Modern technology has made our lives so advanced and
prosperous that we find today we are almost incapable of living without
it! The world of marketing is now being
influenced by the different platforms available on the internet to effectively
reach consumers around the world. Some
of these online tools were not originally designed for marketing but have
recently found a niche in that arena.
Opportunities are being introduced to entrepreneurs that they never
dreamed of having at their fingertips.
One of these tools that was not designed for marketing but
instead was a social network is Twitter.
Twitter is a large community of connected and interrelated people that
are already internet savvy. This is the
perfect combination for promoting your business, your brand, or whatever goods
and services that you have to offer.
Begin with making yourself a Twitter account and you’re off to conquer
the Twitter community!
First, you should develop a marketing plan that is complete
with strategies and goals for your company.
You should include details on how you will present your company and the
offers that you provide. Good tactics should be employed that showcase your
company in a positive light with a subtle approach. If you are too aggressive, you will create
negativity and the results will not be what you had planned or desired. Provide reliable reasons that the client
should buy your product and include any testimonials if possible. A strong marketing plan will assist you in
getting off on the right foot and reaping the rewards of higher sales and
profits.
Getting the whole picture of the status of your business is
important as you create marketing strategies that enable you to reach your
goals. Twitter offers many helpful tools
that will assist you in tracking the traffic driven to your website, your
followers, their tweets, and additional information that helps you to better plan
your advertising campaign. You can immediately learn how your business is
rated, what your followers think about your business, and the level of your
customer satisfaction. With this
plethora of information, you can modify and adjust your strategies.
Another powerful asset of Twitter is that you can interact
directly with your customers. This is
important in business because it establishes a more personal touch with those
clients. Customers who are happy and
satisfied will spread the word and provide you with the best and most
affordable advertising known to man, word-of-mouth. Customers want to buy online because of their
tight schedules and demanding deadlines so if they can access your business on
Twitter, they can have your business in the palm of their hand; this right
where you want them! Your traffic will
expand by leaps and bounds and profits will increase exponentially. This is an on-going project that you will carefully
be improving and implementing. Once you
have your plan that is complete with strategies and goals you will want to
begin to consider the audience you want to attract and how you will accomplish
this. Good tactics will carry out and
execute the strong plan that you have in place.
It is more effective to have your photo on your Twitter
account. This will give your business that personal touch and your clients
won’t feel as if they are talking to a corporation or unknown entity. Also, carefully construct your Twitter bio;
clients will read this to see who you are and what your business is about. Keep it clear, concise, and articulate.
By using a couple of other marketing tools, your Twitter
account will work more smoothly for you.
Use Hootsuite.com and Tweetdeck.com which allow you to update schedules
and post your social media messages across social media browsers such as
Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin all at the same time. Hootsuite will allow you
to schedule tweets ahead of time at no cost.
Some days it might be difficult for you to have a presence on Twitter so
this tool allows you to schedule out a tweet whenever you want to share an idea
or you find a related link that you want to discuss. These tools will also help you to organize
your Twitter account and activity in a more efficient way and can help you to
send out communications when you are working on some other aspect of your
business.
To succeed in business on the internet, you must stay as
informed and as current as possible. You
must keep up with the latest news, fads, and trends that occur sometimes on a very
rapid basis. Your basic marketing
strategy with Twitter must be about interaction with customers. A customer on Twitter expects to state his
opinions and feedback as part of your advertising campaign. Twitter encourages this communication and the
trust of your clients will be gained from this interaction. This is one of the most powerful tenets of
using Twitter marketing.
By following some simple steps, you can use Twitter as an efficient
marketing tool for your business. Follow
like-minded people who are already interested in your product. Millions of Twitter users are added each day
and many of them have an issue which your product can solve. It’s of the utmost importance to connect with
those people who would be interested in what you have to offer. Many users have a tendency to follow a person
back from whom they’ve gotten a request to follow; you can cash in on this
customer audience that is searching for your product.
Remember that Twitter is a social site; interesting
conversation is the basis for participation.
You don’t want to appear desperate; get customers engaged in lively
conversations about what you have to offer.
Don’t be so aggressive that you drive them away with a sales pitch. You must be courteous, polite, and careful
when trying to market your product to someone you don’t know very well.
Establishing a conversational relationship in the beginning will work much
better than approaching followers with a high-pressure sales pitch that loses
them immediately. Online business is very
similar to traditional business: nobody like a high-pressure salesman! Take your time and cultivate loyal customers
who will tell their friends and spread a good positive message about your
product. You may not be able to use the
proverbial handshake but a good solid comment about your product will be just
as worthwhile.
