Even though there are countless ways that you can use Twitter to build your small business, there are also some obvious activities that you want to avoid at all costs.
Not only will engaging in these activities hurt your business, they can even cause Twitter to suspend your account.
So, avoid these 3 Twitter No-No’s:
1) No spamming. Spamming consists of sending out the same message over and over again (especially if you are sending out your message to the same people over and over again.)
One common practice in Twitter is to send out an automatic Direct Message (DM) to all of your new followers.
I strongly suggest that you avoid this practice. The reason is fairly simple. Many of your followers consider the use of automated DM’s “spam.” Furthermore, people in the Twitter community are allowed to report you for spamming. If enough do, then Twitter can suspend your account instantly. And, once you’re suspended, it’s virtually impossible to get reinstated.
If you do want to welcome new followers, then welcome them personally in a tweet post.
2) No hard-selling. It won’t take long before you notice how many people use a “hard-sell” approach on Twitter. Instead of interacting with their followers and adding value, they blatantly sell themselves and their businesses. Obviously, this approach will only backfire. Your followers will quickly unfollow you, and you’ll build negative buzz about your business. Remember, it’s always about relationships first, sales second. So, leave the hard-selling approach to the used-car salespeople.
3) No “hands-off” approach. Twitter is a social community and if you want to succeed through this tool, you need to be – social. You won’t do well if you automate all your posts and refuse to interact with your followers. If one of your followers asks you a question, answer them. If you notice that someone is facing a problem that you can solve, offer the solution. I suggest that at least three times each day you make a real effort to get social with your Twitter followers. Mingle with your followers and help them realize that there is a real person behind your business.
If you refuse to spam or sell yourself and instead make an effort to relate and interact with your followers, you’ll soon find Twitter a powerful tool that can move your small business forward.
Many small business owners hop onto Twitter and aren’t quite sure how to find people to follow. So, they simply start following anyone and everyone. Of course, they’re hoping that 50% of these people will follow them back and that their Twitter following will grow beyond their wildest dreams.
One of the most important aspects of Twitter is building a “targeted” Twitter following. Keep in mind that it’s more important to have 500 targeted Twitter followers (related to your industry) than 5,000 general followers (unrelated to your industry).
The best way to begin to build a targeted following list is to follow Tweeters in your own industry. If 50% of your target market follows you back, then, and only then, have you struck gold.
Here Are 6 Ways For Finding Tweeters To Follow:
1) Follow Those You Respect and Admire. This is always a great place to start. Begin following anyone whom you respect, admire or simply want to establish a Twitter relationship with.
2) Follow @MrTweet. He will send you personalized recommendations of people for you to follow.
3) Follow Your Competitors. Remember, you want to keep an eye on your competitors, therefore, follow any competitors within your own industry.
4) Use The Search Tool In An Outside Application. If you sign up for a free account with SocialOomph, you will have access to their search tool. Once you enter the search term that relates to your industry, SocialOomph will present you with hundreds (if not thousands) of targeted people to follow.
4) Perform a Twitter Search. Twitter has its own “search tool” that you can access at: http://search.twitter.com You can type in keywords to locate Tweeters in your industry or locality.
5) Perform an Advanced Twitter Search. If you are interested in performing an advanced search, you can go to: http://search.twitter.com/advanced This allows you to highly customize your search based on your keyword specifications.
So, instead of following any Tweeter that you can find, refine your efforts and follow those who are related to your particular industry. This will ensure that you won’t be Tweeting in vain.
One of the main questions from small business owners regarding Twitter is, “What in the world do I Tweet about?”
You understand that millions of your prospects are on Twitter, you realize that your Tweets should be valuable and educational, but you’re just not sure what to send out to your followers through your Twitter stream.
Here are 50 Tweetable ideas tailor-made for the small business owner:
1) Share a relevant quote from your industry.
2) Link to your blog post.
3) Link to someone else’s blog post.
4) Share a link to a video at: www.TwitVid.com
5) Share industry tips.
6) Ask questions.
7) Answer questions.
8) Share a cool, new tool that you just discovered.
9) Start a new # discussion within your industry.
10) Join a # discussion within your industry.
