Tweet me? I Just Tweeted? Post your Tweets? Follow me? Hashtags?
By now, you have heard these expressions plus many more that I haven't mentioned about Twitter - so let's talk about how to get started on Twitter.
Twitter is one of the most popular social channels around—it's currently ranked No.2 based on monthly unique visitors. Yet many small-business owners are wary of the 140-character-loving micro-blog phenomenon.
There's no denying that the never-ending stream of retweets and hashtags can be a bit intimidating. It takes some time to learn to navigate the Twitter waters. But increasing your understanding will help you feel at ease about taking the Twitter plunge and expanding your brand one tweet at a time.
Let's start with the basics.
What's in a name? A lot, as it turns out. We hope we're stating the obvious, but use the name of your business as your username (or "handle") on Twitter. In the event that it's already taken, get as close to it as you can, but avoid using underscores and hyphens. It just doesn't look good.
If your business is called Blinky's Bakery, but that handle is already taken, add your state's initials at the end to signify your location. You just don't want to be too far from the real name of the business.
Example: @blinkysbakeryoh or @blinkysbakeryohio
Don't be shy. If you haven't written your bio, please do. You get 160 characters to showcase your business—use it! This little nutshell of information will help you gain followers, and here's why: If you follow someone and you don't have a bio, they don't know who you are or what you're all about. You may look like a spam account and are therefore less likely to get a follow back. Take a few minutes to complete your bio to give everyone the lowdown on your business.
Example: Blinky's #Bakery, specializing in #dogbiscuits, #dogtreats and #dogicecream. Bringing canines joy across the #Buckeye state since 2014.
www.blinkysbakery.com
Make sure to use pertinent hashtags and don't forget to add the link to your website or blog. Bios with links get more attention than those without.
#hashtags:hat past generations called the pound sign or number sign is now more commonly called a hashtag, and it wields a lot of power. Think of these as keywords that can be used anywhere in your tweet. They help people find you if they're searching for that particular topic, and they help categorize your tweets. Hashtags can be one word or a series, just make sure not to use spaces.
Example: #Blinkyspies or #pies
Say cheese! Use a photo of yourself, your logo or your business for your profile. Leaving image fields blank is like stepping over found money, and it's a turn-off to potential followers. Utilize all of the free advertising Twitter gives you.
It's a banner day! The same holds true for the giant (1,500 x 1,500 pixels) banner image. And don't think of it as static content—mix it up as often as you need or want. Celebrate the seasons, a sale, an event—whatever speaks to who you are and what you tweet about.
Lead and they will follow. Now that you have your profile looking good, it's time to find people to follow. Look for people you know, customers, vendors, other people in your business and those with similar interests and goals. Many times, taking the lead and following someone will entice them to return the follow.
What do you say? It's often a challenge for people new to Twitter to come up with things to tweet about. Don't let your social media marketing be stifled by a brain cramp—plan ahead. Spend a few hours a month setting up a calendar of topics. Having a plan makes it easier to write content. Once you have your calendar in order, spend 10 to 15 minutes each day looking for opportunities to share and converse, then check in later for responses and messages.
Timing is everything. According to Karen Swim, CEO at Words For Hire, find out when your audience is most active on Twitter. "While you can tweet at various times of the day you want to prioritize key messages for the optimal time of day. Share consistently and at various times to discover what works for you."
Short and sweet. In order to make the best use of your 140-character limit, tighten up those long URLs. With every post, include a link to your article, website or blog (this is how you can gain traffic to your site), but chose a URL shortener like Bitly or Google to maximize your available space.
A picture's worth 1,000 tweets. OK, it may not be worth quite that many, but using imagery in your tweets will also attract more attention.
Spending a little extra time to set your account and content plan should make it easier to dive into the Twitter stream and bring a few more followers your way. #goodluck!
Academy Checklist: Follow these steps to make sure you're ready to tweet.
- Make your business name your handle. (mine is #robertjrussell)
- Create a complete bio that includes hashtags.
- Add a profile image and banner image.
- Follow a few new people daily.
- Take a moment to set up a strategy calendar.
- Watch and listen to learn when the best tweeting times are for your audience.
- Try out different URL shorteners to see what you like best.
Want to find out more? Ask me about coming to your company where I will show your employees how to incorporate Social Media into their business - Sales People LOVE me! REALTORS love me! Insurance Agents love me!
Follow me - @robertjrussell on Twitter
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