Tweet often to your followers. Out of sight, out of mind is
an adage that is very representative of Twitter. Tweets have a short life and if you’re not
tweeting, the customers as not seeing you. If you tweet often, your customers
will know that your business is alive and well and that you are still offering
the same quality product and services. Tweet at least once a day; research
shows that less than 10% of Twitter followers go back to look at what was
Tweeted yesterday. If you aren’t present on a regular basis, you’ll lose their
attention. Be a constant presence on Twitter.
Twitter’s version of the viral marketing strategy is
retweeting! You will add tremendous
value and promote ongoing conversations as retweets spread across Twitter. You
will also attract thousands of new clients with retweets; your viral marketing
campaign will be off and running. This
tidal wave of information and exposure will be a dynamic force in generating business
and profits for your product. One of the
most effective ways to get more retweets is to post tweets that discuss “how
to” topics. Everyone enjoys learning how
to do projects and by sharing this type of information, you can develop a large
retweeting campaign. In this downturned
economy, people are attempting do-it-yourself projects and you can provide the
knowledge that they need to complete their work in a cost-efficient and timely
way. Be sure to include links to your website that can give additional
information about the topic and any related product that you are offering. This will increase your profits as you share
the knowledge you have attained.
Research shows that conducting polls on Twitter where you
offer some excellent prizes for the participants will drive traffic and
business to your Twitter page. Everybody loves something that is free and you
can attract large numbers of followers and their followers that will expand
your potential customer base. This is a
simple idea that can work to build a list for you to use in other campaigns for
your marketing strategies.
Another strategy to implement is that of linking all of your
social networking accounts with Twitter.
With the user base accompanying all of these social sites, your marketing
campaign will be more solid and effective in its approach. You must leave no
stone in cyberspace unturned. With the
amount of daily usage coupled with a constant connection to these social media
sites with smart phones, your advertising dollars will reap rewards that you
never dreamed were possible. Your
business will be open 24/7 in countries world-wide; the sun will never set on
your thriving business.
Don’t reinvent the wheel. You can expand your knowledge of
Twitter by reading success stories of others as you research the marketing
possibilities with Twitter. Learn
different tips that assisted them as they began and what worked for them. If it
didn’t work for them, mark it off of your to do list and move on to the next
strategy. Using the best practices of those who have gone before you makes your
path easier and saves you valuable time and money.
Connect traditional marketing with your Twitter
campaign. You will need to inform every
customer you have that you are now running a Twitter account. Here they can
find helpful information as well as any offers you extend to your
customers. Place your Twitter link on
all business cards and on other traditional marketing tools. This is a real-time method of keeping the
customer updated on trends, products, and other helpful information. The
customer will view your business as cutting edge if you are using technology
with which they are familiar to promote your business.
Once you become familiar with Twitter, participate in
Twitter chats. These are scheduled
discussions that happen on a regular basis and are set up by a moderator. Each
chat has a topic that is of interest to participants. Sometimes a featured
guest will appear to answer questions and contribute on a professional level to
followers. A valuable transcript of the
chat will be provided at the end of the session. Twitter chats will provide you with a perfect
way to make new connections with people who have similar interests as you. You can identify potential clients and
connect with them as an authority on the topic; this will develop trust and
confidence in you and the product which you offer to them. You’ll be noticed more by followers and
expand your follower list which can generate more business. This definitely
establishes the expertise that you have in this field. Followers who engage in these regular chats
are already highly involved in the particular niche. They can be a wealth of information and
provide you with additional links, tips, and resources for your business. This will provide a way for your potential
customer to see a cyber face behind a product which will increase leads and
contacts.
One of the largest opportunities that you will have on
Twitter is to follow back. You want
users to follow you, but you can glean many customers from those users that YOU
follow. If you don’t follow someone
back, it can send the message that you are on Twitter only for sales and
promotions. This is a selfish message that will not get positive results; you
will build no loyalty with a one-sided following. Following back is a potential signal of
caring and consideration which should not be forgotten in the marketing plan.
Use the @mentions feature of Twitter that will help you to
build stronger relationships and attract a more targeted audience’s
attention. This tool directs the tweet
to a specific user and operates as more of a one-on-one approach. Your goal is not to sell them a product
immediately; it is a call to action that engages them without the pressure
associated with a sales pitch. You are
creating a relationship that can elicit a sale after the relationship is
established. With time and patience,
these relationships will grow and they will be more likely to reply, retweet
and engage with you. Real business
opportunities grow from real relationships; that is a powerful tool to keep in
mind as you establish your Twitter marketing campaign
After engaging your audience on Twitter, you want to drive
these users to your promotional or business website. As your users develop more trust and
confidence in you, they will begin to explore who you are in the marketplace
and what your product can do for them.