11) Re-tweet relevant tweets that your followers will enjoy.
12) Share a picture at: www.TwitPic.com
13) Link to one of your published articles.
14) Link to someone else’s published article.
15) Share a link to one of your recent press releases.
16) Post updates while attending a conference.
17) Share a link to your podcast.
18) Let your followers know about an upcoming interview.
19) Brag about your favorite clients and customers.
20) Ask for help solving a problem.
21) Share a link to your online radio show.
22) Create informal mastermind groups at: http://grouptweet.com
23) Generate quick polls at: www.TweetPoll.com
24) Give away free stuff (ebooks, reports, audios, etc.)
25) Review a product pertinent to your industry.
26) Review a book relevant to your industry.
27) Set up a #TweetUp to meet your twitter friends in-person.
28) Offer great customer service.
29) Find Joint Venture partners.
30) Brag about a job well done by another company or individual.
31) Provide your expert opinion.
32) Tweet out your eZine.
33) Promote your live event.
34) Promote your virtual event www.Tweetvite.com
35) Showcase your work.
36) Promote your new product or ebook.
37) Host a contest.
38) Build relationships with bloggers.
39) Build relationships with PR people.
40) Share a link to your Hubpage: www.Hubpages.com
41) Share a link to your Squidoo lens: www.Squidoo.com
42) Announce the upcoming launch of a new product or service.
43) Redistribute content.
44) Share a link to a powerpoint presentation on www.SlideShare.com
45) Take questions from the audience whenever you participate in a teleseminar or conference.
46) Form a group for your customers and clients at: http://grouptweet.com
47) Tell an industry joke.
48) Rant about something not done well in your industry.
49) Solve a problem that your target market is facing.
50) Toot your own horn. There’s nothing wrong with a little self-promotion.
Obviously, you want your target market to have plenty of opportunities to find your Twitter account and follow you.
Here are a few ways to promote your Twitter profile:
Your Email Signature. It’s becoming common practice to include your Twitter handle in your email signature. You probably already place your blog or website URL in your email signature, so why not add your Twitter handle as well?
Your Website. Obviously, you want to have a Twitter icon on your website so that people who visit your website have a chance to follow you on Twitter.
Your Blog. Your blog is a great place to promote your Twitter account because you are already reaching an online audience. You should take a two-step approach. First, place a Twitter icon in your blog’s sidebar and second, promote your Twitter handle in your posts every so often.
Your Ezine. If you have an email newsletter, you can write about Twitter and link to your profile or put it at the bottom of your template, so that each email has a link to your account.
Presentations. If you do any public or online speaking why not include your Twitter account on the last slide of your presentation?
Your Business Card. I highly recommend including your Twitter handle on your business card.
Your Articles. Whenever you write an article for a magazine, news website or guest post on a blog, include your Twitter handle in your byline.
Promotional Products. If you’re really serious about promoting Twitter, you can certainly take it to the next level:
- Twitter T-shirts: http://www.twitter-tshirts.com
- Twitter mugs: http://www.zazzle.com/twitter+mugs
- Twitter bumper stickers: http://www.zazzle.com/twitter+bumperstickers
So, if you want to bring in loads of new Twitter followers, make sure to promote your Twitter profile in as many places as possible.
As a small business owner, you’ve undoubtedly heard that your business needs to have a strong Twitter presence. So, you have dutifully signed up for a Twitter account, have a some followers and have even sent out a few Tweets. Now, you’re wondering how in the world Twitter will actually help your business.
Here are 12 reasons why your small business needs to be on Twitter:
1) Build Authenticate Relationships. Twitter allows you to begin building authentic relationships with your prospects, clients and customers. As a small business owner, strong customer relationships are one of your greatest assets.
2) Share Your Expertise. If you provide valuable, interesting and compelling Tweets, you will begin positioning yourself as an expert in your particular field and industry.
3) Generate Traffic To Your Website. As you build a strong presence on Twitter and offer valuable Tweets, your followers will begin to take notice of you. Consequently, they’ll naturally want to visit your profile to learn more about you and your small business.
