Twitter for Business

Twitter. It’s the new social media for, well, just about everybody. Myself, I have made a habit of avoiding social media. It seemed like a time gobbler to me. Then my sister pointed out all the relatives that were on Twitter. I spotted an unknown cousin who was building a web site about Africa. From there I did a quick search using the main keyword for one of the niches I write about. I have been Twittering ever since. I've found it to be an excellent place to network, start relationships with others who work in related fields, and gather news. Yes, some of these new contacts are progressing towards business relationships.

Setting up a Twitter account is one of the easiest sign ups you will ever do on the web. Before you start there are a few things the business minded should do to maximize the benefits. First, think a few minutes about your web image. You can use your own name or your business name. For branding purposes it will probably be wiser to use your business name as the user name. Another option would be to use a keyword or a combination of keyword and location for a Twitter user name. Like this: Bob’s Lawn Care or Atlanta Insurance.

When you set up your Twitter account go to settings. Add your company website or blog to the “More info URL” box. Make sure it is right. When people find you on Twitter oftentimes they will use that link to find out more about you. This is better than a back link for your website. It is a back link with traffic. I will come back to Twitter and traffic in a moment.

Your Twitter bio should contain the main keyword for your business and for your target market. These should appear in the first few words of the bio. Something like, “Car insurance for Albany drivers …” or “Metal fabrication for electronic manufacturers. Electrical enclosures, copper busbar…” Using keywords in your Twitter profile will make it a better back link for your website and makes it more likely you will turn up in a Twitter search when someone is looking for something you do.

Upload a picture to your Twitter account. Do not leave it as the standard brown image with circles. Many folks are becoming hesitant to follow a Twitter without a picture, logo or avatar because of spam activity. The picture should be associated with your Brand, so one of yourself or your company logo is your best option.

Designing your Twitter landing page. You can use one of Twitter’s stock backgrounds or upload your own. Many companies use this as an opportunity to further impress their brand upon visitors by tiling their logo across the background. Another option is to use any image associated with you and your brand.

Your first Twitter message can be any thing. Commonly used is,” (Business Name) is now on Twitter.” A better starting post would be, “Hello (Target Market). (Business Name) is now on Twitter. We supply (Keyword).” When you post use keywords your target market will search for.

Building relationships and traffic on Twitter is fairly easy. Find. Follow. Message. Post. Use the search bar in the right column to find others in your target market or to look for other Twitter users in your market. Enter a related keyword. The results will be a string of Twitters using the keyword. Click on their profiles. If they are a good match then Follow them. Look at who they follow and who follows them for other prospects. When someone follows you send them a direct message thanking them and letting them know about one of your products or services. Post not only about what you are doing, but also about anything your target market looks for. Twitter about common interests. If you attend an event of interest then Twitter about it. These things draw attention and traffic. Direct traffic back to your website by including a URL. Greet new Twitter users in your market and welcome them to Twitter.

Twitter for business by setting up your Twitter account to maximize branding and search visibility for your company. Find and follow by using keyword searches. Post and message interesting topics using keywords targeting your market. Direct traffic back to your website from Twitter by including URLs in your post. Build relationships by engaging in discussions and asking questions. Offer to help others. When the one hundred and forty character limit becomes to confining send the prospect your email or phone number in a Direct Message. These steps will help you find new business for your company on Twitter.