Twitter Tips for Business Tweets

"Twitter is quirky and annoying." Okay, I said it. But it's a necessary annoyance that businesses of all kinds are welcoming into their marketing mix - and it's FREE to use (at least for now). If you are going to give in (and you eventually will) and adopt a Twitter marketing strategy, here are some suggestions on what to "tweet" about.

First, you need to understand that Twitter is basically a mini blog limited to 140 characters. And if you don't know what a blog is by now, you are probably still using terms like "audio cassette" or "album". Get with the times!

So, again, "tweets" are 140 character text messages that you send on Twitter to people who are "followers". How do you get followers? By sending tweets that are either very informational or very entertaining. Annoying tweets (and there are millions of them sent every day) send your followers running for the hills.

For businesses, I suggest you use Twitter to convey information that your customers and prospects will find beneficial.

Conduct Research and Gather Feedback
Are you thinking about adding/discontinuing a product/service, changing business hours, moving to a new location, or making some type of change that could affect your customers? You could send a "tweet" asking for feedback. People who twitter are not afraid to give you honest feedback and share their two-cents.

Share News & Announcements
You can tweet news about your business. There are several newsworthy items you can tweet, including:

• Receiving an award


• Achieving a monumental business or sales goal.


• Announce the hiring of a new employee or the departure of one.


• Adding a new product/service.


• Television or Internet news story about your or your business

If there is something newsworthy, tweet about it. Don't forget to include links to the source (but remember that links are counted in the 140 characters).

Send Invitations
If you are going to host an event or participate in an event, use Twitter to invite people. If people need to register, send the invite and include a link to the registration site. Here are a few events you might send an invitation for:

• Open house


• Seminar


• Holiday Party


• Golf Outing


• Sales Event


• Fundraiser

But, remember that when you invite your Twitter followers, you are inviting everyone...if you have 2,000 followers and you offer free food...be prepared to feed 2,000 people plus their friends. If there are restrictions, let people know.

Announce A Sales Special
Airlines and restaurants use Twitter to announce deals. An airline might have open seats for a flight leaving tomorrow. A restaurant may have a seafood special and need to bump weekend reservations. Or a garden store may have a new shipment of plants and flowers they'd like to sell. I've even received tweets about discount tickets to movies and concerts. Make sure you announce that their is a limited number available and what the restrictions are so you don't make anyone mad. Some sales specials you may tweet about include:

• Last-minute deals


• Close-out/discontinued items


• Overstocked items


• Reservation availability


• Early-bird special


• New real estate listing


• Garage sale
  
• Ticket give-away or availability

Keep It Interesting
A lot of people who use Twitter are quickly learning that providing value by recommending their followers check out useful information is helping them become respected and increases the number of followers. Tell others about something you learned or discovered that might interest them, including:

• Websites


• Blog post
  
• Book
  
• Product review


• Online video


• Seminars/Workshops

Add Value and Increase Credibility
When using Twitter, businesses need to provide substance and value. Just telling people that you're "damned glad it's closing time" or that "It's time for a potty break" is not going to score a lot of points with followers. If you become a source and resource for information, then you will build credibility with an increasing number of followers.

When and How Often?
How often should you use Twitter. Unfortunately, the jury is still out. But many businesses post several tweets a day...or at least appear to. If you tweet, either schedule two or three times each day to send them or schedule them in advance. Yes, you can schedule your tweets hours, days, weeks, years in advance by using a Twitter compatible scheduling application such as Twuffer. You can find it at http://www.twuffer.com/. People who might appear to do nothing but hang out on Twitter 24/7 are probably scheduling their tweets in advance...or they have waaayy too much time on their hands.

Still Need Help?
If you are contemplating using Twitter (or any other social networking medium) for your business but still need some advice, then contact BTK & Associates. I'll be glad to work with you to develop your Twitter page and give you a strategy that you can manage based on your schedule. Visit www.btkmarketing.com, call 317.493-8964 or email me at brian@btkmarketing.com.