Social media platforms are a useful tool when it comes to getting your business out there. One platform which can prove very useful to getting your business noticed is Twitter.
Of the social media platforms it can be the hardest one to get to grips with but it is worth persevering with as it has proven great for networking, sales and collaborations if you can play your cards right.
One person who found out just how useful a tool the platform could be is Samantha Kelly the Tweeting Goddess. Not only is she an expert in all things Twitter related but she successfully formed a business out of the hashtag #womensinspire.
"I started my business the Women's Inspire Network on Twitter, and now people pay €20 a month to be a member - Twitter has changed my whole life," says Kelly.
She has also changed other people's life through her tweets, she was the mind behind the hashtag #selfisolationhelp which brought communities together during lockdown.
As part of our #BoostMyBusiness initiative she gave us eight very useful but simple tips to get yourself noticed on Twitter.
Are your audience on Twitter? - the audience on Twitter is aged from 35 to 65. The highest growing demographic is over 55s. There are a lot of retired decision makers, for example, a lot of people who are educated and professional and urban. 98% of political journalists use it every day.
Make your bio really stand out – look at your bio and ask yourself 'would I follow me?'. Put your stamp of authority there, show you’re an expert but also show how you are going to add value to my day.
- Put your personality (or that of your business) first
- Who you are professionally or what is you company?
- More personality – for example, I say ‘nice people collector’
- Add your stamp of authority – for example ‘TEDx speaker’
- Add your interests
- Use three key words that describe you and use them in your bio – this is very useful to appear in searches.
- A professional headshot profile picture if you are a smaller business and add your logo or a photo of your interests in the banner - people buy from people that put up that smiling photo. If you’re a bigger company use your logo in the profile and perhaps a photo of your team.
It’s not about selling – it’s about adding value. Twitter users love to be educated, entertained and inspired – there are a lot of lonely people on Twitter who went on it to find their own community. Whatever your interests you’ll find like minded people on Twitter.
Twitter lists – The secret is Twitter lists. A lot of people don’t use Twitter lists but there is so much noise on Twitter you can add your favourite people to lists. I have a list of Awesome Females and a list of Cool People – there are certain people I like to follow and I really enjoy their tweets.
Ask for help on Twitter – Asking for a retweet is much more receptive than if you post something on Facebook. People on Twitter like to help others.
Make sure your tweets are positive – no negativity. Stay away from controversy. Keep it positive and consistency of your message.
Hit peak times with your tweets - Things are a little different now during Covid but ordinarily the best times to get attention on Twitter are weekdays between 9.30pm-11pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-9am.
Become a connector – For example, I do a lot of retweets of other businesses. If I see someone looking for a locksmith, I will connect that person with a locksmith on Twitter. When you become a connector, people get to know you as that.
