If you create a Twitter account for your business, think carefully about what your message will be and how much time you are able to commit to maintaining your profile. Social networks are fantastic for promoting your brand, building a client base and increasing traffic to your website but you need to invest some time and effort when it comes to what you say and how you say it.
Include a profile picture or ‘avatar’ on your page – you can use your company logo. The anonymous “eggs” mean nothing to your potential followers and most will assume that your account is for spamming other users!
Write a bio – For your Twitter “bio” write a description of your business services so that people can get an idea of what you’ll be talking about – be brief though as there is a 160 character limit! Try using some keywords here e.g. ‘marketing’ or ‘hospitality’.
Tweet regularly! If you have an account set up but have only tweeted a couple of times in six months, you won’t gain new followers – they like to see that your account is up to date and checked often.
Don’t be tempted to lock your account (shows as a padlock symbol) – this means that users can’t easily follow you and your followers can’t retweet any of your messages. Users may also wonder why you are being so secretive….!
Vary your tweets! Twitter works best for business when you mix your content. If you constantly tweet sales messages, your followers will get fed up and you will lose them. Be sure to start conversations, tell people what you’ve been up to and encourage people to engage with you! You can also retweet relevant tweets from other users too – it doesn’t always mean that you’re endorsing them but it’s nice to share and grow your network.
Don’t follow every man and his dog! Your organic Twitter followers will grow at a slow pace to begin with but don’t panic! Don’t be tempted to follow thousands of accounts as you may be penalised for a poor following/followers ratio (and Twitter will stop you from following anyone new!) Cherry pick who to follow – it's a good idea to mix potential clients with existing ones alongside industry peers and media outlets.
It’s OK to tweet about things other than your business! Try to remind your followers that there is a human being behind your tweets and not just an automated bot churning out sales and data! And don’t be tempted to talk about yourself the whole time – you’ll lose followers very quickly!
Whatever you do, don’t buy followers! Apart from the obvious fact that it’s a waste of money, most of the accounts being sold are fake and bring absolutely nothing to the integrity of your business. Build your followers organically – it may take time but you’re looking for quality over quantity!
REMEMBER! The number one top tip for using social media is that one key word – SOCIAL!
Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool for your business but it’s also useful for talking to fellow professionals as well as customers. Try to use your tweets to create and be part of conversations as well as keeping up to date with the latest news within your industry. Be approachable and unique; encourage people to contact you with feedback and respond to their comments. Social media is a two-way relationship – so make sure you listen as much as you broadcast!