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.
Your Twitter bio gives you exactly 160 characters (no more, no less) to let your prospects know who you are, what your business brand is all about and precisely why they should do business with you and no one else.
So, the million dollar question is, what are you doing to add a little bling to your 160-word Twitter bio?
Well, if you take even five minutes to peruse a varying collection of Twitter bios, you’ll find that most small business owners obviously haven’t given much thought, time or energy to this seemingly simple task. (Let’s face it, 160-words isn’t exactly a doctoral dissertation.)
Interestingly enough, after perusing hundreds of Twitter bios, I found that there were three “Twitter bio themes” that seemed to keep cropping up again and again (and, again).
So, in no particular order:
1) Twitter Theme Bio #1: The “Who Cares” Twitter Bio
ACTUAL TWITTER BIO: “I’m an accountant in the New York area with 15 years of experience. I’m currently taking on new clients.”
Yaaaaawn! (I’m sorry, please excuse the yawn.)
Really, who cares? Believe it or not, Joe’s prospects don’t care about how much experience Joe has or if he’s taking on new clients. At the end of the day, all Joe’s prospects care about is what Joe can do for them and how Joe can improve their life.
2) Twitter Theme Bio #2: The “Annoying” Twitter Bio
ACTUAL TWITTER BIO: “It’s time to change your life. I’ll show you how to make $25,000 in 25 days.”
Ish! (That’s a beloved word from my Scandinavian grandpa…meaning “icky.”) Obviously, I chose an extremely sleazy, spammy example of the “Annoying Twitter” bio. But, the point remains: don’t aggressively flail yourself onto your target market. Forceful, pushy and offensive Twitter bios are not going to pay the rent. Remember, Twitter is a social media tool that is meant to build relationships and, you can’t build relationships through a blitzkrieg assault.
3) Twitter Theme Bio #3: The “Forgot To Fill It In” Twitter Bio
ACTUAL TWITTER BIO: Blank (Nothing has been filled in…) But, the crazy part is that this particular Twitter user had sent out over 10,000 Tweets. That just seems like a lot of fast and furious Tweeting without anyone ever knowing who you are and what business you represent.
It’s true. Every so often I actually come across a blank Twitter bio. Nothing, nada, zilch. Now, I actually don’t know if the Twitter owner forgot to fill out their bio, or simply thought that the bio is an unnecessary luxury. But, come on, if you’re going to take the time to Twitter, fill out the bio…it’s only 160 words.
What are some interesting Twitter profile themes that you have come across?
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.
There are countless topics within your industry to Tweet about. However, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. First and foremost, don’t forget that your Tweets can never be deleted; they exist in the Twitter universe forever and ever. So, don’t Tweet anything that you wouldn’t want your sweet, little-old grandma to read!
In addition, if you want to become a bonafide Twitter rockstar, then each of your Tweets should contain ONE of the following FIVE elements:
1) Educational. It’s vital that some of your Tweets offer educational value to your followers. This can be a tip, link to a blog post, or a new strategy that you want to share. As you begin Tweeting educational Tweets to your followers, it won’t take long before you are viewed as an expert in your particular industry.
2) Interesting. No boring tweets allowed! There’s only so many times that you can announce what you had for breakfast before your followers start yawning and pushing the unfollow button. So, even though you want your posts to be squeaky-clean and positive, stay away from Tweets that only your kids would find interesting.
3) Funny. Tweets that are funny are always a refreshing change from the norm and will never go out of style. Try telling a joke in your industry or relating a story that will make your followers chuckle. Laughter is great marketing medicine.
4) Interactive. There’s nothing more important on Twitter than interacting with your followers. You can do this on a casual level by asking them questions, replying to their comments or RTing interesting Tweets. Or, you can take it a step further and engage your audience with fun Twitter quizzes and polls. It’s important to remember that the main reason you are on Twitter is to engage with your followers.
5) Arouse Curiosity. Once in a while, you want to ask a titillating question or make an intriguing statement that will compel your followers to take action and discover the answer. One simple way you can do this is by asking them an interesting question and then directing them to the answer in your blog post. The main point is that you want to entice your followers to take action and click over to a blog post, article, video, podcast or your website.
No matter what you Tweet about, it’s essential that your tweets are relevant to your followers. If you make a point to make each Tweet educational, interesting, funny, interactive or titillating, you will be well on your way to a virtual PhD in Twittering.
Did you know that Twitter is one of the quickest and most effective ways to bring extra exposure to your business?
In fact, Twitter is taking the world by storm….and for good reason!
