Is your brand actively utilizing Twitter? It should be. The platform has lead the way, 140 characters at a time to the social media promised land. With over 200 million active members sending out an estimated 150 million tweets daily, your business has a plethora of potential new customers and chatter to get through.
Wait! If you have yet to learn from other social networks like LinkedIn, establishing relationships with clients online is not the same as marketing to them. It is imperative that you understand the unique aspects of Twitter and how to tweet smarter, not harder. Here are four tips to get you started in the right direction:
Be a problem solver
When you conduct a search for your brand, services, products and relevant keywords, you’ll encounter individuals who can potentially benefit from purchasing from you. When you initiate contact and solve problems you are extending beyond customer service and helping the community versus trying to just make a sale. Individuals are more likely to purchase from a brand they trust and appreciate the value its customers bring.
Provide an incentive
Your loyal followers are hoping you’ll provide them with incentives for following your brand. Provide them with offers, event deals, coupons and freebies, which will influence them to tweet and/or retweet. When you give value to your followers, you will convert them into loyalists.
Hold a Twitter chat
Since the idea is to engage your audience as much as possible, hold scheduled Twitter chats. You’ll be able to discover a myriad of insights from your fans–and maybe even improve your product or service. By engaging regularly with your audience and providing a platform for them to voice their opinions, you’ll do wonders for your brand awareness.
It’s not all about you
If you’re only sharing links about your brand, products and services, then you’re doing it all wrong. You can contribute and add value to your brand and your customers by linking to resources related to your products and services, as well as those related to your customers’ wants, likes and needs.
S. Lynn Cooper is a Washington, DC-based digital strategist and communications expert. Cooper is the founder and director of Socially Ahead, a strategic communications agency that specializes in the creation of social and digital strategies and campaign management. Follow her on Twitter at@sociallyahead.