Twitter is beingcalled the killer ap of the social networking scene. It is a simpleapplication but very powerful. Twitter allows you to send short,concise posts (called Tweets) to the various people who follow you andalso to interact with other Twitter users through ReTweets and DirectMessages.
To get started on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com andclick “Sign up now.” You’ll then enter your full name (you can use yourreal name, business name or a combination), a username (this is how youwill be known on Twitter so use your business name; the field onlyallows 15 characters and no spaces, so you’ll have to be creative), apassword and e-mail. Type in the security words and then click “Createmy account.”
You’ll then be given the option of checking youre-mail addresses to see if people you e-mail are already on Twitter, oryou can skip this step. Twitter will then suggest popular users. Youcan choose some of them, or you can deselect all. Click Finish andyou’re on Twitter!
The main page of Twitter (the Home page),shows your post box at top and your stream of Tweets from the peopleyou follow below that. The right column shows your username, the numberof people you’re following, the number of people following you and thenumber of Tweets you’ve made. Below that you’ll see links for Home,@yourusername (when clicked, this shows any Tweets that mention you),Direct Messages (basically your private inbox for Twitter), andFavorites (a place to keep favorite Tweets). There’s also a search boxthat you can use to search for references to your business or forkeywords that you might use to identify possible followers or topics ofinterest.
The Profile page is your Twitter profile. This is thepage others will see when they click on your username. At the topright, they’ll see your full name, location, website and bio. Be sureto add all this information in your settings. People like to followcompanies they can verify and trust. Without the bio or other info, youjust don’t come across as very reliable. In the settings, you can alsochoose to make your account private, which means people will have to beapproved first before they can follow you. Remember, though, that doingso may discourage some people from following you and won’t help spreadyour name.
When creating your Twitter account, you’ll want tomake sure you give it a unique look and brand. After all, you want yourTwitter page to be recognized as part of your business. Luckily,Twitter lets you personalize the background, color choices and photo.Under the Picture tab, upload a photo that represents your business.Under the Design tab, you can choose one of the standard themes orpersonalize it by changing the background image or design colors, whichis recommended as you can then use your own brand colors and images.When you change the background image, keep in mind that the image goesacross the entire background, so the middle part of the image will behidden behind the main boxes of your Twitter page. Look at otherTwitter profiles for ideas and play around with different images to seewhich one looks best.
In the settings, you can also set up yourTwitter account to work with your cell phone, so you can Tweet directfrom your phone if you’re away from your computer. For instance, youmay want to Tweet about a new product line you just ordered while at ashow.
Now you want to start building your Twitter community. Usethe search function to find vendors to follow or experts in smallbusiness or retailing. Check out trade shows or publications, such asCountry Business. Look at who they’re following to see if they might bepeople you want to follow. By following vendors, you can find out aboutnew lines or products or tips on better merchandising; by followingexperts, you can find strong business articles and other tips.
Inaddition to following others, you also want people to follow you.Again, promote the fact that you are now Twittering! Put it in yournewsletter, put a link on your e-mail signature, have flyers by yourregister, send an e-blast to your customers. Suggest people follow youto get inside scoops on new lines or special events. You can alsosearch your community name, or the word “shop” to find other users thatmight have Tweeted about a shopping trip. Tweet to them and suggestthey visit your shop. You can use the “near” command to find Twitterusers in your area. For instance, type “shopping near:Chicago” in theSearch field to find Tweets from people in the Chicago area thatmentioned “shopping” in their posts.
Other third-party tools such as WeFollow , Twellow, TwitterGrader, ChirpCity and Nearby Tweets allowyou to find users by certain keywords or in certain areas. You can alsolist yourself in some of the categories (go to these specific websitesfor more info). You won’t build your Twitter followers instantly; ittakes time. But if you continue to promote and work on your Twitteraccount, the followers will come.
You don’t have to followeveryone that follows you, but you will want to follow some of them.After all, the entire point of Twitter is building the communityrelationship and learning from each other. Besides, people who see acompany that has many followers but doesn’t follow anyone themselves,sees the company as only being in it for themselves. When someonefollows you, send a heartfelt welcome message back to them. Also, besure to review who is following you, as spam followers do get through.Luckily, you can easily block a follower if you want.
Whensending out Tweets, remember, you only have 140 characters to workwith, so keep it short. Like Facebook, you can Tweet about newproducts, upcoming events, funny things that happened in your shop,contests, even interesting tidbits about your staff. Keep your postsmainly business, but it’s okay (and even preferable) to add somethingpersonal once in a while. It shows you’re human, and people like to dobusiness with someone they can relate to, not just a facelesscorporation. But don’t fill up your followers’ pages with dribble aboutGreat Aunt Martha or what type of sandwiches you’re making for thetwins’ lunch.
You also want to share information and resources,such as great articles on trends, decorating advice or blog posts. Yourfollowers will appreciate this advice and see you as an expert. Andshow your love for other Twitter users by Retweeting their posts (copytheir post and put RT in front of it, or use the Retweet functionavailable on some of the tools). By Retweeting, you place your name infront of a whole new group of followers.
One great thing about Twitter is that various applications are available to make it easier to use. Try out TweetDeck tokeep track of others’ posts, mentions or certain keywords. You can alsoeasily Tweet, Retweet, Reply, Direct Message and other tasks fromTweetDeck.
Since the post space is short and you’ll want toinclude links to articles, blogs or your website from time to time,you’ll want to use a link-shortening service to turn long URLs intoshorter ones. TweetDeck has a link shortener; you can also use tinyurl.com orsome other service. You’ll also want to post pictures. A great way todo this is through TwitPic. It’s easy to set up an account, and fromthere you can share various photos.
Bringing It All Together
Twitter and the other social networking sites are great tools for smallbusiness, but they aren’t the magic bullet that will immediately makeyour business tons of money. You’ll need to spend some time making thesites work for you. Set aside a certain time of the day to work onthese sites. Many people find it helpful to check the sites once at thebeginning of the day and once again at the end. It also helps to havesomeone in your company that is interested in this type of marketingand web usage. If they dig Twitter, Facebook and the like, they aremore likely to post often and not think of it as a chore. Give as wellas you get with your fans and followers and you’ll build your businessin a viral way