When crafting social media content, it can be tricky to know how to choose which platform to focus on and optimize your posts for. Each network has its own atmosphere, and you need to learn the tricks for each so you can best craft a social strategy to grow your small business.
Twitter emerged in 2006, and it has evolved since its first offering of simple 140-character microblogs. It continues to be one of the most prominent social networks and an invaluable tool for businesses.
But here’s the problem.
It can be confusing to learn how to use Twitter for business. How do companies best optimize their posts? What’s the best way to use it for promotion? How do you engage your Twitter followers?
Here’s the good news:
Learning the ropes on Twitter is easy and doable. By following effective Twitter marketing tips such as using hashtags, starting Twitter chats, or fully optimizing your profile, you can learn how to use Twitter for your small business.
Read on to find out more about:
- Twitter social media marketing
- Tips on how to use Twitter for your business’s success
- Twitter mistakes to avoid
- Helpful tools for Twitter
Marketing on Twitter
Twitter is an effective platform to market your business because of its audience of 353 million and its conversational atmosphere. A Twitter marketing strategy can grow your audience, lead generation, engagement, traffic, and conversions.
You have to understand each social media platform before crafting a strategy designed for that network. LinkedIn is a more professional setting, and Instagram is all about the visuals.
While Facebook is used more commonly for friends and family, people usually come to Twitter to widen their scope and interact with a larger community.
Twitter is where exchanges happen. Since it limits the length of your post — 280 characters at the time of publication — it feels more like a conversation.
Instead of hitting users with a wall of text, you’re sending bite-sized comments that invite people to respond and interact with you. That makes it the perfect tool for your company.
How To Use Twitter for Business
Before diving headfirst into your Twitter marketing strategy, consider the multiple uses for real-time engagement you can use Twitter for:
- Share insights
- Thoughtful questions for your followers
- Announce news or new products
- Improve search engine optimization (SEO)
- Behind-the-scenes content
- One-liners and clever observations
- Brand awareness
- Show expertise
- Post relevant content
- Provide immediate customer service
- Promotions and sales
- Drive traffic to other content
A Twitter marketing campaign can be a chance for a brand to show off its personality and build relationships with its followers, all while promoting your company.
More than just connecting with customers, Twitter gives companies the chance to interact with their industry, share ideas, and even have some fun with each other.
Twitter for Business Tips
- Create a Twitter business account
- Hone your company’s voice
- Use Twitter features
- Tweet consistently and at the right time
- Engage with other users
- Always use visuals
- Partner with other Twitter users
By following these tips, you’ll understand how to use Twitter for business successfully.
Make a Twitter Business Account
The first step in learning how to use Twitter for business is to create a Twitter business account using your company name, and then thoroughly fill out your Twitter profile.
Keep your branding in mind as you choose the right pictures for your profile picture and cover photo. Write a compelling bio that includes keywords, contact information, calls to action, and hashtags.
Also, consider getting verified to add credibility to your account.
Find Your Voice and Show Personality
Every company will have a different voice on Twitter. Some will be more playful, and others might prefer a more professional tone. Stay authentic to your brand and know what your target audience prefers.
Use Twitter Features
As with any platform, when you’re figuring out how to use Twitter for your small business, you need to familiarize yourself with its features.
Likes and retweets are basic features that are foundational relationship-building tools. Keep retweets relevant to your company, and avoid retweeting every mention of your company. Ask yourself if your users would be interested; if yes, hit that retweet button to post to your timeline.
Hashtags are another vital tool on Twitter. Use them to promote your brand, dive in on trending topics, or connect with your target audience. Just be wary of giving up too much of that valuable character real estate by using too many hashtags.
You can go further by creating Twitter lists for your followers. These can be relevant accounts your users might want to follow, a roundup of your employees, or inspiration for your users. Adweek has a list of women trailblazers and funny brand accounts its followers might enjoy.
As you learn how to use Twitter for business, look into Twitter ads, including promoted tweets or promoted accounts, that can help you connect with your target audience.
Tweet Consistently and at the Right Time
When crafting your Twitter marketing strategy, remember to tweet consistently. A tweet every few days is not going to build your following. Create a Twitter plan that maintains a steady flow of content.
And as you plan your posts, consider the peak hours on Twitter to make sure more people see your content.
Engage With Other Twitter Users
There are several ways to engage with users on Twitter directly:
- Ask questions
- Answer questions
- Host a Twitter chat
- Use polls
- Ask for opinions on shared links
- Post a challenge
- Respond to tweets
- Tweet at other Twitter handles
Twitter gives its users access to people and brands they wouldn’t have before. Take full advantage of Twitter by remembering communication is a two-way street.
Don’t Forget Visuals
Twitter reports that video drives engagement up 33%, and GIFs give a 55% boost. Make sure you’re sending your tweets with some sort of visual to provide a better chance of appealing to your users.
Partner With Twitter Users
Go further with your engagement by working with other Twitter accounts, like partnering with a non-profit organization or an influencer. Both accounts can benefit from engaging with new audiences and bringing more attention to their profiles.
You can link up with local businesses in your area and promote the shop small movement or hire a brand ambassador who loves your product.
Your social media management team or other employees can also be a resource for promoting your company on Twitter.
What Businesses Shouldn’t Do on Twitter
Typical social media etiquette still applies when you’re learning how to use Twitter for business, which means:
- Make sure you’re spelling things right
- Don’t treat it as your personal account
- Limit who has access to your business Twitter account
- Don’t misuse trending topics or hashtags
You don’t want to be an example of brand fails, of which there are so many. For instance, when Entenmann’s tried to capitalize off the trending #NotGuilty, which was tied to sentencing for a murder trial, leading them to issue an apology later.
Learning from other company Twitter mishaps can help step up your game and avoid any social media mishaps. Here are some more Twitter marketing tips for what not to do.
Be Too Stiff
This can apply to multiple areas, but remember to be flexible with your Twitter account. Make sure you sound conversational on the platform. Users won’t want to engage with brands they feel are talking down to them.
And while it’s a good practice to plan tweets ahead of time, leave some room to be spontaneous. If one of the trending topics catches your eye, then lend a response to the conversation.
Plus, posting during certain times is ideal, but don’t be afraid to mix it up. Sending three tweets every day at 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. can get boring for your audience.
Overpromote or Only Hard Sell
Sure, Twitter is a promotional tool, but it’s also not for bombarding your followers with a hard sell. It can be off-putting for new followers if your account is only sales tweets.
Ignore Negative Comments
As we’ve covered, it’s essential to engage with your audience on Twitter. But while it’s tempting to only respond to the good stuff, don’t brush off customer complaints. If you respond with sincerity and quality customer service, it’ll make your company look better than radio silence.
Tools To Use for Twitter
If Twitter seems overwhelming, don’t fret. There are several Twitter marketing tools to help you manage how you use Twitter for business.
- Tweetdeck is a multifunctional dashboard application that can help you manage your Twitter account.
- Scheduler tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social let you plan your content ahead of time. Plus, these tools also have other features you can benefit from, like social monitoring.
- Hashtag generators provide ideas and popular hashtags to optimize your tweets.
- Twitter analytics show you what’s working and what’s not by giving you the metrics behind your tweets.
Twitter is an excellent way to connect with your audience, customers, and industry.
When engaging in Twitter marketing, remember to fill out your profile and hone your brand’s voice. Use hashtags, visuals, and links to optimize your tweets. Avoid Twitter mistakes like being too stiff or impersonal, and use tools to help your Twitter marketing run smoothly.
How do you use Twitter for business? Let Bluehost know in the comments below.
