10-Minute Twitter Strategies for Small Business Profits
Twitter is the one social network my students and clients are most hesitant to join. It’s only for celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Charlie Sheen, they say. Or like my summer intern Matt, they feel like they need a Twitter-to-English dictionary to decipher people’s tweets. Stated plainly, Twitter is not for wimps. It takes persistence and boldness. Many small business owners find their customers aren’t on Twitter, so why bother?
Because the influencers in your industry are using Twitter and getting more recognition everyday because of it. That’s a missed opportunity for you. Once you’ve learned how to use Twitter, it requires little in the way of time to update and let people know what’s going on with your business. That’s in stark contrast to Facebook, a blog, or even LinkedIn, which take far more time to setup and maintain.
Here are 10-minute strategies you can use to quickly learn Twitter, how to use it effectively, and drive greater profits for your business:
Create a simple Twitter name. Your Twitter name will help people decide whether or not they want to follow you. When I was @WRMedia, I wasn’t getting much in the way of followers. Once I changed to @SM_OnlineClass, I immediately gained more followers, because they instantly knew exactly what I did. So think: your personal name, or business name? (SM is also the abbreviation on Twitter for social media, again identifying what I did instantly)
Use your head shot instead of a logo. One of the major drawbacks of social media is it can be impersonal, never getting face-to-face interaction with your followers. Help them get to know you by uploading a head shot photo of you instead of your logo. I love my logo, but people want to do business with me, not the graphic design.
Listen first, then tweet. You get only 140 characters in a Twitter post, or tweet. Really, you’re writing a headline, and it’s an art. Learn how others tweet, especially in your industry, by following 10 people who are leaders in your field. Watch how they tweet, what they tweet about, and begin talking to them on Twitter.
Use hashtags to search and standout. A hashtag is an acronym preceded by a pound sign, such as #sm for social media, #smallbiz for small business, and #pr for public relations. Hashtags allow you to easily find content of interest by searching Twitter for a particular hashtag, and they allow your tweets to stand out to people searching for your topic as well. You can find hashtags for every industry, and you’ll begin seeing them once you follow people and listen.
Start out the right way on Twitter by using these techniques. To learn more, check out our Twitter 101: Marketing Your Business on Twitter course. Our courses are 24/7, on your own schedule, and our instructors are here for your questions everyday. We look forward to seeing you in class!
