It’s time for your business to jump on the Twitter band wagon. Those kids you see engrossed in their smartphones today are tomorrow’s customers. They are going to demand that businesses speak to them in a forum they understand, and they want quick responses to their inquiries.
In my experience, Twitter is a great asset in growing a business. I rely on Twitter as my main platform to communicate with students, parents, prospects and clients, in addition to a regular blog presence which supports my content marketing strategy. I use my main Twitter feed (@JodiOkun) to provide a constant stream of information, motivation statements, and links to blog articles. Once a week I hold a Twitter chat, #CollegeCash, which features a Q&A session with an industry expert and allows for live interaction. My extensive use of this platform recently led to my being named one of the 125 Best People to Follow on Twitter for Social Media Geeks by Aaron Lee at PostPlanner.com.
Twitter for Small Business offers a guide to get you started. They show you how to become part of the Twitter conversation; explain how to engage your audience by tweeting about your ideas, principles and values; and demonstrate how to amplify your impact by focusing on activities that promote your @username. They offer educational videos so you can learn how to gain followers and drive sales. The Small Business Blog is your resource for the latest news, product updates, tips and success stories to help your small business succeed on Twitter. And, of course, you will want to follow them on Twitter @TwitterSmallBiz for timely tips and insights. My next blog will go into more marketing specifics of using Twitter, but here are a few terms to get you started:
• Tweet: These are the foundation of your Twitter communications. Short and sweet, a Tweet is only 140 characters or less.
• Hashtag (#): These help organize conversations around specific topics. If I want to let people know about this blog I might send out a Tweet that includes #Twitter101.
• User Name (@): This is how you find someone or name yourself on Twitter. To bring your Tweet to someone’s attention, you simply include their user name in it.
• Reply or Retweet: Similar to an email, you can respond to someone on Twitter, or forward their message. When you are marketing on Twitter, retweets are great.
• Links: You can include links to blogs or web pages. Twitter automatically shortens links to 19 characters to make them easier to fit into the 140 character limit.
Twitter marketing can help your business grow, but you can also add a new service or change directions. One possibility is the growing field of college financial aid advisement. The CFAA Training Institute provides an insider’s education on the college financial aid industry, along with marketing advice and tips.