whole Twitter community benefits when more people use Twitter to communicate and build relationships rather than read a few tweets and give up, or worse, seek thousands of followers to send worthless advertisements.

Reaching a specific audience is extremely important for marketing, and also for friendship. Finding others with specific interests and in specific locations has never been easier. Twitter provides great benefit to those seeking a targeted group, if you know how to use it. Here are some tips for reaching the people you seek.

Geotargeting Using Twitter

Using Twitter advanced search features, you can find what people are tweeting about by location. If you take my tip on using a desktop client such as Seesmic Desktop or TweetDeck, try entering a search like the following:

near:KansasCity within:10mi grilling OR cooking ?

This search will return results for tweets within 10 miles of Kansas City with the words grilling or cooking and asking a question. If you were operating a cooking school, cookware store, or grocery, this may give you a great opportunity to help somebody with their cooking questions. If you run a tire shop, you could search for flat tires, or a restaurant may search for hungry OR dinner. You get the idea, right?

People like helpful people, and they may just remember it the next time they need your help. When you enter this in your desktop client such as Seesmic Desktop or TweetDeck, you will be constantly updated with new results.

Another handy tool is Nearby Tweets, which provides a similar function from a Web-based tool.

Demographic Targeting Using Twitter

Similar to geotargeting, it should be simple for you to reach any target demographic using Twitter. In my experience, searching specific terms to find people tweeting about a topic will lead you to an even more focused audience than expected. Using multiple search terms and being creative with your searches will take some practice, but you can quickly find just what you are looking for. It will also allow you to find people who are talking about a topic right now, meaning that you are not reaching a cold audience.

Although much is still speculative as to the overall demographics of Twitter users, largely due to the extreme growth figures, you may find very interesting estimates of Twitter user demographics by visiting Quantcast.com.