The number of companies using Twitter for business is increasing but many are still struggling to use it effectively.  Common complaints are things like, no-one retweets my posts, I can’t increase my followers, or worse still, I have hundreds of followers but none of them are really my target client base.

Before you get started using your Twitter account you must give some thought as to why you’re using it and what you want to achieve – what is your strategy?  Some people use Twitter simply as a way of providing industry information, whilst for others it’s become a key part of their sales strategy or a customer service focus.  Only you know what your goals will be. Below are some tips for to help you succeed with Twitter.

• Have a Strategy or Goal

  There’s no point in saying that Twitter isn’t working if you don’t know the end result you want to achieve.  As already mentioned Twitter can be used in many ways, you need to work out what your end goal will be and how you will measure the success of that goal.  For example, if improving your customer service is your goal then you need to make sure you have something in place to measure whether customer service is improving as a result of using Twitter– what will be the definition of success in the short term and the long term?

• Use an Appropriate Twitter Name

  Always try and use your real name or company brand name.  Make it easy for your target audience to find you and remember you.

• Always Fill out your Bio in full and Include a Picture

  People need to know who you are, where you are and what you do.  This is your chance to make that first impression and if people can see who you are too, then it helps to build trust.  Make sure your picture is current and relevant to your business, one thing guaranteed to make someone think twice is an inappropriate profile picture and it won’t help your brand reputation.

• Be Consistent

  Always be consistent with your branding.  If you have a website or other social media, your customers should be able to tell when they go from one to the other that they are still viewing the same company.

• Don’t Follow Anyone and Everyone

  Of course it’s nice to have a large number of followers, but if they are not targeted people interested in your market, then what’s the point? It’s unlikely they’ll ever engage with you.  Look for other Twitter users that are influencers or sources of information in your market and see who they are following or who’s following them.  It’s about quality not quantity, 50 followers who are all interested in what you have to say are better than 150 who never look at your posts.

• Post Regular Relevant Content

  Make sure you tweet regular and relevant content.  This could be useful information, video links or special offers – you will know what’s relevant to your target market.  The term regular will also differ from business to business, you may tweet daily or weekly, but make sure it’s consistent.  Too many tweets may be seen as a nuisance, but a flurry of tweets in one go and then nothing for weeks will not encourage people to engage with you.

• Respond to Mentions and Retweets

  Show your followers and potential clients that you value their comments by thanking them.  Listen to what they’re saying and respond publicly or by direct message, whichever is appropriate – people like to be acknowledged.

• Make sure Your Links Work

  If you’re posting links to articles or videos make sure they work –there’s nothing more frustrating than spotting an article of interest and clicking the link only to get an error message returned.

There are many useful articles to be found on using Twitter for Business but hopefully this one will give you the start you’ve been looking for.

If you’re using Twitter successfully, why not share your tips with our readers?