10 Ways To Use Twitter For Your Business
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or two, chances are you’ve heard of Twitter. In the rare event that you haven’t heard of Twitter, or that you’ve heard of it but aren’t quite sure what it is, here’s a quick introduction:
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service. Unlike several other social networking tools like Facebook and LinkedIn, Twitter participants are limited to 140 characters when creating a new “tweet”. Other people will then subscribe to your updates and become your “followers”. Conversely, you can become the “follower” of other Twitter authors as well.
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One of the quickest and easiest ways to use Twitter for your business is to simply post about your business. Use Twitter as a marketing tool, or as an outlet for public relations. It’s also important to be personal at the same time though. Add some self-promotion updates, but mix it up with some friendly relaxed tweets as well.
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Maybe you have employees who are already active participants in the world of emerging social media. Encourage your employees to tweet for the company. The reputation of your business will increase if more than one person is saying good things about that business.
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If your business isn’t suited for promotion via Twitter, you can still use it as an internal collaborative tool. Twitter probably won’t replace a robust intranet, but it can certainly serve as a communications tool for groups of people working together on the same project.
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You don’t even have to post any Twitter updates to help your business. Simply use Twitter’s real-time search tool (or a third-party web app) to see what customers are saying about your company. If you encounter negative tweets about your business, contact those unhappy customers (quickly) to see how you can repair those relationships.
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Instead of focusing on your customers via Twitter, focus on others in your particular industry. Network with similar business owners and entrepreneurs, and grow your business by learning from these individuals.
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Not only can you discover what your customers are saying about your business, but you can also find out what others are saying about your competitors. If customers are unhappy with a competitor, use this knowledge to not make those same mistakes.
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You can’t possibly know everything there is to know about your industry, right? Continue to educate yourself on topics that are related to your industry. Or better yet, learn something new that’s just outside of your comfort zone. That something new might just give you the competitive edge over other businesses like yours.
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Post helpful articles and tips related to your business and your industry. The more interesting your updates are, the more likely the chance that you’ll discover new vendors and new partners. Demonstrate your knowledge of your industry, and others will begin to retweet your updates.
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Are you on the fence about a particular business decision? Can’t make up your mind? Post your situation on Twitter, and you’re guaranteed to receive some helpful advice from others in your industry. You may even find a potential mentor in the mix.
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Help others by answering their questions, or simply taking part in discussions. Being an active participant in conversations makes you seem approachable and friendly. The more you get involved, the more you will be viewed as an expert in your field.
To learn more about how Torx Media can help with Twitter and other social media services, just give us a call at 1-888-867-9633 or click here to contact us.