I like to think of Twitter as a live networking event where you can jump into a conversation at any time. It's a great tool for communicating information to followers but also for engaging with them. However, I've learned that many people, even those who are on Twitter frequently, use it only for sharing information -- not for starting a two-way dialogue. That's a lot like walking into an event and shouting at people but not listening to their responses. It just doesn't work.
Over the last few years using Twitter, I've uncovered a few features that help businesses make better connections and build brand exposure. Here are five things I've learned about Twitter that could help improve your marketing strategy:
1. Use advanced search options to locate opportunities. The advanced search opportunities at search.twitter.com allow you to insert keywords that people would use in conversations to find you or your product or service. For example, I search for people who are tweeting the phrase "looking for speaker." It turns up a ton of tweets related to event or meeting planners. Once I find these keywords in posts, I reach out to the person who tweeted them to say hello, ask to connect and start building a relationship.
Related: Why You Need a Social Media Policy
Additionally, the search function allows you to target tweets from a certain area so that you can stay within a community. This helps allow local businesses to reach out to tweeters in their area.
2. Tweet often to boost search-engine optimization. Tweeting often not only helps you to stay active on newsfeeds but improves your ranking in online searches. Be sure to use keyword-rich phrases in your tweets as often as possible. If you can't get your company name or personal name as your Twitter handle then make sure to include it in your bio. Because your bio on Twitter is public and open to search, using keywords in it such as your company name can help Google index content that's relevant to your business.
Related: Why You Should Optimize Your Social Media Presence
Then you can use Google Alerts to monitor your name and company. Check these alerts to stay informed about what people are saying about your company, as well as what your competition is up to.
3. Connect with media. Using tools such as Cision's Journalist Tweets and Muckrack can help you locate journalists, editors and producers, and to find out how active they are on Twitter. These tools can help you decide which media outlets you would like your business to be featured in and enable you to connect with the journalists who work there.
4. Reach people on mobile phones. With mobile messaging becoming one of the best ways to connect with your prospects, an option on Twitter will allow you to have your tweets directly sent as a text to your followers. You don't have to sign up. Whenever you post a tweet, if someone has subscribed to your tweets from his or her mobile device, they will automatically receive your tweets on that device.
Choosing Twitter over a text marketing company can save you money and time. You can send a tweet that translates into a text directly from Twitter or from a social media dashboard such as Hootsuite or Tweetdeck.
Related: 10 Ways to Find Customers with Mobile Marketing
If you are going to do this, make sure you create a separate Twitter account and only tweet a few times per week so that you don't overwhelm your followers. You might consider setting up a separate twitter account using your brand name followed by the word mobile or SMS (short message service) in your Twitter handle. An example might be: @starrSMS or @starrmobile.
5. Change link headlines each time you tweet them to boost traffic. Increase traffic to new blog posts or other content you share on Twitter by tweeting them 10 to 20 times using slightly different headlines each time. Twitter is excellent for ongoing live traffic around the clock so posting more than once gives you a better chance to get more exposure. Changing headlines can attract different people and, if you post at different times, you can reach people in more time zones.
Twitter is a tool than can help you discover what your target market is talking about and searching for. And when used correctly, it can boost your connections and website traffic.
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Comments:
I hadn't thought about tweeting the same links with different headlines, that's an excellent idea. Do you think you need to put buffer tweets in between them so that it doesn't look like the same thing over and over?
I particularly appreciate many of the articles mention not only the success Dell has had with Twitter (which I was fortunate to have played a role in, starting @DellOutlet & the majority of Dell's Twitter accounts & strategy) but also focus on how smaller businesses can succeed using Twitter for marketing. In fact, I believe the overall potential of smaller businesses to succeed via Twitter and social media in general is even greater than corporations - as a factor of the greater personal connection people have with small businesses.
Checking. IT Unsure.
The big thing here IMHO is to make sure you're not just bragging in most of these #hashtag discussions. It's about a conversation not an advertisement (entirely) at least. Anyone else have feedback here?
Yeah - pretty good article outside of sending out duplicates. I understand the wish to attract more views; but maybe consider evaluating who you're trying to reach and focusing on them. Thoughts?
These are actually very important and helpful tips.
Thanks for the top 4 great insights, Starr! #1-4 are definitely tips that I was unaware of. However, I would definitely disagree with #5 - well, mostly. While it's helpful to re-tweet for diff time zones - but even better if one added a different note, idea, afterthought..., but 10-20 times!?!! I'd drop that over-sharing person so fast... Especially if they changed the title and I expected to find something different (or additional to an earlier post). But you've definitely got be interested in how others are interacting with folks in different time zones. Does anyone else find Starr's suggestion about re-tweeting helpful?? How effective is it? How do you establish that tactic's effectiveness?
