Using twitter to promote your business

Twitter is a great social media to use, especially if you are looking to promote yourself and you want
to understand your potential target market. The more people you have that follow you the better
and the more likely it is that they will see what you are up to and become interested in your activities.
There are lots of ways that you can boost the number of followers you have and here we look at some
of the best tips available.

Use Twitter Tools
Twitter Tools is a great way to add to your contact list and if you follow others they
may start to follow you. You can contact people via email to tell them why you would
like them to follow you and what you think you can offer. Follow-ups like this can really
boost the attention you receive.

Use your social media
You can use any other form of social media you currently use to publicise the fact that you are
now using Twitter too. This is likely to direct your friends on other sites towards Twitter if they
are already a member and start following you. Make sure that you use all other forms of media
you use and update people regularly that you are using Twitter and tell them about what they
can read about you next time you write your status. There is also the option to post to Facebook
from Twitter so that people can start to become interested in your Twitter feeds even if they are
not members themselves. You may end up encouraging friends to join just so that they can read
your tweets.

Add it to your signature
When you sign off on your emails add your Twitter details to it so that every time one of your
email contacts receives something from you they will also have the opportunity to add you as
a contact on Twitter.

Blog about Twitter
If you blog then this is also a good opportunity to direct attention to yourself on Twitter and
you can also include a link in the content.

Add Twitter Widget
Add a Twitter widget to your site so that people can not only see that you use it but can go on
and follow you so they can keep up to date with your tweets.

Use Twitter Directories
Twitter listings exist so that people can find information about you and can follow you. It is
good to find out what these are and add in your own details to start attracting even more followers.

Add to your home page
Your profile page can be altered and designed to give as much information about you as you
want so the more interesting it is the more people will want to follow you as a result so
remember to work on it to get it looking good.

Keep your activity level high
Your level of activity is important so make sure you answer people’s tweets in a timely manner
and post things for people to read about on a regular basis. The higher your level of activity the
more people will be interested in what you are saying and doing.

Keep your posts interesting
Don’t post just for the sake of posting. What you say should be interesting and appealing so that
people will want to comment on it and continue following you.

Guest blog for major Tweeters
It is possible to contact people who have a large number of followers and offer to blog for them so
that they will promote your post for you through Twitter. This can increase the amount of
publicity you get.

Add links to your articles
You may already be writing articles for your site online and if you do you might want to link to
them through your Twitter posts so that others can go and read them. This improves the quality
of your Twitter posts as well.

Talk about Twitter online
If you are actively involved in blogging and forums then you can talk about Twitter and draw
attention to your own Twitter profile at the same time. In so doing you are inviting people to
come and follow you.

Ask your followers to suggest followers
Once you become an established Twitter ‘player’ you can encourage your existing followers to
invite their contacts to follow you too by publicising the fact that you are looking to boost your
number of followers. It is likely that some of them will try to do this for you.

Organise a competition
Use your website and the other forms of social media that you currently use to incentivise
people to follow you. This could come in the form of a contest for instance, which might involve
giving a prize to the contact that gives you the highest number of followers.

Use Twitter as your home page
One option is to replace your website’s home page with your Twitter profile page so that people
immediately know you are using Twitter and can follow you. They can then go through this landing
page to navigate through the remainder of your website.

Add your Twitter details to your business cards
If you use business cards then when you next print them, have the details of your Twitter URL
added to the bottom so people have an extra way to get in touch and find out about your business.

Keep following
Find new people that you can follow every day in the event that they may follow you in return.
If someone starts to follow you then follow them to heighten your profile so that their followers
may become interested in you too.

Talk to fellow Twitter fans
There are plenty of online organisations dedicated to discussion about Twitter and joining these
will give you more opportunities to discuss your own Twitter account. You will be talking to people
who enjoy using Twitter so it is likely that they will want to follow you.

Tweet-ups
If you attend gatherings organised by people who use Twitter then you can meet people who are
following you face to face. This will add to the relationship and give more clout to your following
online.

Think of new ideas
Be bold and original with your ideas. Use any way you can think of to maximise the attention that
you receive on Twitter so that you can boost your followers.