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Promoting on Twitter: Building Your Twitter Audience

Social Marketing Optimization

Promoting on Twitter: Building Your Twitter Audience

Written by Brenda Stokes for Gaebler Ventures

Twitter has taken the world by storm with Twitter updates that are only 140 characters long. Those 140 characters enable a business owner to let the world know what is going on with their business. So how can you use Twitter to benefit your business?

Twitter has become a very useful tool for businesses because it is a form of blogging called "micro blogging."

The word "micro" refers to the fact that the "blog" is only 140 characters long. This means what you say needs to be to the point in very few words.

The main reason why companies use Twitter is to get the word out about their business. The business can submit requests to follow Twitter users and Twitter users will then reciprocate by following the business. Any user that comes across your Twitter profile can also follow you, but you want to be proactive by following others first so that they will follow you.

How to promote using Twitter

You can do much more than offer discounts, coupons, and inform of sales using Twitter. You can also conduct contests, inform of new product releases, and simply tell everyone what is going on with your business on that particular day.

Here is how you can make Twitter work for you:

1. You can take your business contacts from your email's address book, including your Hotmail and Gmail address books, and import your contacts. This will let them know that you want to follow them and, because they are already contacts of yours, they will follow you too.

2. Understand Twitter's dynamics. There are certain rules to follow. For instance, you should not spam through the messaging system, you should always follow other users so that they'll follow you, comment on the posts of others frequently, don't post dozens of times during the day, and share stuff that others are interested in rather than promoting yourself. Use your posts to direct your followers to your website or blog.

3. Make sure you complete your Twitter profile for successful Twitter marketing. Potential followers need to be able to view your profile to know who you are. They are not going to do business with you if they have no idea what you do.

Build your Twitter Audience

You have to build your Twitter audience. You do this by following other Twitter users, as previously discussed, and by linking users all over the Internet to your Twitter profile. For example, you may create a blog post talking about a new development in your business. You will then provide a link for them to follow you on Twitter.

You also want to see who is following your friends and follow them as well. They will follow you in return.

There are Twitter directories such as Twellow and Tweet It that can help you find members that are likely to follow you based on their interests. You also have Twitter's search feature to help you find individuals so that you can be successful in your Twitter marketing.

Twitter for business can be quite successful in building your contacts and expanding your customer base. By following the above tips, you can build your Twitter followers and simply have fun telling them what is going on within your business.

Brenda is a graduate of California State University and a professional writer covering a variety of business topics. To learn more about Brenda, check out her website at The Digital Inkwell.