Twitter for Businesses – How to Get Started

Twitter is one of the most frequently-used social media platforms in today’s society, allowing users to broadcast140-character messages called ‘tweets’to the world. While Twitter was originally designed for use as a casual chatting tool, it has quickly become a business asset to entrepreneurs and business owners who are looking to reach a wide audience quickly and efficiently.

The Best Uses for Twitter

Twitter started out as a blogging tool, but you don’t need to use it solely to document the day-to-day activities of your brand. Instead, use your Twitter presence to:

• Ask and respond to questions
• Publicize new products
• Promote sales
• Gather feedback
• Discuss news and issues in your area of expertise
• Share changes and improvements with your audience

Because Twitter started out as a casual site, you can embrace the more informal attitude of the site to add personality and charm to your business. Be fun and friendly, and communicate openly with customers who want to get to know you and your business on a personal level.

Beginning the Process

Set up your account so that you present a professional and accurate image. Choose a username and profile image that make sense and catch eyes, and make sure that your privacy settings allow any user to see your tweets. Fill out your profile information so that interested parties know who you are, where you are, and exactly how to reach you if they are interested in your product.

Committing to Twitter

You will need to put time and energy into your Twitter account if you want it to succeed. Make sure to network with your friends, coworkers, and other businesses. Encourage people to tweet questions and comments to you, and respond to their tweets in kind – opening lines of communication can be a great way of drawing in new followers.Even a few quick tweets a day can greatly increase your internet visibility, and the more active you are, the more attention you can draw to your business.

Retweets are Key

When someone ‘retweets’ your post, they forwardyour message to all of your followers. Retweeting other people’s posts is a great way to build rapport and share information on Twitter, and having your posts retweeted can be highly effective at improving your Twitter profile’s appearance. There are even companies that provide automatic retweet services, if you are just starting out and are looking to strengthen your profile. Twitter users much prefer to auto retweet tweets that have already been retweeted multiple times, so building your retweet base can create an assuring image and boost your reputation.