I think the one thing I find compelling about your article is the relationship between Twitter and Search Engine Optimization. I know that websites have been utilizing keywords to increase their PageRank. For some reason, I had never tied the connection of keyword usage to activity on Twitter, such a powerful social media tool. This means that people searching for me will see my live updates on Twitter. Likewise, we can share this information with our clients, and our bloggers, who are trying to promote themselves and better their SEO.
I'd like to put emphasis on point #1 -- especially the part about "start building a relationship." Business owners are still trying to blast traditional marketing messages via new media channels. The value of these channels is not unlimited access to digital communities, but rather the opportunity to listen and engage. Businesses have known for a long time that it's all about "the relationship," yet given this opportunity, I'm still seeing most of them trying to take the shortcut. All of your points are good . . . I'm happy to see this one at the top of the list.
Number 1 is my favorite. I have columns of keywords set up in my TweetDeck that I check once or twice a day. Not only is it a great way to find new opportunities, but also it’s a great way to surprise and delight people. I follow keywords that are in my area of expertise, or our company's area of expertise. That way should an opportunity come up that we can help someone with (not related to our product), we do and we know they'll remember us the next time someone is in the market for a product like ours! Great way to generate word of mouth around your business!
the advance search tool brilliant, thanks for the reminder.
Still a 'virgin' but info is consistent and helpful. Some day...............Tweet! ;-)
Starr, you certainly are using these best practices for your new venture Cuvee! I especially like the idea of using it for two way conversation. Keeping a thread going with people like on FB a great way to meet people and extend the life of a tweet. Thanks for practical and tactical insights!
Great tips, Tanks Starr, learned lots
These are awesome tips; haven't tried going mobile yet and I might as well as give item#4 a try. I've recently read about tweeple going on twitter chats and do you think it's useful to connect with like minds? I've heard of #blogchat but haven't joined yet.
This is what I love the most about twitter's advanced search options-- the local searches that enables us to keep up-to-date of the events within our locality, search for local products, as well as participate in the community. This is most especially very useful especially with the sky-rocketing use of mobile marketing nowadays.
This feature would be quite beneficial for restaurants who tweet their daily specials of featured dishes and coupons - assuming their followers were regular customers who would value this service.
Thanks for these awesome tips, especially item #3. I'm not yet comfy with following item number five yet as I fear that some tweeple might label me as a spammer? I'm just making assumptions here..
These are all great tips but I will have to disagree with the 10-20 number for retweeting an article using different titles. I am fine with seeing somebody promote the same article a few times in a day but I wouldn't be following somebody for long that retweeted each article 20 times. There is a difference between adding to a conversation/resparking it and outright spamming your followers to increase traffic. My general benchmark: Does this help people that are following me?
Thanks Starr. I like the idea of using Twitter to actually create some dialogue, not just broadcast information!
I like the idea of using keyword rich tweets. They just seem so salesy to me
I agree with Phil Woods. Tweetering the same things over and over may not be such a good idea. Once your followers discover it, you may end up losing interest in your Tweets. The problem with mobile messaging is that when your Tweets are sent out to someone who lives at a different time zone, it can be very annoying. The first and 2nd tip - great!
I like the tip about "Tweet often to boost search-engine optimization", thanks @starrhall:twitter !BestSoftwareIndex.com - "Reviews Website for Useful Business Software"
I thought tweeting didn’t help your SEO anymore? Can anyone confirm this?
the best way to use twitter for marketting
I can't think of a better way to lose me than to SMS me your tweet. Several of my customers have asked about how to do mobile marketing better, and I can only think of one: don't do it.
100 % you are right. direct messages good idea.
I agree with Phil that posted the same content is very annoying and there are certain posters who I skip over links because I know I have seen it too many times already.
Twitter is essential for Marketing you can even go on GOOGLE realtime feature and see Tweets targeted by the keywords
Tweet adder is also a Great software product that allow you to target your Prospects by interests
and you can schedule your tweets to go out automatically for you ..
Chris Hendley
Internet Marketer
http://www.homebusinessesideas.info
Wish I could be more excited about the whole twitter thing... - www.awkwardengineer.com
Share the same content 10-20 times? I can't get behind that one. I don't care if you change the headline or not. It's still duplicate content. I find few things more annoying on Twitter.
Send DMs (direct messages) to your best followers, especially on weekends when they have time to read and respond.