With approximately 328 million monthly active users, Twitter has become a powerful platform for raising awareness and connecting with customers and potential customers. In fact, research shows that Twitter is the social media platform that provides the best ROI for small businesses.
But it can be tough to know where to start if you’re new to Twitter, or social media in general. The key to using Twitter effectively for your small business is understanding how to leverage the platform to reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals.
This blog post discusses some simple but proven ways to use Twitter for your small business.
1. Handle Customer Concerns Through Twitter Messages
Direct messaging for brands has evolved through the years. In the past, brands would use Twitter to publicize their customer service hotline.
Nowadays, it is more efficient to encourage customers with issues to send a direct message (DM) or tweet to the company account. This way, the company can quickly resolve the problem before it escalates.
Not only does this improve customer satisfaction, but it also shows that you’re responsive to customer concerns. This can help build trust and loyalty among your customer base, which is essential for any small business.
Handling customer complaints through DMs is also a great way to get feedback that you can use to improve your products or services.
Monitor your Twitter mentions and DMs regularly, so you can address any issues as quickly as possible. You can also set up alerts for certain keywords, so you’re notified whenever someone tweets about your brand.
2. Engage with Potential Customers
Twitter is a great way to connect with potential customers who may be interested in your products or services.
To find potential customers, you can use Twitter’s search function to look for keywords related to your business. For example, if you sell eco-friendly cleaning products, you can search for tweets that mention “sustainability,” “zero waste,” or “eco-friendly.”
Once you’ve found some potential customers, the next step is to engage with them. This can be done by liking or retweeting their tweets or replying to their tweets.
When engaging with potential customers, being genuine and authentic is important. Avoid coming across as salesy or pushy, as this will only turn people off.
Instead, focus on building a rapport and relationship with potential customers. This way, you can eventually earn their trust and business.
3. Use Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to connect with people interested in your industry or niche.
To find relevant hashtags, you can use Twitter’s search function or a hashtag research tool like Hashtagify. Once you’ve found some relevant hashtags, add them to your tweets, so people can easily find your content.
In addition to using relevant hashtags, you can also create your own branded hashtag. This is a great way to promote a specific product, campaign, or event.
Make sure to use your branded hashtag consistently and encourage others to use it as well. You can do this by offering incentives like discounts or giveaways.
4. Share Relevant and Insightful Content
In addition to engaging with potential customers, you should also share relevant and insightful content that will help them somehow.
These could be blog posts, infographics, videos, or even tweets with valuable tips or advice. The goal is to add value and help your potential customers in some way.
Not only will this give you a chance to show off your expertise, but it will also help you build trust and credibility with potential customers.
When sharing content, include relevant hashtags, so people can easily find it. You can also share your content on Twitter’s Moments feature, which allows you to curate a collection of tweets around a certain topic or event.
5. Run Twitter Contests and Giveaways
Running contests and giveaways is a great way to generate interest in your brand and get people talking about your products or services.
To run a contest or giveaway, you can use a tool like Rafflecopter. To promote your contest or giveaway, share it on Twitter and include relevant hashtags. You can also partner with other businesses or influencers to help promote it.
Make sure to clearly state the rules of your contest or giveaway and choose a prize that’s relevant to your target audience. The goal is to make your contest or giveaway as enticing as possible, so people are motivated to participate.
6. Do Live Tweets
Live tweeting is another great way to connect with potential customers on Twitter.
Live tweeting is when you tweet about a live event happening in real-time. This could be a conference, webinar, or even just a TV show or sporting event.
To live tweet an event, you’ll need to follow the event’s hashtag and share your own tweets using that hashtag. You can also share photos and videos from the event, or live-stream the event using Twitter’s Periscope app.
Live tweeting is a great way to connect with people interested in the same things as you. It’s also a great way to build your brand and get your name out there.
7. Analyze Your Results
Once you’ve implemented some or all of these Twitter marketing tips, it’s important to analyze your results to see what’s working and what’s not.
Twitter provides a few different tools that can help with this, including Twitter Analytics and TweetDeck. These tools will give you insights into things like your tweet activity, engagement rate, reach, and more.
Analyzing your results lets you fine-tune your Twitter marketing strategy and ensure you’re getting the most out of your efforts.
Summary: How to Use Twitter for Your Small Business
Twitter can be a powerful tool for small businesses when used correctly. Small businesses can see real results by handling customer concerns through Twitter messages, engaging with potential customers, and sharing relevant and insightful content.
Additionally, running Twitter contests and giveaways and doing live tweets are great ways to engage followers and increase brand awareness. It’s important to analyze your results to continue improving your Twitter strategy.
Are you ready to start using Twitter for your small business? If so, try implementing some of these tips!