Twitter for Business

Twitter and Business: How to Promote your Business with Twitter

10 Twitter Tips for your Business

10 easy approaches you can start using today to promote your business on Twitter:

1. Use Twitter Search

Twitter Search is very effective marketing tool for business because it allows you to view the latest developments on Twitter about your business, your competitors, your customers, your target market, your market trends, your brands, your services, etc. Unlike Google, Yahoo, Bing and other traditional search engines, Twitter Search gives you live and up to date developments that are important for your business.

2. Segment your Twitter Followers

Being used by millions of users Twitter allows easy and fast access to everyone. Unless you protect your tweets, anyone in the world can start following you. Chances are that you have different segments of followers. Use Twitter Lists to segment your followers. You can use private lists (nobody can see your segments - this is good for your marketing analysis) or you can use public lists that everyone can see (this is good for attracting new followers who share the same characteristics as your segments). You can use Twitter segments in many different ways such as market analysis and customized promotions.

3. Dedicate Resources to your Twitter Marketing

Twitter Marketing is time consuming so if you plan on creating successful and effective marketing channel for your business with Twitter you need to allocate resources just like with any other marketing initiative. Twitter Business Marketing requires ongoing time investments, resources and energy. Using Twitter from time to time without clear strategy and dedicated team wont deliver any results and ROI for your business.

4. Help your Followers

Be useful twitter resource and find ways to help your followers. Based on your business and your customer segments list the top 3 ways how you can help your followers by sharing resources, tips, free products, expertise, etc. Instead of just posting links to your website, explain why and how your twitter posts are useful for your followers.

5. Follow your Industry Leaders

Chances are your industry leaders have already built a strong presence on Twitter with thousands of followers. You can learn a lot from them. Follow them and engage, see what type of followers they have and how they manage their Twitter Marketing. Analyze and see what you can learn and apply to your Twitter Marketing initiatives.

6. Show your Followers that you are Human

Engage with your followers and instead of posting only links about your business, talk about their issues and interests. Post general information of interest to your followers. Share your opinions about the latest industry trends without promoting your products and services.

7. Use Twitter Direct Messages

Try to avoid creating information overload for your followers. When you communicate one on one with your followers use Twitter Direct Messages for information that is not relevant for your entire list of followers. Direct messages allow you to communicate with your followers in the same way like using an email so use this tool carefully.

8. Shorten your URLs

Twitter posts are limited to 140 characters - this includes the characters of your URL links so save some space for your message by using short URLs. There are many free URL shortening services you can use when the URL links in your posts are long. Posting long URLs without shortening is a distraction for your followers - it is hard for your followers to read your message.

9. Create your Twitter Network

Networking must be a part of your overall Twitter Marketing strategy. Retweet, forward, share and talk about other Twitter users from your industry and marketplace. Networking will help you improve your current position on Twitter and attract new followers. Not every twitter post must be a promotion for your business. 

10. Develop Clear Twitter Marketing Strategy

The most important part of your Twitter Marketing for your Business is having a clear business strategy. You would not allocate resources to another marketing channel or tool without making a clear plan and estimate your ROI. Twitter Marketing is not free - it consumes a lot of time, energy and resources, so make sure you develop your plan and strategy and integrate twitter marketing with your overall business marketing and sales strategy. Leverage twitter with your other marketing channels and dedicate team and resources.