While it’s true that there aren’t as many people on Twitter as there are on Facebook, Twitter can still be an important part of your inbound marketing plan. This is especially true in certain industries that tend to use Twitter more than other social media platforms. Additionally, Twitter makes it easier to engage in conversations with other users before you’re officially connected, and this feature is especially conducive to marketing. There are definitely some social media mistakes to avoid when you begin Twitter marketing, and as an inbound marketing company in Brooklyn, we can teach you how to begin Twitter marketing.
Check Out Your Competition
If you’re new to Twitter, it can be very helpful to follow your competition to learn what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. How often are they posting? What kinds of messages are they tweeting? Which accounts do they follow? And who is following them?
Answering these questions can help you to get your bearings and know how to start. Your research of your competitors will also give you ideas about the kind of content you want to publish and which posts are most eye-catching.
Choose an Appropriate Handle
The name you go by on Twitter (your Twitter handle) can have a big impact on your marketing success. Choose a handle that is relevant to your company’s name or your own name if you work independently. Avoid including numbers in your Twitter handle because this looks spammy. And make it as short and as easy-to-remember as possible.
Complete Your Profile
Think of your Twitter profile as your business card on the social media site. You wouldn’t leave your phone number off of your business card, but that’s essentially what companies do when they leave important information off of their Twitter profiles.
Start by writing a short but comprehensive bio for your Twitter account. Make sure you include important keywords such as your location and your most important products and services. You only get 160 characters for your bio, so make every word count. Be sure you also include a link to your website.
Next, choose a profile picture for your Twitter account that invites engagement. You can use your company logo for your profile picture, but some studies show that people are more likely to follow accounts that are accompanied by photos of actual people. You can always change your profile picture later if you find that your initial decision isn’t working well for you.
Finally, choose a custom background design that represents your brand. Your custom background is another opportunity to market your business. Use a high-quality image, and make sure it’s sized appropriately for Twitter backgrounds.
Start Publishing Great Tweets
Before you go out looking for followers, publish several well-constructed tweets. The quality of your tweets will help people decide whether or not they want to follow you. If you’re new to Twitter, one of the first things you’ll realize is that the ability to be concise is a key asset on this platform. You’ll have to learn to say what you want to say in as few characters as possible.
Include images, infographics, and videos with as many of your tweets as possible. These additions not only help you to say more with your limited available characters, but they also help your tweets to stand out from the crowd. Learn how to write social media copy here
Find Targeted Followers
With your profile completed and a few great tweets under your belt, you’re ready to tackle the task you came for: finding targeted followers. The point of using Twitter for marketing is to reach more potential customers. So how do you find them and get them to follow you?
Start including your Twitter handle on your website, blog posts, email signature, business cards, and other marketing materials. If you already have a Facebook page, encourage your friends to follow your new Twitter account.
Next, start following accounts on Twitter that seem to have a follow-back policy. These are usually easy to spot because they have about a 1:1 ratio of followers and following accounts. There are also tools you can use to help you find Twitter leaders to follow.
Automate What You Can
Most of us don’t have time to tweet every day, and that’s why it’s helpful to automate as much as you can. Use a program like Hootsuite to schedule tweets out in advance, so they’ll post while you’re busy taking care of other tasks. When you schedule tweets ahead of time, it’s easier to coordinate your tweets with events, sales, and other promotions.
Check In Regularly
Even if your automating posts, however, it’s still a good idea to check in at least a couple of times per week. Reply to some posts, retweet others, and respond to any replies or direct messages you’ve received.
Remember that Twitter is a great way to engage with customers and industry contacts, so go ahead and engage!
For more information about marketing with Twitter, or to discuss any other content marketing topic, contact us at Park Slope Softworks, your Brooklyn inbound marketing company. Get a Free SEO analysis of your website today!