4) Obtain Qualified Leads For Your Business. If your Twitter profile gives your followers a compelling reason to visit your landing page or website, they will take action. Make sure that your landing page is set up to collect their name and email address (in exchange for a free downloadable offer) to begin building your list.
5) Allow Others To Spread Your Ideas. As others retweet your quotes, ideas and strategies, your ideas are spread to hundreds, even thousands, of fresh, new eyes around the world.
6) Extend The Reach Of Your Brand. If your Tweets are filled with expert tips, advice and strategies, Twitter becomes an amazing tool for establishing a strong presence for your brand.
7) Discover The Latest “Buzz” About Your Company. What’s the buzz about you and your company? If you subscribe to www.TweetBuzzer.com you can keep abreast of everything that is said about you in the Twitter world.
Get In Front Of High Profile Individuals. There is simply no better way than Twitter to connect with high-profile individuals. As long as a high-profile individual follows you back, they have access to your Tweets. Think of all the possibilities!
9) Track Your Competition. Twitter is a wonderful way to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing. As a marketer, it’s imperative to understand what is happening in your industry, and your competitors are a great place to start.
10) Conduct Market Research. Big companies pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to perform market research. But, through Twitter, you can perform market research for free! Through the use of quizzes, polls and surveys, you can discover, first-hand anything that you want to know about your target market.
11) Keep Current Within Your Industry. As a small business owner, it’s essential to keep current with the latest trends in your industry. You can subscribe to the Tweets of bloggers, PR professionals and others Twitterers connected to your industry to stay fresh and updated.
12) It’s FREE. As a Shoestring Marketer, there’s nothing better than tapping into a low-cost, high-impact marketing tool to help build your small business.
So, take the time to build your Twitter presence, tap into its power and build your small business on a shoestring marketing budget!
1. Create A Memorable Name And URL For Your Fan Page.
It’s important that your fan page is immediately recognizable to your prospective customers and clients. Depending on how your prospects recognize you (either through your personal name or company name), you will want to name your page as an extension of your brand. Once you have named your page, and have at least 25 fans, you will want to secure your username at http://facebook.com/username. This allows you to promote y our fan page using a vanity URL which is much shorter and simpler for your fans to find.
2.Use A Compelling Image
One of the most important components of your Facebook fan page is the image that you upload. It’s important to understand that the ideal image is 200 pixels wide by 600 pixels high. Therefore, you’ll want to edit your image to these dimensions before you upload it to Facebook.
Of course, you also want to make sure that your image is clear, compelling and is an excellent representation of you and your small business.
3.Control Where Your Fans First Land
Most small business owners don’t realize that you can control where your fans first land when they visit your Facebook fan page. Believe it not, you probably don’t want them to land on your Wall. The main reason is that you don’t have total control over what is posted to your Facebook Wall since much of its content is created by your fans.
Facebook allows you to create a customized page for your Fans to land on. You can even include pictures, text-links, videos and many other pertinent applications. To create a customized landing page, search through the Facebook applications and find the FBML application. Paste in the FBML code and then edit your fan page settings to select the specific tab that you wish newcomers to land on.
4.Integrate Facebook Applications
At the time of this writing there are over here are over 55,000 applications on the Facebook platform that can be directly integrated into your fan page. This means that as newcomers land on your Facebook page they will have various ways to interact with you and your brand.
It’s important that you create a memorable experience for your Fans so that they continue to visit your fan page again and again.
5.Import Your Blog
One of my favorite Facebook applications is the Notes application. This allows you to import your blog feed so that every time that you post to your blog, your fan page is automatically updated. Of course, fans are then able to read, comment and interact with your blog post directly on your fan page.
6. Interact With Your Fans
As you build your fan base, you will begin to receive comments on your new status, photos or videos and new discussion threads. It’s vital that you interact with your fans. We are in the midst of a marketing revolution that revolves around building and sustaining relationships. Therefore, it’s vital that you participate in the discussion, answer questions and take the time to engage with your fans on a daily basis.
7. Publish Relevant Content
Your Facebook fan page is no different than other social media platforms. It’s incredibly important to provide interesting and engaging content to your readers. Take the time to update your status with interesting facts about your industry, integrate your blog posts and publish informative videos and articles that will position you as an expert within your industry.
