3 Steps To A Successful Twitter Strategy
Are you currently using Twitter for business?
Are you happy with the results you are getting from your Twitter strategy Twitter strategy?
Or maybe you aren’t experiencing much in the way of results because you lack a strategy for using Twitter.
It’s tough for many entrepreneurs and even traditional marketing professionals to wrap their heads around creating a Twitter strategy for business. It’s very easy to get frustrated and feel like you aren’t getting anywhere but you need to understand that Twitter serves a few very valuable purposes, although not all may lead to more sales for your business.
Some of the business benefits many you can experience with Twitter are:
- Drive traffic to your website or blog
- Gaining business intelligence (industry news, following competitors, getting feedback from customers)
- Customer service
- Marketing & branding
Your Twitter marketing strategy doesn’t necessarily have to include everything listed above, but it very well could. Ask yourself if your business could benefit from a little help with the four points above. If so, it might be time to re-think your Twitter strategy.
3-Step Twitter Strategy For Your Business
I like to keep things simple and I find the first place businesses make mistakes in creating a Twitter marketing strategy is by overcomplicating it. If you’ve spent the time to really understand your target market and who they are, creating a Twitter strategy for business can be broken down into three simple steps.
- Find
- Interact
- Keep track
Everything in your Twitter strategy can be broken down to these three points. I like to actually ask them in the form of a question when I’m working with my private clients to find clarity what they want to achieve.
Who are you trying to find?
How will you interact with them once you find them?
How will you keep track?
Step 1: Find Your Prospects
It should be obvious that the first step in your Twitter strategy is to find the prospects you want to connect with but most business owners I talk to haven’t thought this through.
To find prospects on Twitter, you need to clearly understand the language they would use that might identify them as a potential customer.
For example:
- Businesses in the tourism industry might want to do searches that include “Going to CITYNAME” or “visiting CITYNAME” to connect with excited travelers
- Restaurants should regularly check people tweeting “I’m hungry” or “hungry” within 5 km radius of their business location
You’ll also need to incorporate some sort of regular profile search to your Twitter marketing strategy. This means using the Twitter’s “People Search” using identifying keywords that people are more likely to use in their bio.
For example, if you are looking to connect with chiropractors, you can simply type “chiropractor” into Twitter search and then click the “People” tab from the left side menu to filter profiles instead of tweets. It’s ideal that you search with singular terms as opposed to plural since that is how individuals identify themselves, i.e. “chiropractor” instead of “chiropractors”.
PRO TIP: Use Followerwonk to target profiles by location for even more targeted results. Twitter advanced search is wonderful but is not extended to include profile searches so Followerwonk is a great supplemental tool for this task.
Step 2: Interact
Finding people is only half the battle because you need to create a relationship before anything actually happens.
The cornerstone of your Twitter strategy will depend on how you interact with others on the social network. If your first interaction with them is asking to follow you back or check out your page, then you’re wasting your time. Speaking of which, if you are using those kinds of tactics, you need a refresher in social media etiquette.
Read: 8.5 Lessons In Social Media Etiquette For Business
Here are some positive ways to win people over on Twitter:
- Retweeting or sharing a great post they tweeted (remember to mention their Twitter ID in your tweet)
- Paying a thoughtful compliment that shows you took the time to check out their content
- Providing helpful answers to questions asked on Twitter
- Having a friendly and selfless demeanor
However you choose to do it, make it your goal to be memorable and remembered in a positive light. Never ever start with a sales pitch or risk being blocked and forgotten.
On that note, Twitter is NOT the social network for pitching. When you feel like you’ve developed some rapport with a connection, the best thing to do is ask them if they are on LinkedIn or Facebook and continue the conversation over there (where you have more than 140 characters.
Let your Twitter strategy ignite interest and curiosity while the real relationship building can occur in environments that are more conducive to that behavior.
Step 3: Keep Track
Once you’ve found a great potential prospect it is crucial that you have a way to keep track of them. Fortunately, Twitter lists are the perfect vehicle for this form of tracking and are built-in to the network’s features.
There are a few different types of people you should be tracking with Twitter lists, including (but not limited to):
- People who share your content
- Competitors
- News sources/Industry leaders
- Strategic partners
- Potential prospects
- Current customers
You can use your lists to more easily keep track of the groups of people you put inside each list. This is great for keeping in touch and having a quick filter for your most important connections on Twitter.
I especially like using Twitter lists to keep a close eye on my biggest supporters so that I can regularly share the love and share their great content. Check out the infographic below for my process and feel free to share it on your blog and social networks!
PRO TIP: Keep track of people who tweet your blog content without mentioning you by searching your domain URL through Twitter search.
Your Twitter Strategy Should Be A People Strategy
What your Twitter strategy really boils down to is figuring out who you want to connect with and engaging in conversations that can further develop the relationship so it can evolve further. Don’t get overly fixated on selling, it’s tough enough to get a point across in 140 characters!
What are your favorite tactics to use in your Twitter strategy? Let us know in the comments below.
