Get Your Business Noticed On Twitter By Following These 5 Rules

If you run a business, and aren’t yet on Twitter, then you’re missing out on a vital marketing channel that could have you  inundated with new fans. However before you jump in feet first, and end up getting yourself a reputation as a spammer, which sees you unfollowed just as quickly as you’re trying to follow everyone, you might want to check out this Twitter Survival Guide:

1. Don’t Make It All About Your Ego

It’s all too easy to get drawn into the “how many gazillion followers can I get” way of using Twitter, but the reality is if you’re using Twitter to benefit your business, this type of strategy is never going to work.

Why? Because firstly, you’re never going to be able to communicate with a gazillion followers on a personal basis, and will become lost and forgotten in their Twitter stream, and secondly it’s very unlikely that all of these gazillion followers are going to be interested in what you’re looking to market, with the success of any promotions going to be based on nothing more than a fingers crossed strategy.

If on the other hand, you have 1000 followers, who all love your milk chocolate strawberry ice creams, then it’s likely when you tweet about your latest buy one, get one free offer, you’re going to be inundated with orders, because you’ve just provided them with exactly what they want.

In Twenty Words Or Less: The follow everyone and hope someone is interested won’t work. Stay targeted.

2. Make People Desire What You Have To Offer

We’ve all got a couple of them on our Twitter stream – companies who just paste links to their products, with nothing to entice us apart from the name of the product, and if we’re lucky, the word “New” or “Reduced” in front of it.

I won’t deny that this might get them a sale or two, but what it’s unlikely to do, is get them any repeat business.

Why? Because they’ve only satisfied a need, they’ve not created any desire.

If you want people to really want what you have to offer, you have to make it desirable.

This means not only tweeting what your products / services are, but about them too.  So, if you’re someone who sells chocolate cakes, then tweet about the gorgeous wafts coming out of the kitchen, and how soft and luscious the cake is when you cut it. If you’re a party organiser, then tweet how much the guests loved dipping their marshmallows in that luxurious fountain of chocolate.

In Twenty Words Or Less: Don’t just tweet about what you offer, tweet about the experience.

3. Realise Tweeting Is About Engaging, Not Shouting

A common mistake that many businesses make is to treat Twitter as a giant billboard, posting adverts, then walking away hoping people will notice them as they pass through their Twitter stream. It’s a plan that destined to not only fail, but very quickly seen them unfollowed.

Why? Because this isn’t the way Twitter works. Twitter is all about engaging with your followers. It’s about having a conversation.

This means it’s not enough to just post your latest offer. You need to be finding out what other people are saying about you. And it’s not hard to do – type your company name into Twitter search and you’ll immediately find out just that – and don’t be afraid to respond to those criticising you. One quick apology / explanation, and you can easily turn a critic into a raving fan.

In Twenty Words Or Less: Twitter isn’t about you. It’s about you and your followers, so make sure you’re engaging with them.

4. Give People A Strong Reason To Follow You On Twitter

Twitter allows you immediate contact with your target market, so make sure you use it to your benefit.  Do fun and unusual things, that people will only find out about, by using Twitter.  Examples would be offer hour long  online discounts, on a whim, by giving them a special discount code only Twitter followers will know, or even telling them where your after work drinks are so they can meet the people behind the brand…

In Twenty Words Or Less: Use the immediacy of Twitter to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

5.  Don’t Confine Yourself To Just The Written Word

Back in the old days of Twitter, it was all about the 140 characters and nothing else. These days you can add a bit of colour and life to your tweets thanks to the multiple photo and video sharing sites that have sprung up. And if you’re not doing it already, you should, as these will really help bring your tweets to life.

Yes it’s cool to read about how beautiful the cake you’re decorating is looking, but it’s even better to be able to look at it!

In Twenty Words Or Less: Don’t confine yourself to text. Bring your tweets to life with photos and videos.