8. Update Your Status Regularly
Although quality content and engagement with your fans is crucial, the most important aspect when marketing through your Facebook fan page is persistence. It’s imperative that you keep your fans engaged on a regular basis. Not only does this bring in a consistent flow of new fans, it keeps your brand continuously in front of your current fans as well.
9. Promote Your Small Business Through Your Bio
If your Facebook fan page is interesting and interactional, many fans will want to find out additional information about you and your small business. Make sure that your bio is fresh, engaging and lets your fans know exactly what you do and why you are a leader in your industry. In addition, it should include a hyperlink that fans can click on to visit your website for additional information.
10. Promote Your Events
Events (live or virtual) are an amazing way to promote your brand to fans. You simply create an event in your Facebook account and allow your fans to register and attend your event. Obviously, this can create incredibly engaging and interactional experiences for your Facebook fans while promoting your small business in the meantime.
A Facebook fan page is fast becoming a necessity in today’s marketplace. So, make sure to create a powerful Facebook fan page that positions your brand as a leader in your industry.
Most likely you’ve heard the idea that you are only removed by any other person in the world by “six degrees of separation.” The theory (made popular by Stanley Milgram), suggests that “if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is only six steps away from any other person on Earth.”
Interestingly enough, this very theory can be applied to your small business. If you need to contact a boss, colleague, consultant or prospective customer, client or employer, it’s obvious to tap into your own network of connections.
But, what if there was a way to tap into the connections of the people that they know, and the connections of people that they know, and so on? Most likely, you wouldn’t have to go through more than 4-6 connections to find the exact person that you are looking for.
So how can you tap into a network that allows you to leverage the power of your connections quickly and efficiently? That network is called LinkedIn.
What Is LinkedIn?
Once you have registered for a free account through LinkedIn, you are able to invite others to “connect” with you through the site.
Once you begin connecting with others, you are able to ask them to connect you with their network. (The entire system is built on referrals, so there is a good amount of quality control already built in.)
LinkedIn (much like any networking site) works best when you apply simple and strategic marketing strategies to boost its effectiveness.
Here Are Ten Tips For Making LinkedIn Work For You and Your Small Business:
1. Complete Your Profile. It’s important that you add as much important and relevant information about your small business as possible. Your profile is the first impression that you make upon your prospects and business partners. Make sure to include a picture, past job experiences, current job experience and personal information. The more information people are able to take away from your profile, the better connection they will have with you.
2. Keep Your Profile Fresh And Up To Date. Don’t make the mistake of creating a LinkedIn profile only to let it stack up with dust. Make sure that as you change jobs or achieve business recognition that you update your profile to reflect this.
3. Connect With Clients, Customers, Co-workers and Colleagues. It’s important to connect with past and current individuals in your field. However, it’s also a wonderful way to find new clients and learn about exciting new job opportunities in your field. Remember, that the main purpose of LinkedIn is to create a giant network of possibilities for you and your small business.
4. Use LinkedIn To Research Prospective Business Partners or Prospect. Before you contact a new business partner or prospective client, make sure to research them through LinkedIn. Their LinkedIn profile functions much like a resume and will provide you with insight about their potential strengths and/or weaknesses.
5. Get Recommendations. It’s fairly simple to gather recommendations from individuals in your LinkedIn network, In fact, all you need to do is click a link. Of course, the more professionals that are able to vouch for your products and services, the better your business will appear to others.
6. Use LinkedIn to search for consultants and contractors. There is a great component in LinkedIn called the “Service Provider” feature. It allows you to pre-screen and research independent business people.
7. Join Relevant LinkedIn Groups. As you become involved in LinkedIn, it is in your best interest to join groups that are relevant to your particular field or industry. There are thousands of LinkedIn groups and you can find even more connections by becoming an active participant in several of these groups.
8. Create a LinkedIn Group. If you are interested in being perceived as an expert, then you will want to create your own LinkedIn Group that you personally manage. Once you create the group, you can invite others in your network to join. If you promote your group effectively, you can eventually have hundreds, even thousands of members that you are able to communicate with on a consistent basis.
