Time and time again I see that businesses are using Twitter as a an entry level test into the social media realm. On the contrary I have heard it is a useless application and has no value to the business world, that no actual business even takes place. I would love to point out to all the non-believers that is an incorrect assumption but they are right in some aspects. The most important piece of the puzzle is using Twitter the right way to attract your target audience to influence business. This is all relative of course, so simply stating “the way” to use Twitter wouldn’t necessarily be the appropriate thing to do. Instead, I will go over 5 ways to use Twitter for Business, that can be used for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs, and even large corporations.

#1: Direct Your Target Audience to Your Blog

We all know the power of credibility and how being perceived as an expert in our field/industry can give us that edge when compared to our competitors. Continually giving information, advice, tips, tricks, and ect. to our consumers adds immediate value, even if they have never even spoke with a member of our team or ventured into our stores. Bringing in business is not only about the exchange of products or services, but is mostly about the relationship that is established. For example, take a look at the “Show Us Your Pizza” Campaign by Dominos. Dominos created a national scale relationship with their customers directly tied to the delivery of their product. This type of interaction and engagement between provider and consumer can also be emulated on your blog. By welcoming reader comments, blog post re-posting, outlets/feeds to Twitter and Facebook it creates a stage for the referral process. If your readers see the value in your writing they are most likely to proactively forward the information to others that they believe will also see the added value.

#2: Use Twitter Search to See What People are Saying About You

The twitter search function is a very valuable tool that isn’t used as much as it should be. If you are on twitter you know that it is as brutally honest as the comment box. People don’t have a problem speaking their mind and telling you exactly what they think about your company. Use that to your advantage. Do a twitter search for your company and read what people are saying. Follow the ones who speak positively about your products and services, while responding the the negative ones to let them know their voice is heard. A good example of this is EA Sports Madden Developers Ian Cummings and Donny Moore. When scouring through their posts, I was impressed  with countless responses to their fans. They responded to all the negative comments with goals of improvement and perception, while praising the positive comments of their fans. Most times it will be a love hate relationship with your consumers but they are willing to tell you everything you need to know about your organization.

#3: Build a Community Around Your Brand

Let’s face it, people don’t like to be advertised to on social networks, but just like any medium if done correctly with the proper message and timing it can be very effective. How many times do you hear people comment about how much they hate commercials yet the talking E-Trade baby advertisement in this years brand bowl had them laughing hysterically. It seems that consumers are willing to classify an ad as entertainment if the messaging and timing is appropriate. By taking this mindset and applying it to Twitter, we come across the idea of a community. Engaging with the community surrounding your brand we would simply be entertaining them or giving them an incentive to read posts and follow links. Commenting on others’ tweets, and retweeting what others have posted is a great way to start and build a community. This non-intrusive approach to advertising works wonders as your community acts as a catalyst for driving traffic to your business.

#4: Real Talk

Nobody wants to read constantly about what is going on in your world, unless you are a celebrity. So when you do talk, talk about real life things, real followers, and the real world. Twitter is a socially digital platform and by engaging with your followers as a constant advertisement you are paving the road to unfollow after unfollow. Tweet about things that don’t directly impact your business from time to time. Talk about trends and your followers, as it will let your followers know there is a human being on the other end of your tweets. Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself and your company every now and then. Give advice, post links to blogs that will benefit your followers, post daily news, post pictures and videos, and inspirational quotes that appeal to your target audience. If your followers are generally interested in your posts you will be able to market to them in a discrete manner. Most importantly when you talk about yourself, make sure to promote others just as much, if not more.

#5: Use Link Shorteners Like Bit.Ly

Just like any marketing and advertising efforts we launch in business, we want to know if it is working. Link shorteners such as Bit.ly will let you analyze statistics to the links you post. You can see how many times your link was clicked as well as how many other links have been posted to that page. Use this to your advantage. Constantly check to see what subjects and pairings are working best to engage your followers into actually clicking a links and heighten brand awareness. Determine what is most appealing to your customers, re-apply, and replicate to provide further value to your followers. With your community behind your back, a re-tweet or a quote will do you wonders in spreading your information and advice virally.

These above techniques are a good starting point for any business who is questioning whether they want to hop into the Twtiter world and expand their social presence. Check out other tips HERE.

How are you using Twitter for Business that is working wonders for you? We’d love to hear what’s working for you!

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