5 Steps for Using Twitter to Promote Your Business

Traffic is the lifeblood of a business website. No visitors. No business. So as a small business owner, you want tons of website traffic, right? Not necessarily. The key to having a successful and profitable online presence is not to generate loads of random visitors. Instead, savvy marketers strive to generate traffic from a well-defined target market. Using Twitter will help you do just that.

How does Twitter for business work? Here are five steps for how to use Twitter effectively for your business:

1. Register for an account. Creating an account is super simple—and it’s free! Start by choosing a username (also called a Twitter handle) and then add a brief bio and an avatar, which is a picture that will represent you on the site. Consider using a personal photo or an image of the company logo. You can also help brand yourself or your business by personalizing the profile’s background. That’s how easy it is to start using Twitter!

2. Decide where you want to send your Twitter followers. One of the goals of a Twitter for business strategy is to drive followers to your web site, where they will find more in-depth information about your products or services. For example, you might send visitors to a landing page or a blog entry. Always include that URL in your tweets.

3. Tweet quality content. How do you get followers to read your messages and then want to visit your site or blog? By using Twitter to provide relevant content that gives readers value. Some of it will be your own content. For example, as an expert in your field you might share insider tips, tricks, and advice. But you don’t necessarily need to write all that material yourself. Instead, share (also called a re-tweet) high-quality content tweeted by other trusted sources, whether it’s a great blog entry or an interesting news article. You might also send readers to a landing page on your site, where they can find quality links to other relevant articles.

4. Remember the call to action. What do you want the people using Twitter to do once they click onto your site? Do you want to build an email list? Gather prospect information? Generate sales for a new product? Make sure the landing page includes a clear call to action. For example, if you’re building a mailing list, ask visitors to sign up. Consider sweetening the deal by offering a free report or ebook in exchange for their information.

5. Start tweeting. Using Twitter for business isn’t difficult, but the hardest part for many owners and managers is simply getting started. It’s time to open your account and start sharing your knowledge and resources.

Generate targeted, revenue-producing traffic by learning how to use Twitter effectively.

Happy and profitable tweeting!

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