Using Twitter for marketing is a great way to seek out and connect with potential clients and customers, members of the media, and others that you may not necessarily have been able to connect with previously. And with Twitter approaching an estimated 500 million followers, you and your business should be active on Twitter to increase your brand’s reputability and exposure.
Whether you are a Twitter veteran or just getting started, here are five Twitter tips for promoting your brand:
Choose an appropriate Twitter handle. It may seem basic, but make sure that your Twitter handle appropriately and accurately describes you and your brand. With Twitter’s popularity increasing regularly, it may be tougher to get the handle you want – so you may have to get creative. But users can conduct a search to find other users to connect with based on specific keywords, so be sure to choose a handle that allows people to know who you are and what you do. If you are using Twitter for professional marketing and business purposes, you may even wish to create a separate, dedicated handle specifically for that purpose. Remember, you are what you tweet – only put out there what you want people to know and see.
Take the time to customize your profile page. Whether you are promoting your personal or your professional brand or company, a customized Twitter profile is a must. Take the time to carefully complete your bio, and add any relevant links that may allow users to learn more about you and drive more traffic back to your website. Also, be sure to have a custom designed Twitter background. By having a personalized background, it not only promotes your brand, but it demonstrates your commitment to professionalism. You can easily create a background with your company logo in a basic desktop publishing program, or you can use one of the many free programs available online. When in doubt, hire a graphic designer.
Tweet and tweet often. Not only does tweeting often help increase your exposure and reach on Twitter, it may also boost your search engine optimization. Your Twitter activity and Twitter profile are public information, so if possible, use rich keywords in your Tweets and your Twitter profile. Be sure to use your name/your organization’s name in your Twitter handle and in your tweets if possible as well. (Additionally, you may want to sign up for Google Alerts as well to monitor your brand). No time to tweet? No problem. There are plenty of free programs that will automate your tweets and tweet for you at scheduled times throughout the day.
Use hashtags and search options. Use the search tool to look for tweets and/or users who are using the keywords you are looking for. Looking for clients in New Jersey? A quick search of “new jersey” will bring up any users and tweets with this term. The more detailed your search, the more specific of a result you’ll get – and hashtags can be searched for the same way. Likewise, be sure to use hashtags in your tweets so that people can find you and your tweets as well. You can even get creative and use hashtags as a specific way to have an exclusive conversation about a specific topic, like #socialmediabooks or #marketingtips.
Be friendly. One of the most valuable tips I ever received on using Twitter was to be sure that it is used for two-way dialogue. After all, it is called “social” media for a reason, right? By simply relaying your information over and over, you will not get many readers or followers in return. Be sure to engage your fans and potential clients by interacting with them on Twitter. Follow them, comment on their tweets, and retweet content – your efforts will be reciprocated. Join in on hashtag conversations, use your own hashtags to connect with others, and be sure to utilize fun features such as #FF (Follow Friday) to promote your Twitter friends, have them promote you, and get recommendations of who else to follow and connect with.
By using these tips, you will be able to have a polished and professional image on Twitter, as well as be able to further promote your brand to Twitter’s many users.
