Twitter is a great way to connect with existing customers and potential business clients.  That is if you do it correctly.  Otherwise it can just be a time-sucker for whoever in the company is assigned the task of marketing by posting tweets.  So how can you make it a useful tool, rather than a time-waste?

First, consider why you want to be on Twitter and write it out as a mission or purpose statement.  Then develop a communication strategy that supports that mission/purpose.  You may also want to look at what your competitors do on Twitter and see how many followers they have.  Here are a few questions to consider when planning your own Twitter communication strategy:

1. How can you attract customers with Twitter?
2. Do you want to send out product updates?
3. Should you provide helpful articles (via URL links)?
4. Do you want people to visit an on-line store or associate site?
5. Will sending others’ quotations be beneficial?
6. Do you want to drive people to your website and why (besides increasing hits)?

Second, if Twitter makes sense to your business, set-up an account and make sure you have put in a profile and background design so people know more about you on Twitter before proceeding.  Then decide if you want to add an easy way for people to follow you on Twitter via your website now or later.

Third, follow your strategy and remember it can take a while before people realize you are there.  So it may be some time before you see any business impact from using Twitter.  See the ideas below as possible ways to help provide your answers for questions asked above on strategy.

1. To attract customers, you should first follow them and hope they follow back.  Why?  If you don’t follow people, most will not know you are now on Twitter. Use the “find people” feature in Twitter for those whose names you know.  Also look for people with shared interests or who are local to your company on Twitter and by using one of the many Twitter directories that allow you to look up people by category or city.
2. If you are planning to send out product updates, abbreviate the announcement and send out a link to the webpage with more details.  Use on-line tools to shorten URLs so the link is shorter.  This way you are able to write more introductory text.
3. Twitter users love articles on topics that interest them.  Send links to articles related to your area of expertise and consumer reports/comparisons of products.  Provide the title and a short link to the article as your tweet/update.  Add “#Article” to the end of your tweet if you want to increase the chances that others will pick-up your link and retweet (forward) it to their readers as well.
4. If you are planning to send out “buy-it” links, tell the user why they want to go to the site before providing the short link.  A little soft-sell is ok as long as you do not send lots of “spam” to users otherwise your account could get suspended on Twitter.
5. Twitter may seem to be “quote heaven” but most people send motivational quotes or those directly related to topics they consult on.  You might consider a “quote for the day”.  But the best business quotes will be positive comments you can retweet from your customers or reviewers on your products.  So be sure to watch the Twitter mentions and searches for your account or business name.
6. If people go to your website, give them a reason to visit, such as freebies, special offers, and to see customer comments.  Or drive people to your website to get more information than you can supply in the 140 characters or less allowed for tweets.

Twitter is not a tool you may use monthly or weekly like many other marketing/advertising campaigns.  Twitter requires at least daily, if not hourly tweets, to keep your name in the news stream of potential customers.  After you have used Twitter a little and decided you want to stick to it, check out the many Twitter applications/interfaces that help make updates easier.

Shirley Fine Lee

Shirley Fine Lee has considerable training and expertise in leading effective meetings and projects, as well as training others within the corporate world to be able to do the same. Her books, "R.A!R.A! A Meeting Wizard's Approach," "T.A.P.P. Steps in Time MAnagement," and "OPIE Project Planning and Implementation for Teams" are much-needed guides to planning and productivity. Sign up for Shirley's free productivity newsletter on her website or visit her leadership blog. Find out more about her, her books, and learning options she provides on her website at http://www.shirleyfinelee.com.

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