The world of Social Media can be a scary and unknown place. And for those who don’t understand the purpose and actual benefits of these websites can likely be quite confused. But as Social Media Websites continue to grow and become more engaging, the added value they provide for a business also increases.
If you are relatively new at Social Media sites, or maybe just rusty at using them, then Twitter is the best place for you. Not only is it easy to use, with 50 million users (and growing), Twitter is the fastest growing Social Media Site out there today.
As with any website, your audience is out there, you just need to find them. Below are a few suggestions on how to reach your target market and begin using Social Media to your advantage.
How To Write a Tweet
- Keep it Conversational – No matter what, remember that Twitter is a Social Media Website so you need to build relationships with your audience. Listening to what users say gives you great insight into what the consumer wants.
- Keep it Simple – Tweets are only 140 characters long, so you need to be concise. The shorter your message, the better. This way users can Re-Tweet your posts and get your message out to more and more people.
- Use Keywords and Hashtags – Hashtags are when you place a # in front of a word or series of words (with no spaces between the words). This is a great way to create categories of trending topics that are found through the Twitter Search.
- Link Directly – Use your Twitter to direct your audience to your website or blog by placing Tiny URLs into your Tweets. There are many websites online that can create Tiny URLs so as to not waste too many of your 140 characters.
Twitter Applications You’ve Got to Try
Tweetdeck.com – An application that allows you to create specific columns for your followers. This way you can separate them and filter people out so you only see what you want to see. You can also create Tiny URLs and update your Facebook Status as well.
TweetLater.com – A free service that lets you monitor keywords and receive e-mail digests when users discuss keywords that you have flagged. It’s a great way to keep an eye on trending topics while not wasting too much time on Twitter.
Twitscoop.com – Allows you to see what the trending topics are on Twitter to keep you informed on what users are currently discussing.
The most important thing to remember with Twitter (and any form of Social Media, actually) is that relationships are key. In order to get your audience to engage, you need to interact with them on a personal level.
Once you have their attention on Twitter, your online presence will definitely be known.
