1. Network with noteworthy business associates, competitors, and peers. You don't have to simply befriend every person you ca...
1. Network
with noteworthy business associates, competitors, and peers. You don't
have to simply befriend every person you can that requests you or
vice versa on Twitter. Instead, choose your networking buddies
carefully. Look for fellow executives or business owners who work within
your particular niche. Then, follow their progress, look for advice,
and of course, throw in some of your own two cents as well. By
befriending people who are in the same line of work as you, you'll get
an insider's look at how their successes compare to yours.
2. Update
your audience fairly regularly, but don't over load them. A lot of
people are most likely interested in what you have to say, otherwise
they probably wouldn't have added you to begin with. This means you
should be updating them on a fairly regular basis so they can keep up
with what's happening in your world or your business' world. On the
other hand, you don't want to overload people so much that the feel of
your Twitter site feels "spammy" and they turn away. Try to maintain the
balance between good updating and overwhelming people with
insignificant updates.
3. Use
Twitterfeed to help people stay updated. Twitterfeed is basically
the website's answer to an RSS feed, and it's a great way to
automatically keep your followers updated without them checking your
page too often. It also allows things to be updated on their own, so you
don’t have to spend extra time telling everyone you have an updated;
it's all done for you.
4. Use
Twitter at conferences and trade shows. When you're out and
about networking in the REAL world, don't forget to use Twitter then as
an opportunity to update your customers and peers on what you're seeing
and doing. This shows them that you're being proactive and it's a lot of
fun as well. You can tell them some funny things you might be seeing at
the trade show, or maybe inform them of an interesting vendor you've
hooked up with. By
sharing your experiences as you go along, you're garnering more interest in what is happening with your business.
5. Keep an
eye on what people are saying. Don't forget that Twitter, like
any other virtual conversation, is a two-way street. Pay attention to
what other members are saying, and see if they're Twittering about you.
If they are, you might want to use that as an opportunity to either
thank them for a nice compliment, or to make good if they are posting a
complaint. Remember that you're never 100% safe from someone who might
try to talk negatively about you, your website, or anything else on
Twitter. Be sure to use this to your advantage in a diplomatic way.
6. Display
your Twitter profile on business cards, your website, and in
email signatures. Remind people in other ways that you're on Twitter.
Some clients and customers might not know this until you pass the
information along. Get a nice snapshot of your Twitter home page and
then display it along with a link to the Twitter page on your actual
website. Include the page's URL in email signatures and you can even
print this on a business card if you like.
7. Make
Twitter another home hub. Use Twitter to display your business
growth, charts, statistics, and other factual data. This way, people who
prefer to watch what's happening with you on Twitter have the same
basic information and access as those who usually just visit your
website.
8. Promote
Events. Remember to not just update people on the comings and goings of
your business, but also to get them hyped up for any big events you may
have coming up. This can be anything from an appearance at a trade show
to a huge seasonal sale or a launching of a new product. Always
keep Twitter in mind when it comes to these updates, and remember that
it can reach a lot more people than just your email subscribers.
9. Filter
your traffic to other places. You can use Twitter to also steer people
to other resources that you use for marketing such as a blog page or
website updates. The exchange of information through Twitter can go both
ways, so keep that in mind. It's a good way to get others moving to
different resources that you have available that they might not know
about.
10. Find a
cool template that says who you are as company. Twitter now
allows users to customize the look of their home page. Use something
individual and creative as your Twitter page. This can be the same
graphics you use on your website, a company logo, or something you've
customized just for Twitter. No matter what it is, make sure it's
appealing to the eyes and does not look too "busy."
11. Why email
when you can Twitter? Don’t send out short and sweet emails to your
subscribers. Most people who sign up for emails from companies expect a
monthly and at worst weekly update that is chock full of information.
They don't want to open a short email with not much to go on. Save this
for Twitter, where people hunger for the short sentences and blurbs.
Then, you can compile all of these over the span of a month or so into
one email for the others.
12. Use a
cool "follow me" graphic. There are now hundreds of different follow
me graphics to choose from that will grab peoples' attention. You can
even customize your graphic if you want to, so people will see something
distinctive about your page. Just like the template, the follow me
graphics get you notice and entice people to want more information, so
make sure this graphic is done well.
13. Keep it
casual. Remember that Twitter is a social site, so it's got more of
a casual feel than some websites might. Make sure the posts are
generally light, with a touch of humor otherwise you might lose your
core audience. The purpose of following others on Twitter is so that
it's entertaining. If you post too serious or heavy posts, it might turn
some readers off.
14.
Sub-divide your Twitter page. You don't have to just have ONE
company page. Instead, try to come up with a page for all of your staff.
This way, your customers get to know others on the team. It also adds a
bit of diversity for the business, and gives people a cast of
characters to follow instead of a faceless, nameless company. It also
entices people to follow more so they stay connected to both you and
your business.
15.
Incorporate video into your Twitter page. Many people may not know
that now Twitter allows for multimedia additions, so feel free to
include video plug-ins on your page. This makes it more exciting, and
people will want to follow your postings more closely if there's video
included.
16. Divide
and conquer. You can actually separate your followers into
different groups. This is actually quite useful, especially if some
people are customers, some are peers, some are competitors, and some are
personal contacts. This way, you only update the people who care about
certain things with particular tweets, while the others don't have to
see those, and vice versa. It's a good way to hone in on your audience's
interests.
17.
