June 8th, 2010 by Nick

The attraction of Twitter is that it has a large interactive audience, looking for anything interesting or entertaining. From a business perspective, there are a few problems with using Twitter as a promotional tool. Firstly, Twitter seems more appropriate for some sectors than others. Does your target audience actuallyspend time tweeting? Secondly, typical users of Twitter want items of interest and clever phrases, not brash advertisements. Thirdly, using Twitter effectively is something of an art. It can be learned to an extent, but people’s aptitude varies considerably, and it is easy for a novice to make an embarrassing faux pas. The following general tips have been developed, although whether they are relevant for a specific online firm can only be established on a case-by-case basis:

• Devise and implement a flexible plan before starting a Twitter campaign. A SEO consultant may be of assistance in this regard. The idea is to establish which steps are worth taking and which actions should be avoided. The plan should not be etched in stone so to speak, because it may have to be adjusted, but it can help keep things on track
• Before launching an ‘attack’ on the target audience, take the time to carefully craft a business profile. Getting the wording correct can mean that you get several more followers than if you do not manage it. Furthermore, with Twitter, success breeds success, so any increase in followers can have a multiplier effect
• Do your best to ensure that every tweet is of genuine interest. Do not waste time telling people that you are procrastinating, or what music you have on. People are soon turned off by dull tweets, which do not engage their interests
• Begin by making astute sector-related comments, but do not plug your own goods or services until you are inserted fully into the conversations, and have attracted a considerable number of followers. Also remember not to change the way you use Twitter abruptly in the course of a campaign, as it could alienate your followers. When you do refer to your own goods and services, do it in a casual manner which does not raise the hackles of potential consumers
• Review the progress of your campaign at regular intervals, and adjust your tactics subtly from time to time as required. You should ideally consult a SMM specialist or a SEO consultant for guidance throughout the course of the campaign. In many circumstances, the best results are acquired by entering into collaboration with an expert, telling them all they need to know about your business, and leaving everything in their competent care

There is no formula which can guarantee success with exploiting the commercial opportunities available through the new social media. However, general guidelines can be followed, and can make it easier for people to avoid the most egregious errors. It is vitally important to keep up-to-date with changes in the social media, because they can have a profound impact on what works and what does not.

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