Tweets Without Twitter: Twitter Launches Fast Follow

Yesterday, Twitter announced a new service called Fast Follow that allows anyone to receive tweets on their mobile phone without benefit of a Twitter account. You set up the service by sending ‘on [username]’ to 40404 in the US. You turn off the tweets by substituting off for on in your text to the same number.

Fast Follow is kind of a gateway drug to full-blown Twitter usage. The idea being that once you see how fun and helpful tweets can be, you’ll want to have them on your phone all the time.

For you, the marketer, Fast Follow allows you to send your social media message to a wider audience. For example, let’s say you’re a cupcake baker at the county fair. You have your Twitter name printed on cards and flyers that are passed out to the crowd. Now, throughout the day, you send tweets alerting people every time fresh cupcakes arrive at your stand. With Fast Follow, everyone at the fair can get your alerts on their phones, not just people who have Twitter accounts. They “follow you” while they’re at the fair, take advantage of your fresh cupcakes and your Twitter coupons codes, then turn off the tweets when they pack the kids up in the mini-van and go home. Since no signup or logins are required, it’s a fast process and fast means more people are likely to give it a try.

Now here’s a Twitter tip? Don’t want to be bothered by tweets while you sleep? You can go to the mobile settings part of your profile and tell Twitter when you want it to be quiet. Or you could just turn your phone off during the night. How’s that for thinking outside the box? Want to do more with your phone? You’ll find a list of mobile Twitter commands right here.

Time for some brainstorming. How could you use Twitter’s Fast Follow to help advertise your business?