Most businesses understand the value and importance of Facebook.
Many also see the value and possibilities associated with YouTube.
Some even see the potential and opportunity with Instagram.
But far too many fail to see just how Twitter could possibly help their business…
Which is why in this article we’re taking your social media game to the next level by going over how to include one of the most powerful platforms available into your marketing mix…
Even if you’ve never tweeted before.
Just say the name Twitter and you immediately get a divided opinion.
Some love it…
Some hate it…
And most just plain old don’t understand it.
The simple truth behind the platform however is that it’s actually pretty easy to use and understand, it often just gets overcomplicated (as most things do) when people try to cram too many advanced level tactics into what should be a pretty simple marketing tool.
[Tweet ““Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci”]
So to help you overcome the overwhelm, let’s quickly cover why you would want to use it, how to use it, and even when you can get away with not using it at all.
Why Use Twitter?
The main reason you would want to use Twitter is the same as for any other social media or marketing tool out there and that is:
You’ll want to make sure you’re on Twitter if your customers are on Twitter.
The flip side of this is of course, you don’t need to use Twitter if your customers, or those who you’re trying to attract aren’t on the platform.
This sounds simple but it’s crazy how often it’s overlooked.
Basic marketing 101 tells us that we want to be where our customers are, and that we don’t need to waste our time, energy, or resources hanging around where our customers aren’t.
So who uses Twitter?
Well it’s going to be different for every business, industry, and market, so you’ll want to do a little bit of digging around before you dive in or completely write it off, but here are some general guidelines.
According to Pew Research, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Pace, the average Twitter user is:
- Around 25% of all online adults
- With more than half falling between the ages of 18 and 49.
- They’re mixed pretty evenly between urban and suburban, with a few less in rural areas.
- And Twitter users tend to sway slightly more in the direction of college educated users and there are also a few more men than women.
Now, that said, the older demographics are actually the fastest growing on Twitter right now, and so just because this is how things currently are, doesn’t mean that this is how they’re going to stay.
In the end, the best way to know if Twitter is for you, is to see if your customers are on the platform.
And if so, it’s probably worth joining the conversation.
How To Use Twitter?
Twitter is a powerful little microblog that allows you to quickly share, engage, interact, and connect with other users.
There are a ton of advanced and fancy ways to use it, but if you’re just getting started then there are only 2 things you need to concentrate on, sharing and searching.
#1 Sharing
Here is where you can post company updates, related articles, tips or helpful information, and anything else you can think of that would add value to your customers.
[Tweet “”Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” Albert Einstein”]
All you need to do is type it in and press that tweet button.
There’s really no need to make it any more complicated than that.
Just type, then tweet.
If you do want to get a bit more fancy you can add a little something called a hashtag which is the number sign (#) followed by a word or category that you’re talking about such as:
- #marketing
- #SocialMediaMarketing
- Or #TwitterTip
This will allow others to search and find your content when they’re searching on Twitter for information on your topic.
#2 Searching
The other incredibly powerful and way under-utilized Twitter feature is their search option which allows you to type in a name, term, keyword, or category, and then Twitter will find you previous tweets that others have shared on that topic.
This is powerful as it allows you to not only conduct fast and free market research on what’s being said around your business or industry, but it also allows you to weigh in and provide value to conversations that are already taking place.
Twitter overall is a pretty friendly platform so as long as your focus is on providing helpful tips and value, you can feel free to jump in to pretty much any open conversation.
Start Today
The easiest way to get started is to simply sign up for a free account and dive right in.
Over time you’ll get more comfortable with the platform but to start, 5 minutes a day is all you need to tweet, respond, search, and share.
And of course, feel free to connect with me on Twitter here: @AdamErhart
I look forward to reading your tweets!
