How to use Twitter for your Business

The market is constantly changing. You will find that things that worked for you before no longer do. So you must keep tabs on your market, and adapt.

Twitter is a great tool for helping you do just that. Research has shown that more and more people are turning to online social networking, even people 50 and above (Reuters). Beyond that, many people are connecting with brands through online networking (eMarketer).

What does this mean for you? It means you cannot ignore online networking as a means of reaching your market. But, you already knew that, right? You’re probably wondering, “Where should I go?”, “Which network should I use?”, and “How do I use it?”

Well, if you ever wondered about Twitter, hopefully this article will help you decide whether Twitter is for you. First, go to search.twitter.com. Do a preliminary search for keywords or phrases that pertain to your industry (self-help, public speaking, life purpose, whatever). What are people saying about your topic?

Next, consider the characteristics of Twitter and its users.

Twitter is fast-paced. You might say Twitter is Facebook on ADHD. It has a VAST number of users. So depending on how many people you’re following, posts could come and go like greased lightning. Some find this discouraging, but read below, there’s plenty of solutions.

Messages are very short and to the point. The maximum length of a tweet is 140 characters. Some refer to this as mini-blogging. And while it will never replace blogging, it allows you to get in there, say your piece, and get out without having to spend lots of time agonizing over content. BUT, if you’re loquacious, you’ll have to be creative about how you say what you want to.

Posting is real-time. As soon as you or someone else posts, that post is made live to everyone in the Twitter community, and anywhere your feed may be posted.

Users are listable. This means you can follow as many people as you want. But if you follow a lot of people, and want to follow just a few, you can categorize them into lists. It’s a great way to clear the clutter, and zero in on the people you want.

How do I use Twitter?
For me, it depends on the type of site and product. Most often, I use it like a news feed, and embed the feed on my site. Anyone following me on Twitter, or visiting my site(s) will see recent updates pertinent to the topic of my site. What’s the value? Well, first, people see what I’m all about in a glance. Second, I do the work of “weeding out” bad or unintresting articles so my followers don’t get bogged down with useless information.

On some sites I also use the news feed to recommend products that I am promoting. Sometimes I do this in a general manner, other times I feel the pulse of real-time tweets, and recommend my products to specific users. You can’t understimate the power of talking to people around the country in real-time. Another value is that when people visit my site, they are also presented with my offerings and see that I am actively engaged in my community.

When listing people, I have two main categories: People to whom I can market to, and People from whom I can learn. The first is for obvious reasons. The latter keeps me up-to-date, ever learning, and ahead of the game for my clients. Hey, I owe it to my clients, and to my own business! how to use Twitter for your business

Social conversations. Ask yourself, Who doesn’t like eavesdropping? Who doesn’t have an opinion? Twitter’s a great way to start some buzz about a topic. Or, join someone else’s buzz. While people are clicking around, they will see your ID on other people’s feeds, and may become curious. What’s that translate into? More traffic for you!!

Why is Twitter so great? how to use Twitter for your business
1) It allows you to constantly be in front of your market’s faces with marketing nuggets or networking.
2) You can recommend products, and people don’t feel threatened, because of the relationship of trust you’ve built.
3) There are plenty of tools out there to let you manage your tweets and time wisely (Tweet while you sleep!)
4) It is a real-time tool that let’s you see what is going on in the world and market — right now. how to use Twitter for your business