9. Tap Into The “Question and Answers” Feature. One immense bonus of LinkedIn is the fact that you are able to ask thousands of business professionals important questions, receive immediate answers at no cost to you. In addition, you can answer other business professionals questions and, again, position yourself as an expert in your industry.
10. Respect The Network. Always remember that your LinkedIn connections must be treated with the utmost respect. Answer your emails, respond to questions and give appropriate recommendations. If you are going to be a part of the LinkedIn community then you need to be involved and active in order to find success. The good news is that it only takes a few minutes every day to reap the rewards.
If used correctly and consistently, LinkedIn can be a powerful networking tool for the small business owner. To learn more about LinkedIn go to: www.LinkedIn.com.
If you’re a small business owner, you’re probably aware that social media marketing is all the rage right now. Not only is it popular for personal use, but also for savvy business owners looking for ways to market their businesses efficiently and economically.
But, if find yourself tentative about jumping into the social media marketing scene, you’re not alone. Marketing through social media platforms is an entirely different experience for most business owners. And, of course, “different” always causes hesitation.
Interestingly enough, walking into the social media scene is much like walking into a huge cocktail party. In both instances you are going to meet people of all shapes and sizes.
Here are the ways that I often categorize social media types:
1) Shy and Awkward. This person lurks in the shadows and is afraid to interact with anyone. They stand on the sidelines listening and observing, but are too afraid to step into the party and start meeting people. Unfortunately, by remaining in the background, they will never understand the entire experience.
2) Loud and Obnoxious. You know this one! You can hear their voice booming from miles away. They talk too loud, too much and monopolize the conversations. No one can get a word in edgewise.
3) Life Of the Party. These are the people that make you laugh. They have funny stories to tell, positive comments to make and just make the party more fun. You always look forward to talking with them again. They may get a bit goofy and dance with a lampshade on their head, but you must admit that they always add that extra spice.
4) Know-It-All. You are going to meet at least one person who seems to have all the answers. In addition, they aren’t afraid to tell you what you are doing wrong, how to do it right and why you should listen to them. Always remember that the know-it-all usually doesn’t know-it-all.
5) The Bore. We have all been stuck in the corner, at one time or another, with the person who drones on and on about their “Aunt Mary’s blood pressure medication.” Since there doesn’t seem to be any easy escape, you end up nodding in agreement at their mind-numbing stories for hours on end.
6) The No-Show. There’s always someone who doesn’t show up. They say that they will be there, but “something always comes up!” They RSVP, have the best of intentions, but just never quite get there.
7) Friendly Interactor. This is what the party is all about. The friendly people who ask questions, make you smile, share fun stories and remind you that coming to the party was worth it after all (even if you did have to suffer through a few obnoxious, boring, know-it-alls in the process)!
So, in my own experience social media mimics the real world. You just need to decide how you want to be perceived, the type of people you want to gather around and, of course, the type of people you want to avoid.
So, get into that party and meet all the different varieties of people. In the end, you’ll be glad that you did.
I truly love Twitter. Without question, Twitter had increased my visibility, created thousands of leads for my small business and produced dozens of sales for my products and services.
And every single day of the week, I run into quite a few self-proclaimed “Twitter-Experts.”
Of course, as with any industry, I find that all of the soapbox experts fall into one of three main Twitter categories:
1) The “Twitter Virtuoso” with interesting and often remarkable advice;
2) The “Quasi-Twitter Expert” who has an average suggestion here or there;
3) The “Twittering Fool” who shouldn’t even be on Twitter in the first place.
There are hundreds of great tips and strategies that come from experienced individuals who are truly boosting their income through the power of Twitter. However, beware of those crows who are masquerading as eagles. If you listen to them, your Twitter days will be incredibly disappointing.
Here are the five worst tips I have personally received regarding marketing on Twitter:
1) Don’t Promote Yourself. This is bad advice on so many different levels. Obviously, any savvy marketer understands that you don’t jump on Twitter and start tweeting “Check out my product…it’s really the best one in the world!” This just goes without saying.
However, if you are using Twitter as a marketing tool you need to do a bit of balanced marketing. There are only so many Tweets in which you can tell your followers what you are having for dinner until people start to unfollow you.
