Twitter Marketing
In the opinion of many, Twitter epitomizes trivial and trite. But despite the fact that teenagers the world over are working as hard as they can to contribute to that image, Twitter actually has an extremely valuable place in small business marketing, allowing you to reach potential clients and customers far more quickly than you ever could through hand-shaking and hobnobbing.
The other main complaint against Twitter is that it seems too global. With the ability to follow anyone from Kanye to Barack Obama, CNN to Martha Stewart, most people assume they simply can’t compete. Well, most likely you can’t hold a candle to a celebrity or athlete, but what you can do is carve out a Twitter niche for yourself based on your area of expertise.
Can Twitter Really Work for Marketing Your Local Business?
Your goal shouldn’t be to have a huge Twitter following, but rather to build a small, specialized following composed of local people who need your services and people who can promote them. That said, you might still be wondering how the dang thing works.
What Is Twitter?
Twitter is a Social Media platform that allows you to share bite-sized pieces of information in 140 characters or less. The information you share gets seen by others in one of two ways: by following you so that your tweets pop up in their feeds, or by visiting your page, where all your tweets are displayed in chronological order. You can also follow others, and their tweets will show up in your feed. You must be a registered user in order to post tweets, but anyone can read them, even if they do not use the service.
How Does Twitter Work for Local Business?
Unlike Facebook, with its divisions between personal and public pages, Twitter accounts work the same for both. However, you should take the time to set up your Twitter page to accurately and professionally reflect your business. That means using a good headshot (or logo), a nice header image across the top, business details (such as your website or even your physical address) in your blurb, and the right colors. A professional can help with this if you aren’t sure how best to convey your brand on Twitter. You then use the account to mention interesting stats, point to deals and coupons, and attract local traffic with compelling original content you’ve created on other platforms, such as your blog.
What Are the Benefits of Small Business Twitter Marketing?
Twitter refreshes extremely often, which means that it is the go-to place for up-to-the-minute information in any industry. On Twitter you can see what customers are saying about you and respond to them, creating a caring company identity. Twitter is also an excellent place to get customer testimonials and to network with other locals in your industry, and to get new ideas for what your customers and prospects would like to see from you.
Why Should You Care about Marketing on Twitter?
The fact that anyone can read a tweet is extremely valuable, because it means that you can engage with customers without their having to have an account themselves. Twitter feeds and even individual tweets can also rank in Google and other search engines, performing a valuable SEO service. If, for instance, you need to push down some bad press in the rankings, Twitter can be part of your plan, helping you create good content to mask the not-so-good.
But if you care about Twitter for no other reason, you should care about it because other people do. Believe it or not, Twitter influences purchasing decisions, specifically by identifying purchase locations and helping consumers discover products, i.e. telling customers that you’re right where they’re looking. If you don’t want to be lost in the shuffle, you need to be part of the conversation. Ready to have a conversation about how your business can tweet its way to the top in your local market? Call MarketBlazer at 770-893-2443, or connect online and find out what you should do next.
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