Can you really increase sales using Twitter? Can you incorporate award winning strategies for marketing on twitter? In short, yes, if you apply a few commonly-used techniques. It doesn't matter how small (or large) your start up business is, you can use Twitter to your benefit. In recent months, more businesses, start ups, solopreneurs, and entrepreneurs are gaining understanding of benefits of twitter for business as a social media marketing strategy, and how it can help them to generate sales. After all, new 'customers' are joining Twitter on a daily basis, so tap into the business opportunities this provides and start marketing with twitter.
So - what is Twitter? In short, it is:
A micro-blogging web-based platform
A place to generate any message (up to 140 characters)
Think of Twitter as a place to 'chat' about business - this can be with colleagues, business contacts or existing/potential customers. As with any marketing technique, to get the most out of Twitter, there are a few things you can do. Here are a few methods that I use, 7 Steps to Success with Twitter for Business;
1. Follow others. Find users in your market area, and follow them on Twitter. By doing this, you can gain further market understanding, and find out what works for other companies. Try to avoid any users that don't have a picture or bio, you don't want to be bombarded by automated spam!
2. Search other users. Go through the Tweeters you are following, and see who they are following! If these contacts also apply to your business/brand, follow them too. This is a great way to build a good list of Twitter contacts.
3. Limit yourself. Don't go overboard when you first join Twitter, try to limit the number of people you follow to ensure the quality of your Tweet timeline is optimal. Also, bear in mind that Twitter have been known to 'freeze' accounts that follow large numbers of users in any one day.
4. Don't Over Follow. If you are starting out, you do not want to add more than 200 people per day. This will avoid Twitter freezing your account.
5. Watch Your Direct Messages. Keep an eye on your Direct Messages. Similar to an email, this Twitter function allows you to communicate directly and privately with other users. Keep an eye on those who are in the same market as you - collaboration can be a great sales generator.
6. Use Direct Messages. Utilize the direct message feature yourself to thank people for following you and creating a call to action. Want them to follow you on Facebook? Want them to visit your site? Download your special report? Use it to your advantage and start growing your twitter account today!
7. Personalize Your Page Use a Real Picture. Use a real picture for the most bang for your buck. Even better if you are the CEO, CTO, or CMO people really feel a personal connection and that they are getting top secret information like a fly on the wall in the boardroom. Tweet about business but also throw in a few tweets about your personal life. I found that my personal tweets get re-tweeted more often then my business benefits of twitter for business tweets. People like following other people and feel more of a connection to you. No one wants to follow a logo, or a stock picture. The more you can personally reach out and connect with your clients the better.
Use the above tips to get started marketing on Twitter, and you should soon be on your way to increased 'followers', and ultimately increased sales! It takes time as with any social media twitter marketing strategies but the overall big picture will increase your sales, improve your brand, and gives you a real time tool to reach out to your clients and engage them with you and your brand.