Twitter is a two-way street. Of course you are there to ask questions, listen and interact with your followers. But, you also need to let your followers know about blog posts, articles and press releases that highlight you and your business. Don’t be afraid to do a bit of self-promoting.
2) Don’t Autofollow. I absolutely disagree with this advice. I use www.SocialOomph.com to automatically follow everyone who follows me. I then get to know whom I am following through their Tweets. If I find they are annoying, rude or inappropriate, I unfollow them. But, how can I make a decision to follow someone based on a 140-word profile? For all I know, this person could be the next Faulkner with some of the most profound Tweets known to mankind.
I can only decide if someone is worth following AFTER I am following them and reading their Tweets. I truly believe that it is in good taste to follow everyone who follows you and then unfollow those who are not compatible with you. Not to mention that it takes too much time to manually decide whom to follow and whom to ignore.
3) Don’t Use Automated Software For Posts. There are some individuals that believe that automated posts (posts that you preschedule through a service like www.socialoomph.com) are too impersonal. However, I preload helpful marketing and small business quotes into socialoomph.com and auto-send them out throughout the day to my followers. Many of my followers love these quotes and actually look forward to them. Plus, it keeps my small business in front of my followers as much as possible.
Of course, I also log into Twitter every day and interact personally with my followers as well. I believe that if you combine auto-posts with personal interaction, you will leverage the power of Twitter in a much more meaningful way.
4) Keep Daily Stats On How Many People Unfollow You. This is one of the strangest tips that I have received. First of all, who has time for this? And second, I really don’t care who unfollows me. Really. If someone doesn’t like my Tweets, then they SHOULD unfollow me. I am not on Twitter to make sure that everything I say appeals to every single person. I am on Twitter to connect with interesting and like-minded people.
5) Your Tweets Should Always Be Witty, Educational or Profound. Obviously, in the ideal world this would be the case. But, the last time I checked, most people on Twitter are not professional writers, bloggers, and word-smiths. They are just regular people making connections. Of course, you should strive to add value and interact with people. But, don’t worry so much that every Tweet is a witty comedy sketch. Just be yourself and have fun.
Twitter is an amazing and powerful marketing tool. However, besides spamming and other illicit behaviors, there are not many “rules” that you must follow in order to be a part of Twitter.
In my opinion, Twitter is mainly about using common sense. Interact, be nice, ask questions, listen, and add value. And of course, just be yourself and have a little fun.
We live in a world where our potential clients and customers are barraged with thousands and thousands of ads every single day. The competition is fierce, the climate is noisy and it’s not going to lighten up any time soon.
So how can a small business owner, on a shoestring budget, even compete? The answer is simple: repetition through massive visibility.
Research suggests that we are exposed to over 4,000 ads each day. As a result of “advertising overload”, our brains are forced to filter out and ignore most of these ads. Plus, let’s face it, most of the advertising we encounter is just a caberet of bedlam and babble that doesn’t even apply to us.
But, all of this is great news for the savvy shoestring marketer.
Each time your prospect catches sight of your brand, their filter becomes weaker until finally, your marketing message has broken through. But, it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, your prospect needs to see your marketing message, on average, between twelve and twenty-four times. (You can read about creating a marketing message here.)
How do you ensure that your prospects come into contact with you and your brand over and over again? First and foremost, you need to ensure that you and your brand are everywhere. You must become so visible that your prospects can’t ignore you.
You should become an active participant in Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Dedicate time each day to blogging, podcasting or video marketing. Send out online newsletters and host monthly teleseminars.
I signed up a new client last week and here’s the interesting part. After reading my blog, watching my videos, becoming a friend on Facebook and following me on Twitter, for one full year, she decided to sign up for my ezine. I did some quick math and figured that, over the course of that year, she was exposed to my brand thousands of times through my status updates, blog posts, videos, podcasts and ezine issues. Not to mention that she also came to at least ten of my live webinars.
Obviously, she took longer than usual to make the commitment to purchase my products and services. But, she let me know that one of the main reasons that she joined forces with me was because she “saw me everywhere.”
So, make an effort to get yourself out there, in front of your target market, as much as possible. It’s the only way to break through all the competitive businesses clamoring for your prospects’ attention.