Twitter gets BIG results…
Join me on Thursday, April 29 at 7:00 pm CST on my FREE webinar as I show you exactly how to “Twitter Your Way To The Top.”
In this webinar, small business owners, on a shoestring marketing budget, will discover how to tap into the power of Twitter to generate hundreds of new leads, increase their visibility and explode their income.
Register Today at: ==> www.ShoestringWebinar.com
Here’s just a taste of what you are going to learn:
1) How to Set up Your Twitter Profile. Learn how to set-up your Twitter account, profile and background for optimal results. This includes the basics of signing up for a Twitter account through advanced strategies such as designing your own unique Twitter background that ensures that your brand remains consistent.
2) How To Build a Responsive Twitter Following. Discover dozens of ways to attract Twitter followers from your specific target market. You will learn how to begin generating a list of prospective clients and customers in your industry who will be responsive to what you have to offer.
3) Top Twitter Mistakes. Uncover the top five Twitter mistakes that most small business owners make regarding Twitter. Unfortunately, these mistakes often hurt small business brands and can even lead to Twitter shutting down their account.
4) Best Twitter Tools. Learn about the best automated Twitter tools and applications available to the small business owner today. Find out about automated follow applications, local search tools, post-later software, cell-phone applications, group tools and desktop management tools.
5) Your Twitter Marketing Plan. Discover a simple three-step formula for generating traffic, leads and sales from Twitter. Learn exactly how to implement a simple Twitter plan of action into your daily marketing efforts.
6) Twitter Time-Management. Find out how to generate impressive results on Twitter in just 15-minutes a day. Most small business owners spend too much time on Twitter with inferior results; learn how to combine personal Twitter interaction with powerful Twitter automation tools.
7) Plus, so much more (if you’ve ever attended one of my webinars, you KNOW how much you are going to learn).
So, get ready for ANOTHER shoestring marketing webinar that is guaranteed to bring you a low-cost, high-impact marketing strategy that will catapult your small business to the top.
I suggest that you sign up for this complimentary webinar today. Seats are limited and my events always fill up FAST.
Sign up at: ==> www.ShoestringWebinar.com
I’m looking forward to helping you make a big splash (on a shoestring budget) with your small business!
To Your Shoestring Success!
PS – Even if you can’t attend the LIVE event, if you register, I will send you a link to the recorded version the very next day.
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!
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.
Last Monday, one of my neighbors proudly announced her determination to learn the “secrets” behind marketing on Twitter. She thinks that Twitter will save her business. Ironically, the very next day, one of my clients reported to me that if he only understood how to “power market” on Facebook, his business would catapult to the top of his industry. And three days later, I noticed a small business owner complaining in a forum that he will never succeed until he has unlocked the keys behind YouTube marketing.
Enough is enough! Without question, new media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) are wonderful places to market your small business. Obviously, I market my own business through every single one of those platforms.
Believe me, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, there is absolutely nothing magical or supernatural about any of the new media platforms. They are just platforms. Nothing more, nothing less. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are simply ways to spread awareness about your brand.
Mark my word, there will always be another “amazing” platform that will supposedly “save” you and your business.
But, before you tap into any marketing platform, you need to understand the basic philosophy behind marketing. You need to know “how” to market your business before you even dip your toe in the pool. Because if you don’t understand the basic tenants behind good marketing, Twitter won’t do a thing for your small business. Even if you spent eight hours a day with 2 million followers, you wouldn’t get anywhere if you went about your marketing in the wrong way.
Marketing platforms come and go, but understanding how to market will never go out of style.
Whether you are marketing on YouTube or running an “old-fashioned” ad in the newspaper, the same rules of good and solid marketing apply. You use marketing platforms as a way to drive your prospects back to a webpage, landing page or blog in which they give you their name and email address in exchange for free information from you and your small business.
You might offer a downloadable ebook, a special report or a 10-part audio class. It isn’t the format of your offer, it’s the offer itself that is important. Your offer must be perceived as a means for your prospect to better their life or solve a particularly stubborn problem. You want your free offer to be utterly irresistible.
Once you have obtained your prospect’s information, you can begin the task of building solid and significant relationships with them. This is when you are able to send your prospects’ additional educational materials, helpful advice and important resources that will position you as an expert in your industry.
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube marketing are only effective if you use them as tools to drive traffic to your landing page or blog. Newspaper classifieds are only effective if used as a tool to drive traffic to your landing page or blog.
So, yes, in essence there is a well-kept secret on how to effectively tap into the power of new media. Learn the basics of marketing. For if you understand exactly how to market, you will always be ready for the “next great marketing platform.”