###
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/twitter-business.jpg alt: )
Twitter is an ideal marketing tool for small businesses when used effectively. It is a key way for users to share information and news online, completely changing how brands communicate with their audience, and offering a great way for small businesses on a tight budget to make connections and gain customers and exposure.
All kinds of businesses are seeing the appeal of social media right now and are opening Twitter accounts if they haven’t already, but simply signing up to Twitter and putting little thought into how you use it is not the right approach if you want to maximise its potential. Your social media strategy needs to combine the right mix of fun content, promotions and useful content to encourage customer interaction.
Recent research has suggested that the average internet user spends from (link: http://voices.yahoo.com/engaging-twitter-audience-12295779.html?cat=59 text: 16% to 25%) of their time when online using social media platforms, so it is important to get it right if you want to tap into this lucrative approach.
Read on for Superdream’s top tips on engaging with a Twitter audience:
Experiment
You might think that you have a great content idea that will work well for Twitter, but this isn’t always the case in practice. Try keeping a record of the different approaches you have taken when tweeting and the engagement you got each time. You should start to see a pattern in the kind of tweet your audience finds most interesting and interacts with the most.
Include your followers in your experience
Twitter is great for encouraging excitement and involvement when launching a new brand or product. Share photos to give followers an insight into your business and see it develop – for instance if you are opening a bakery you could tweet a picture of the furniture you’ve picked for your shop the week before you open, or your first batch of muffins on your opening day.
Tweet behind-the-scenes videos and photos that you don’t share elsewhere, so your audience will feel like they are involved in your business and get an idea of who you are and what you’re about. Introduce the people at your company working hard as well as the leisure activities you are involved in together, showing that you’re a fun, friendly and dynamic business.
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/superdream-twitter-screen-shotUSE1.jpg alt: )
Interact with followers
Make sure that you always reply to somebody that asks a question or comments on your business. If this is a negative comment be helpful and polite, and ask for the customer’s phone number to sort out the problem away from Twitter if appropriate.
Be friendly and approachable – send a thank you tweet to new followers or people that mention you, and perhaps even offer a discount to your followers that interact the most.
Real time social media
Big brands monitor what is trending on Twitter and get involved to gain maximum exposure; for instance when there was a blackout at the Superbowl in America and lots of bored people took to Twitter, (link: http://www.compukol.com/blog/real-time-social-media-capitalizing-on-trending-topics/ text: Oreo Tweeted an image of its cookie) with the slogan ‘Power out? No problem.’ The tweet got Oreo immediate attention, and gained them more exposure than their $2 million Superbowl ad.
Whilst your brand probably doesn’t have the time or budget to create campaigns like this, there are other ways you can capitalise on what’s happening on Twitter. You can take a look at what is trending at any given time, and get involved if there’s something that can be made relevant for you.
For instance if #KatyPerry was trending and you are a fashion boutique, you could tweet ‘We love #KatyPerry! Check out our silver glitter courts; just like the ones she wore at the Teen Awards.’
Offer exclusive promotions
Tweeting exclusive Twitter-only promotions is a good way to encourage customers to return to you, and potential customers to give you a try. You could tweet an offer code to be used online, or a word that will give you a discount in store that day when you make your order.
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/marie-clare-screenshotUSE1.jpg alt: )
Give helpful tips
Whether this will work for you really depends on the nature of your business, but tweeting helpful tips is a good way to keep your audience interested. For example you may tweet a recipe if you’re a chef or cafe business, or instruction on how to change a light fitting if you’re an electrician.
Here at Superdream we are (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/digital/social-media-marketing/ text: experts in managing social media accounts) for our clients, and create tailored social media marketing and management packages to fit every business and budget. Get in touch if you would like more details.