Post enticing ads with shortened URLs that will direct them to your
webpage. If your information is relevant to them and interesting, they will
look further into your product.
Another feature of Twitter that you can use as a tool in
your marketing toolbox is Tweet swaps. This resembles ad swaps where you
advertise on another person’s list and they advertise on your list. Your Twitter followers are on your list to
learn more about you, read about your discussions, and to keep updated with
current trends in the niche they enjoy.
With Tweet swaps, you won’t be making sales; you will just be developing
ideas and driving traffic. This will expand
your exposure and can help you to build a loyal, long-term following that will
make money for your business. With Tweet
swaps, you can access another’s followers and capture them with your ideas and
deals. Find a Twitter partner who has a
similar niche as you. Your marketing
strategies should be close but not necessarily the same. Don’t just look for someone who has a massive
list of followers; you want quality over quantity or the followers will be of
no use to you. The best idea is to offer a free product to these followers
instead of trying to sell them a product immediately. This tool is for generating leads and not
promoting sales.
One of the most interesting ways to build up an extensive
following on Twitter is to post questions on any topic but preferably one that
you have a wealth of knowledge about.
You can provide answers to these questions in your discussions with your
followers. This establishes you as an authority on the topic and it serves to
build trust and reliability between you and your fans. Starting dialog with others on a friendly but
challenging topic will build a community of followers who listen to your tweets
and respond with their own helpful ideas and thoughts. This is a subtle way of promoting your
product with the use of information that you have carefully gathered. Knowledge
is power and you want the power of Twitter marketing to perform for you.
Although there is no right or wrong way to use Twitter in
your marketing plan, you should abide by the unwritten rules that ensure you
positive promotion and fabulous feedback as you interact with your followers.
Proper Twitter etiquette will go a long way in developing the loyal
relationships that increase your sales and profit.
Develop a plan that includes the amount of time you will
spend working on your Twitter account.
Many times it is easy to lose track of time and end up in the wee hours
of the morning completing a discussion that you began with your followers. Set an ample amount of time to publish your
content and engage your followers on Twitter.
Adhere as close to your scheduled time as you can and make the most of
any interaction in which you participate.
The rule of 80-20 in marketing applies in Twitter marketing
as well as in traditional means of promotion.
If you are constantly talking about yourself or promoting your product,
no one will want to discuss topics with you.
You can include tweets about topics closely related to your business,
offer helpful information that will improves the lives of others, and
interesting discussions that include a variety of issues. Offer diverse tweets as you interact with
your followers; don’t over promote yourself or your business. A business relationship is a two way street
just as in other relationships. You have to show an interest in your client to
gain their trust and confidence before they will purchase a product from you.
Cross promote the marketing initiatives that you are using
with your Twitter account. Fully use
every tool available to you on the web and integrate these so that they will
work smoothly and efficiently for you. Link
your email and URLs with every tweet that you make so that it will be easier
for a follower to contact you outside the Twitter community.
Be very careful with the content of your tweets. If you’re using your Twitter account as a
marketing strategy, you want the public to see everything that you tweet. You have no idea where these tweets will
shared so avoid negativity or heated discussions. Don’t say anything on your Twitter account
that you would not say in public. Keep
from becoming too personal or familiar with your clients so that no mixed
message can be perceived. Always keep
your language professional, honorable, and respectful. Off-color jokes and innuendos are not
acceptable.
Put the interest of others before your own interests. Your
Twitter marketing account is not all about you; it’s an opportunity to build a
quality relationship that will bring business and profits to your company in
the future. Take time to listen to
others, respect them and their ideas, and share content rather than forcing
your views and ideas on them. Be
interested and be cordial.
One of the rudest things you can do in your tweets is to use
corporate terminology or jargon that people may not know or understand. You
don’t want to appear arrogant with your audience interaction. Don’t use rhetoric that is industry-specific;
that confuses your audience. You have a brief time to capture their interest
and attention; don’t use words that they have to look up or ask you to define
for them. You don’t want to appear as a
corporate robot whose aim is to sell a product and move forward to the next
client. Try to speak successfully and
with confidence as you interact with your potential customers. Don’t be
condescending or patronizing toward them; they will not have a positive
response to you and will move toward a more user-friendly person with whom to
interact.
One of the most interesting marketing tools today is with
Twitter. It is a real time stream of
current trends, information, and interaction that can capture an audience
quickly and move them to purchase the product that you are offering to them. With a solid plan and method of execution for
your company, you can tap into the power of Twitter marketing immediately. As you plan your marketing strategy, include
this cutting edge technology that is exploding in the marketplace today!
