10 Ways to Use Twitter to Market Your Business
By Shelby Ballou
How can you use Twitter to drive more traffic to your business or website? Here are 10 tips for how to use Twitter as a successful marketing tool.
1. Optimize your Twitter bio. Make sure your company identity and voice are branded well. That means having a bio that tells people who you are and includes a link to your company website. In addition, be sure to use a consistent tone so people clearly understand who you are and what you do.
2. Interact with influencers and experts on a regular basis. Use Twitter search to find prospects, customers and influencers by searching keywords that relate to your industry. Make a list of the most influential people in your space — journalists, thought leaders, big-name bloggers, and potential partners, and try to engage with them daily.
- Tweet regularly. Regular tweeting is a sign of an active profile. If you only tweet once a week, people will forget about you. Be sure to post daily. Create a schedule to hold yourself accountable!
- Don’t be afraid to ask for some Twitter love. Ask followers to retweet, mention or favorite your tweets. This will spread awareness for your brand. It will also increase your follower-base!
- Track mentions, and respond if appropriate. Track brand mentions and keywords to make sure you know what’s being said about you. Also, be sure to respond in a polite, professional manner. Don’t let an angry customer cause you to act impulsively and say something you’ll regret.
- Retweet. Don’t be afraid to retweet. This will help link you with thought leadership within your industry. It will also give customers an idea of your beliefs and your mission.
- Favorite tweets. Favoriting tweets can get someone’s attention more than a retweet or a mention!
- Follow trends/hashtags. Look at trending topics and hashtags and find a way to make a relevant connection to your business. By including your business among the trending topics, your account will be seen when people search that hashtag.
- Offer discounts or special deals to Twitter followers. Run Twitter contests such as: ‘The next 50 people that retweet me will receive a coupon for 25% off,’ or have people post pictures of themselves in the store or using the product, and do a random drawing for a giveaway.
- Use images and videos. Get visual! Photos, videos, and other rich media drive three to four more clicks on Twitter.
