A little bird told me
We’re really lucky living in this age of technology where we can reach out to clients and contacts for free through social networking. It’s easy, and who doesn’t like free stuff?
Take Twitter, for example. Twitter can be a newsfeed packed with 140-character navel-gazing comments about how awesome last night’s party was, or it can be a powerful tool that you can use to develop relationships and spread the word about your business. If you are a yet-to-be-converted sceptic or a seasoned tweeter, here are some ideas to make the most out of your Twitter account:
Patience, grasshopper
Marketing spiels can be dry and no one wants to be inundated with salesy banter. I follow a number of people who use Twitter for their business, and I much prefer those who intersperse tweets about their business with funny comments, interesting news or links to sites.
Patiently develop relationships with your followers and remember Twitter is a “social media” platform, so be social as well as entrepreneurial: make jokes, share links, be relevant outside of your business as a photographer. It makes you a well-rounded Twitter user, and will keep your followers interested.
There’s an app for that
The actual Twitter site lacks some functionality, but you can download other free applications to compensate. TweetDeck is a popular application for your computer or smartphone. It manages messages and replies, search lists and multiple accounts. Twitpic is a great tool for photographers as it lets users share photos. Digsby centralises emails, IMs and social networking programs in one desktop program. Test out different apps and see which best suits your Twitter needs.
Trending topics
A hashtag is a word or phrase followed by # and is a way to group topics other Twitter users are talking about. Finish your posts with a hashtag, and your tweet will appear on the feed for that topic. Have a look at the recent topics column in TweetDeck and find topics relevant to your business. Commenting with hashtags will help you connect with people who have similar interests and who could be potential clients.
Retweets please
The retweet is a powerful action that can get you in touch with new potential followers. If you want your followers to retweet your comment, don’t be shy; just say please. If people find your message interesting, they will likely be happy to oblige and their followers could become your followers. Like asking a friend to help you move too many times, the retweet is a request that shouldn’t be abused, but it’s very effective when used every now and then.
The Twitterverse is a vast and amazing place where you can quickly spread the word about your business, so login and start gathering followers.
Pilar Mitchell
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When she’s not writing her blog, Cult of Clothes, Pili is a corporate advisor working with businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to stock-exchange-listed companies. She is fascinated by the evolution of small businesses and loves to combine her passion for writing with the opportunity to help entrepreneurs grow and learn. |
