5 Handy Hints for Business Use of Twitter

The use of Twitter as a valid business tool has become widely accepted. Twitter allows access to a vast audience, both nationally and internationally, and it is a great opportunity to connect with people you would otherwise never have known. The majority of businesses now accept that they should have a Twitter presence, but many are not sure how to maximise their Twitter profile. To maintain an active and interesting Twitter account, make sure you adhere to the following:

1. Twitter is not a forum for spamming followers.
Nothing will turn off genuine followers faster than continually spamming them about your products or services. Remember, people like to read tweets that interest them. A catalogue of what you have to offer does not make for engaging reading.
You can let people know about your products or services in more subtle ways. Use your bio to tell people about your business. Include a link to your website on your Twitter profile so that people can find out more at their discretion. You may add the occasion tweet about what you do, but try to frame it in a way that highlights the benefits of using you, rather than just the black and white facts.

2. Follow people back.
You may not want to auto-follow everyone back to avoid following accounts that are not genuine (spam bots etc.) however, unless you really have no interest in an account, it is courteous to follow them back. Like you, most people have created their Twitter account to expose their business or a cause. By following them back you are giving them the same opportunity they have given you with their follow.
If you amass a lot of followers and do not follow them back you will find that over time those followers will drop off. The only exception tends to be celebrities or big companies; people will follow these accounts for the information they provide without expectation of a return follow.

3. Be present.
There is absolutely no point in creating a Twitter account unless you intend to devote time to it. Twitter is like an ongoing conversation, you need to be engaging people in order to get noticed. With so many accounts on Twitter you need to balance having an ongoing presence with not over tweeting. The amount of tweets you do per day is up to you, but it does need to be a regular activity. You may wish to consider automating some tweets so that you maintain regular contact with your followers without continually interrupting your workday.

4. Be personable.
People want to connect with real people on Twitter. The easiest way to personalise your Twitter account is with a photo of you as your avatar. The next step is to create your background; use a background that reflects you or your business and make sure it is memorable.
Make your tweets personable. Tailor your tweets to your audience and what you think might be of interest to them. The most successful Twitter accounts do not just tweet about their own business (in fact they rarely talk about themselves at all), they tweet about issues of interest to their followers. You may wish to consider tweeting about local news items, a charity you have an interest in, or an article you have just read. Engage people by giving them useful, up-to-date information.

5. Re-tweet
Re-tweeting is a great way to interact with other tweeters. Re-tweeting was not an original feature of Twitter, rather it grew organically as people looked for a way to share other’s tweets that they found interesting. When you re-tweet someone else’s tweet, it then goes out to all of your followers, mentioning the name of the original tweeter. This is a great way to spread the original tweeter’s message and to gain more followers for them.

The most important thing to remember with Twitter is that you want to engage real people and maintain their interest. Think about what you like to see on Twitter and tweet accordingly!