Itunes, Iphones, and Twitter: There are plenty of new tools available
right now that incorporated into Apple's applications. This makes your
Twitter updates available to busy people who are on the go, and for
people who access your page solely on their Iphones.
18. It's
not just for Iphones any more: Aside from the Iphone specific
applications, there are plenty of other mobile Twitter-related apps out
there you can use. Not only can your users download these apps and use
them on their cell
phones, but you can do the same and follow your friends and cohorts as well.
19. Inform
your customers of stock status. Twitter also has tons of great
features and plug-ins that will notify your customers when certain items
you carry are in stock, and when they go on sale. This is an excellent
way to notify people so they can make it purchase. This is also helpful
for you, so you can get a jump start on your suppliers and what they are
offering for you.
20. Map it
out. Google Maps and many other map websites now integrate
with Twitter. This can be fun to show your followers where you're
traveling, or just to show them where your business is located. It's
also handy so that you can find posters and look up where they are
located.
21.
Digging for other blogs through Twitter: Twitter is a great way to
get some insight into other blogging websites such as Digg and other
related sources. This can be a good way to not only find other peoples'
blogs, but link to them and inform other people about their content. By
doing a search you can find tons of great blogs on the web that can be
linked to your Twitter.
22.
Contests are tons of fun on Twitter. Host an impromptu giveaway
contest on Twitter. You can do this every day, every week, monthly,
whatever you choose. It's a great way to get all of your followers to
stay interested and engaged, and freebies are always a guarantee of new
contacts.
23. Ask for
feedback. Don't just tell everyone what you're doing via Twitter, try
to ask everyone for their opinion or feedback. It’s a good way to start a
dialogue and open up a forum for new suggestions and changes that can
be made.
24. Colors
matter. Think about the color scheme of your Twitter page, and try
to make it appealing and something that will fit your business' niche.
For example, a NASCAR Twitter page wouldn't use a pink and red color
scheme!
Choose colors that fit your message and your style.
25. Fonts are Important, too. The fonts you use for the main Twitter page should also fit the theme of the business or page.
26. Make
Twitter followers feel special by offering "Twitter followers only”
specials and coupons. This encourages new purchases as well as new
followers.
27. Offer
more than just Twitter. If you're so inclined, let people know they
can contact you outside of Twitter via email, text, or even phone. Open
up the lines of communication.
28. Use
behind the scenes tools. Don’t forget to look at metrics and what
people click on, and from where. This is definitely an invaluable tool.
29. Get
into a routine. Figure out a Twitter rhythm, and then stick with it.
Once you get into the flow of posting, your readers will stick with you.
30.
Participate as much as possible. Contribute, and be a part of others'
Twitter pages as well. Don't just stand in the shadows, or you might
lose followers.
31.
Mix it up. Don't just use Twitter as a promotional site. Try to keep
a dialogue going, let people know what's happening, and other things
aside from overpromotion.
32. Partner
up. It can never hurt to form a partnership with some of your
fellow tweeters. Come up with a network within a network, and you'll be
amazed at the results.
33. Realize
there are other avenues, and then expand on them. While Twitter
is great, don’t neglect your other social media sites, blogs, or your
own website!
34. Take out
the trash. You can always "unfollow" people who are not posting positive
comments, other companies who spam you, or "junk" Twitter
friends. Don’t be afraid to clean house every once in a while.
35. Future
tweets reap sweet treats. You can now use tools that allow you to
type up your tweets in advance so you can plan ahead, and then they will
post to your account when you're ready. A great time saver!
36. Automated
Tweets can help you prioritize. There are tools where you can select
certain topics or sub-topics for notification, so that the topics
important to you will be delivered daily, or however you like.
37. Use
the advanced search to your benefit. Twitter and other tools related to
it have advanced search options, so you can really find that niche
poster or specified topic that you're interested in.
38. Use
links. Never mention a resource without linking if at all possible, this
way people trust your opinions because they're backed up with real
links.
39. Try not
to abbreviate too much. While Twitter only allows 140 characters
and that can be tough to express yourself, try to avoid too many
abbreviations.
40.
Avoid offending people by using bad language. While this seems obvious,
a lot of people get carried away on Twitter. As a business, you want
avoid foul language.
41. Be as thorough as you can when explaining who you are, what your company does, and what you have to offer.
42. Stay
away from arguments if possible. Some people may get obnoxious
or belligerent on Twitter. Try to avoid arguments by just ignoring them,
otherwise you can dig your own hole and make yourself look bad.
43. Don’t
be boring. Do not talk about what you had for breakfast or the
weather. Keep your posts fresh, fun, and interesting.
44. Counts don't count. Do not worry about how many followers you have. This can distract you from the quality of your posts.
45. Refuse spammers. Keep spammers and spam emailers out of your Twitter feed or else they can ruin your page.
46. Ask and
ye shall receive. Don't be afraid to ask others to retweet your
tweets, or to link you to their blogs, etc. Most people will oblige if
you just ask.
47. Open
up to your audience. Try to loosen up and have your other Tweeters
do the same by being honest, intimate, and real with your readers.
People will really enjoy the candid postings and stay enthralled.
48. Offer
downloadable material. You can always offer a PDF download or
other material on your Twitter page for people to look at and get more
information.
49. Use SEO to your advantage, and do not forget to implement important keywords in the Twitter posts.
50. Do not
stop abruptly. If you have to go on vacation, make sure you have a
sit-in tweeter to fill your post so your readers stay tuned.
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