This Learning Center article was originally posted on May 6, 2010. However, as things change in the wide world of social media marketing, so does the information that we provide. With that said, we have updated this post to better help you power your business with Twitter.
Since 2006, Twitter has evolved into one of the most well known websites throughout the world, and is now a necessity in corporate society. Twitter is as much a social network as it is an information sharing platform. It enables you, as the business owner to communicate with potential or current clients, receive real time market updates and news, and receive customer feedback. And, the beauty of a Twitter account is that it is free! Instead of going through all the other benefits of Twitter for your business or franchise, let’s take a further look into tips for establishing a powerful presence on Twitter and consequently helping fuel your business.
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Before You Start…Get Your Handle
For branding and overall recognition/credibility purposes, it’s extremely important to customize your Twitter username. In other words, establish a username that is recognizable to your target audience or something that will have a connection to your business. Once you have established your Twitter handle, it’s time to start marketing your Tweets through posting your username in your e-mail signature, letterhead footers, flyers, press releases, etc. The more readily available you make your Twitter account, the better your campaign results.
Getting Started – Put Your Ear To The Ground
The best way to get started is to put your ear to the ground and listen to the current conversations within the Twitter community about your field. This will allow you to get a feel for what the community is thinking and feeling about topics that relate to your field. Some tweets you find in your searches may directly or indirectly relate to your field which will allow you to provide useful, professional, and quality information. This will also be the beginning to gaining a social network sphere of influence (Twitter followers) outside of your current clientele.
Close The Communication Gap
Twitter allows you to significantly minimize the communication gap between you and your clientele by providing the opportunity for your customers to have direct access to real time information and happenings on you or your employees. Along with this, you will have the ability to market your company via Twitter-specific promotions. For example, if you run a real estate office, your first 100 followers could receive a complimentary buyers guide to real estate.
Continuously Promote Your Twitter Presence
The bottom line is that you have to promote your online presence at Twitter. Let people know that you are now tweeting, and tell them how you can be found. Include Twitter in your voice messages and business cards. A great way to let people know that you are on Twitter is to link your current social networking efforts (blogs, Facebook pages, and website pages). While on Twitter, you can follow other relevant companies and retweet their relevant content that does not compete with your company. This allows you to post quality information for your audience while establishing a stronger relationship with the other company.
Twitter can truly be a great source of revenue and information for businesses, but the only way that you can capitalize on the current popularity of the microblogging world is to get started! First, listen to the current community conversations and provide related quality content to help the current community. Second, close the communication gap by allowing your Twitter followers unique access to your company. Third (and finally), promote your online presence through your current marketing methods. Remember, Twitter can significantly help power your business with just a few minutes each day.
Need Help?
If social media marketing is something that you are interested in but don’t know how to get started, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis.
Sources:
“The Essential Step-by-Step Guide to Internet Marketing”-E-Book
SlideShare.net
Image Source: HubSpot, “The 2011 State of Inbound Marketing”, E-Marketer.com
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