Social marketing is not overrated. If anything, it’s the one path you can trust for your audience outreach. Why? Most people are using social media for one reason or another. Some do it to catch up with friends; others want information, some are in it for entertainment, etc. Of all social media platforms, Twitter is the best place to interact with people who crave information. Each hour, the trends change as people move from one discussion to the next, eager to get to the root cause of everything. If you can get in on enough of these discussions, your company can get the visibility it needs. So, how do you do this?
Set Up Your Profile
Suppose you respond to a tweet and people like what you say. The next reaction will be to click on your profile to find the source of this information. What will they find? A blank canvas is never a good look. So, get your ducks in a row even before you start looking at what’s trending. What does this mean? First, choose a good username. Don’t get caught up in the characters – you want something people can find easily. Please keep it simple.
Then set up your bio – who are you, and what are you offering? Twitter is direct, so don’t spend time spinning stories. Just get to the point, and your audience will get it. Add a profile picture that matches your bio and spruce up your following. Of course, a profile with 10,000 followers is more attractive than one with 200. So, some people buy Twitter followers to convince your audience that you are the real deal. As you finish up, add a few media so people can get a visual idea of what your brand entails.
Once you have this set up, you will be ready to embark on the next few secrets.
Get the Conversation Going
Some people engage in Twitter by liking and retweeting what others say. It’s a good strategy if all you want on the platform is to see what other people think and to share what you like. But it’s passive, and if you want to grow your brand, it won’t get you the best results. So, what’s the alternative? – Starting the conversation! Zero in on your target audience and figure out where they are most likely to be on the platform. Will they be active on social trends, or are they more focused on economic news? Then build a relationship with them by engaging them on their tweets. It’s more effective than retweeting what they have said and automating your tweets. One is a personal approach, and the other makes you look like a bot.
Pay Attention to Crucial Tweets
Someone selling shoes could post something that grabs the attention of millions of people. But should you respond to it? – Not really. You see, a tweet could mean a lot to other people, but if these are not your target audience, then it’s not of much use to you. The goal is to find tweets from influential people in your niche. So, if you’re selling personalized books, then tweets about shoes will likely not be for you. Find people who have garnered a following in personalized items and reply to these. Then reply to tweets from the people who follow such influential people. How do you do this? Do you directly state that you are offering books at low prices? No, you offer them value. It could be a perspective on personalized items, some insights on the industry, or a direct link to your website. If you want to know that you’re helpful and gaining visibility, the number of likes and replies to your post is a good indicator. You’ll suddenly be at the top of the reply thread and could gain a good following.
Go Fishing for the Competition’s Followers
Should you sit back and hope that people who follow your competitors will eventually notice you? That could work, but you might not have the time to wait – it could even take years. So, the alternative and better approach is to follow the people who follow your competition. These people are likely to buy your products. After all, they have shown an interest in similar offers. They will follow you back as they get the notification that you have followed them. It makes you stand out because you do not come off as standoffish. Plus, it also proves that you have an interest in them. Most companies don’t follow their followers, creating a one-sided relationship where only one party leads the conversation. Of course, not all the people you follow will follow you back – but getting that percentage will push you in the right direction.
Solve Problems
No brand is perfect. Yes, your competition may have millions of customers and followers. But that does not mean that they won’t slip now and then. Do you know what your job is? It’s to find those cracks in their business and to exploit them – their challenges are your opportunities. How so? Go through conversations about your competitors and find the negative ones. Are they not delivering what they promise? Does their customer service suck? Investigate these concerns and find a gap. Then offer their audience an alternative – you! The goal is to craft an offer that appeals to the aggrieved parties without triggering a war with the competitors. Don’t agree with what the negative comments allude to – just offer an alternative. Otherwise, you could start a whole sales war, and if you don’t have the capital to back such a move, you could be the losing party.
Think of Your Audience’s Needs
Are you not getting enough leads? The problem could be with your marketing approach. You might be marketing what you think the audience wants to see. Instead, try thinking about what they actually want – what problems are they facing? Then address this in your marketing. It will be much easier for them to interact with you once they see your perspective. Plus, it makes your brand more recognizable.
Being passive on Twitter no longer derives the results it once did. So, start engaging with your audience and keep an eye on those analytics. That’s the key to success – all the best!
