The Power of Twitter Marketing

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!