1. Your user image should be you, not your logo. The whole point of using Twitter (and reading Twitter tips for businesses) is to personalize your customers’ experiences with you. They want to know you’re real, not an invented advertising persona.
2. Don’t let your business Twitter account sit unused, because it makes you look flaky when you have an account but it’s gone unused for some time. Use sites like SocialOomph to schedule tweets in advance, making Twitter that much easier to use.
3. At the same time, don’t automate all the benefits out of your business Twitter feed. Replying to tweets that interest you and replying to responses keeps the conversation going and makes you that much more interesting to others.
4. Twitter can help you gather demographic data and information about customer preferences and desires. Ask your followers what they’d like to see in your inventory or service roster. What do they love best about your business? What needs work?
5. Lay off the hard sell – think of Twitter like your business blog. It’s not a place to advertise, but rather to connect with customers and potential customers so you’re never far from their thoughts. Help people and give them information, not a sales pitch.
6. Don’t leave your business Twitter URL off your business card! Maybe once upon a time, Twitter was just something fun to do, but now it’s marketing central. Make your Twitter feed accessible to your offline contacts.
7. Don’t add people indiscriminately. Sure, having tons of followers looks good, but you’re going to get the most out of Twitter when your followers are people who can benefit from your expertise, products, services, and brand philosophy.
8. Share plenty of valuable links with your business Twitter account followers so they have a reason to keep up with you. And get a little personal – no one needs to know what you’re eating or where you are every second of the day, but adding some personal details here and then proves you’re real.
Image: Coletivo Mambembe
