Using Twitter to market your business

 

Social Media Marketing: TwitterOur social media marketing course explains how to use Twitter for business and how to get the most from the ‘microblogging’ social media platform.

Small business owner’s have a very limited time to focus on social media. Marketing is rarely given full-time focus in a small business.

Is Twitter useful for small businesses?

So is Twitter useful for small businesses? The answer is that it depends on your industry, your audience and your available resources.

If your small business’ target audience fits within Twitter demographics, then Twitter could be useful for you.

Three goals

Setting goals is necessary for any social media platform that you take on. If you don’t have goals, then you don’t have metrics which leads to sporadic posts. Choose three goals to focus on – any more than that will divide your time and affect your focus.

The most common goals for Twitter include:

  • Increase direct sales.
  • Become a customer support channel.
  • Increase brand awareness.
  • Track industry trends.

Once you have these in mind, write them down and determine your metrics, such as mentions or link clicks. These metrics will come in handy later when you’re taking a look at your analytics reports.

Twitter media

Twitter prefers media that is uploaded directly to its own platform compared to sharing from another. If you have a photo or video that you would like to share, it’s better to upload it than to post a link.

Twitter photos and videos receive a larger preview treatment while photo links have smaller ones. A video may automatically begin playing for a user while a YouTube link requires someone to click through.

An eye-catching photo or video goes a long way when you’re scrolling through your timeline.

Reuse and repurpose

Sourcing content takes time. Make it easier on yourself by re-purposing your existing brand content. Due to the nature of a fast-moving timeline, a Tweet doesn’t last long on Twitter. This means that your followers might not have seen what you Tweeted a couple of hours ago.

Don’t be afraid to Tweet the same content several times over the course of a week, month or even year. For each Tweet with the same content, switch up the featured media or text.

See our social media marketing course