Over the last few years,
social media has become one of the most important
things for businesses of all sizes to embrace.
Twitter has been at the forefront of the social
media revolution. Users of the micro-blogging
platform have just 140 characters to share their
message and it is important to make those characters
count. The following six steps will have your
business on its way to social media domination!
Have an Attractive
Profile:
Twitter has changed its
interface a bit lately, allowing graphic-savvy users
to express themselves through their profile page.
The header image is visible both on mobile and
desktop platforms, so don't use a boring stock
image. Hire a graphic designer, or put your
own skills to work. For your profile photo,
you can go one of two routes -- your brand's logo or
a photo of yourself. This is largely dependent
on your niche and the size of your business.
Tweet Often:
Regular use of Twitter
drives more frequent engagement with your followers.
Marketing and social media experts agree that it is
best to send out a few messages an hour, though this
can vary from industry to industry. An entire
industry of research has evolved to learn the best
time to tweet based on certain demographics. It
wouldn't make much sense for a blog that shares
stock trading tips to tweet when the markets are
closed.
It's Not All About You:
Twitter is an amazing
medium to share your own content. Companies
that make their Twitter feed overly self-promotional
struggle in growing their brand via the medium.
Share content created by others that might interest
your audience. In fact, the best social media
managers tweet less than 50% of the time about their
own companies and offers. Share content that your
audience will find interesting and relevant to your
products or services.
It's Called Social
Media for a Reason:
If you want your audience
to engage with your Twitter feed, you should engage
with theirs. There are plenty of tools
available to notify you when a follower is talking
about a certain subject. This is a great
opportunity to start a conversation with someone via
Twitter. You might not make a sale right away,
but you'll certainly have a follower that remembers
who you are.
Content, Content, and
more Content!
Like all things on the
web, great content drives engagement. Focus
less on trying to sell things to your Twitter
followers and more on trying to help them with a
problem that they may have. A good place to start
is by typing a question into Google. You'll get a
quick look at the the types of things that people
are asking. As an expert in your field, you'll be
able to craft content that will answer these
questions.
Tweet Outside of the
Box:
Not everything on your
Twitter feed has to focus on your business, or even
your market. If you run a local business for
example, start talking about local sports.
Talk about an awesome local restaurant that you
tried out. Become a visible part of your
community. Think of your Twitter account as a
human face to your business.
By employing the
strategies discussed, your marketing messages are
sure to see more engagement, you'll earn more
followers, and ultimately, you'll make more sales.
You'll also have fun while doing so!