Social Networking – 10 Twitter Tactics for Businesses

When it comes to Social Media, few can deny that Twitter has made a significant impact on the business landscape. Even those businesses who are still “Stage 1 businesses” (non-web 2.0 I like to call them) are being affected by social media in general. Because, whether they participate or not, remain in denial about social media, and social media networking or not, their customers and prospects are happily holding conversations about them daily and Twitter is only one of the platforms they are using. Companies absent from those conversations are losing out.

Some businesses, however do want to get involved and savvy businesses are seeing that a strategy and clear goals increases the chances of success… over time.

It doesn’t help that social media tools, technology and social networks are forever changing. You just get to grips with one thing and there’s something new already there. Tips and tactics that hold true regardless of changes come in handy. So I’ve created the list below to help businesses understand some basic tactics they can use to make the most of Twitter.

Just remember, as with all of social media, results come over time. If you’re looking for a quick fix, look away now. Let’s get started.

1. Network with noteworthy business associates, competitors, and peers

On Twitter as on any social network, the company you keep says a lot about you. You don’t have to befriend (follow) everyone who follows you nor does everyone have to follow  you back (though you’ll find many will).

Choose your Twitter networking friends carefully. Look for fellow executives or business owners who work within your particular niche. You may or may not have a lot in common, however even working in the same industry or wanting to know more about a new industry could be a potential reason for connecting.

Once you’ve connected follow their progress, ask for advice, and of course, throw in some of your own opinions as well. By following people who are in the same line of work as you on Twitter, you’ll get an insider’s look at how their successes compare to yours.

2. Tweet regularly

Update your audience regularly, but don’t over load them with updates. Assume people who follow you are interested in what you have to say, or they probably wouldn’t have followed you in the first place. Update them on a fairly regular basis so they can keep up with what’s happening in your world or your business’ world.

Don’t bombard people with tweets or your Twitter site will feel “spammy” and you’ll annoy your followers, who will promptly “un-follow” you. Keep an even balance between good tweet updating and keep the” insignificant” updates to a minimum.

3. Tweet trade shows

Out and about in the REAL world? Got a conference or trade show coming up? Use Twitter when you’re out and about networking as an opportunity to update your customers and peers on what you’re seeing and doing. (Just don’t forget to actually listen to the conference as well).

Not only is this a lot of fun it shows your followers that you’re being proactive. You can tweet funny and things you might be seeing at the trade show, inform them of an interesting vendor you’ve hooked up with or contacts you may be making or anything you think may interest them.

By sharing your experiences as you go along, you’re generating more interest in what is happening with your business beyond your computer.

4. Listen to the conversation

Keep an eye on what people are saying. Keep in mind that Twitter, like most social media conversation is a two-way street. Pay attention to what other twitter users are saying, especially your followers and those you yourself follow. Are they Twittering about you? If they are, you could use that as an opportunity to either thank them for a nice compliment, or to make things better if they are posting a complaint. One way people show approval is by re-tweeting updates if you post something people find interesting or like. I look at this as a huge compliment and always thank people who retweet my tweets. Never underestimate the importance of the words “thank you…”

As on any social media site you’re never 100% safe from someone who might try to talk negatively about you, your website, or anything else it’s the same on Twitter. Don’t let this stop you from taking part… just be sure to use this to your advantage in a diplomatic and positive way. You could gain a new following.

5. Guide your traffic

Filter your traffic to other social sites and resources you may have. You can use Twitter to steer people to other marketing resources such as a blog page, website updates or even another social network. Remember information exchange is two-way. Instead of keeping all your traffic on Twitter, use it as an excellent way to get others moving to different resources that you have available that they might not know about.

6. Keep it casual

Twitter is first and foremost a social site, so it’s got more of a casual feel than some websites might. Make sure your tweets are generally light, and use a touch of humour from time to time. Being overly serious can bore your followers and lose them – people want to interact with and are drawn to humans – and light humour goes a long way. Following others on Twitter is also partly for entertainment. So relax, tweet and enjoy.

7. Discover other blogs through Twitter

Twitter is a great way to get some insight into other blogging websites such as Digg and other related sources. This is a great way to not only discover other peoples’ blogs, but link to them and inform other people about their content. I’ve discovered many interesting blogs from links people have posted on Twitter – and shared many myself. Most blog owners are thrilled when someone shares their blog link with other people, especially if their blog isn’t a well known one. By doing a search on Twitter you can find great blogs on the web … link to them and share them with your Twitter followers.

8. Ask for feedback

Don’t just tell everyone what you’re doing via Twitter; try to ask everyone for their opinion or feedback on just about anything. It’s a great way start a dialogue and open up a forum for new suggestions and changes that can be made. Note – it’s an excellent forum to ask for feedback about your own product and service, however try not to focus solely on your stuff. Look for interesting points of view to tweet about and ask for what people think.

9. Participate as much as possible

Contribute, and be a part of others’ Twitter pages as well. Don’t just stand in the shadows, or you might lose followers. Look for interesting tweets from others you can re-tweet, answer questions, respond to comments, share links. Even if you have only 10 minutes a day to participate, you can use those 10 minutes productively. Your business will benefit and so will others.

10. Mix it up

Some businesses jump on Twitter seeing only the broadcast and promotional opportunities. Don’t. Try to keep a dialogue going, let people know what’s happening, and other things aside from simply promoting and over-promoting.

Related Posts

• The Pitfalls of Mixing Social Media Business and Pleasure – Part 2
• There’s More to Social Networking than Linked In, Facebook and Twitter
• 9 Ways Offline Businesses can use Twitter to Grow
• What’s the Quickest Way for Beginners to Get Started on Twitter?
• 9 Ways B2B Companies Can Embrace Social Media Marketing

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