Small businesses are using Twitter as a place to interact with their customers and community, a supplement to their customer service and a place to market their store.
It is clear that Twitter is essential for small businesses. A recent survey reports that 72 percent of Twitter followers say they are likely to buy from a small business that they follow on Twitter. In addition, Twitter’s promoted tweets program has been said to increase online sales by almost 30 percent. If that isn’t encouraging enough, keep reading to learn how easy it is to get started!
Where do I begin?
You can create a Twitter account at www.twitter.com or by downloading their mobile app. We suggest using the mobile app since this is where you will be doing most of your tweeting – on the go.
Once you have created your Twitter account, make sure to upload an avatar. For businesses, your avatar is usually your company logo. Your cover photo is the next step; we suggest you use a photo of your business or your employees. This helps create brand awareness and allows your following to identify a place and people behind the tweets. Take a look at our social media dimensions guide for tips on how to size your photos properly.
The last step in giving your Twitter a professional look is writing a bio. Your bio should be short and sweet. If your business has a slogan or tagline, include that here in addition to a link to your website or other social media networks.
How do I grow a following?
The number of followers you have is not necessarily the most important thing. While it is important to grow your following in size, it is equally as important to gain a loyal following.
When you first start out, follow other local business, community accounts, suppliers and your customers. This strategy helps to make your presence known and gives you the opportunity to interact on Twitter.
Interact!
Interaction is key. You will identify your loyal followers as the ones who answer your tweets, questions and even favorite or retweet you! The best way to engage followers is to ask questions and use up to three relevant hashtags in a tweet. Remember, Twitter is used similarly to a search engine. Keywords and hashtags will help your store to become more visible to other Twitter users and ultimately grow your following.
Now that you know what it takes to get started, check out some Twitter basics straight from their site. You’ll get some fresh ideas to run your own special Twitter offer and generate more foot traffic with your tweets! Or, hop on over to our resource center to download our Twitter 101 Guide for Indie Retailers.
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