Even the best small businesses can have trouble adjusting to social media. It’s even generally agreed (and understandable) that plenty of profitable and larger professional companies don’t use Twitter correctly, especially if they’ve been in business years before social media came onto the scene. However, we live in a digital age where customers keep up with businesses online; and they will inevitably judge your ability to use Twitter and other social media sites.
If you want to attract more tech-savvy clients, then you need to ensure you’re making the most of your company’s Twitter account. Twitter is a great tool to bring in potential customers and promote loyalty, but only if you’re tweeting the right content in the correct way.
Here’s a look at five things even good small businesses can do badly on Twitter. Are you making any of these common mistakes?
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Forget to create a profile.
One of the worst things your small business can can do is keep your Twitter profile picture as the little egg you first start out with; instead make it personal. Upload a professional profile company logo. Ideally the picture should be recognizable — even when it’s small.
Also, don’t forget to complete your company bio. If there is nothing there, people won’t know who you are or what your company does. This should be one of the first things you do — there’s no excuse to tweeting with an incomplete profile.
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Your tweets are all about you.
Yes, Twitter is a great way to show off your company and gain new customers. However, you shouldn’t plug your small business in every single tweet. Ask yourself: do people really want to read 140-character advertisements all day long? Instead, tweet photos of your office or employees, industry facts, customer tips, funny anecdotes or fill in the blank questions. People are more likely to follow you (and recommend you to others) if they actually enjoy reading your tweets.
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Lack polite Twitter etiquette.
Just because you’re interacting on the Internet doesn’t mean that you should let your social graces fall to the wayside. Don’t do tacky things like constantly beg for retweets or use excessive hashtags. And please … take the time to check your spelling and grammar. Use correct punctuation. No, you don’t need to use three exclamation points.
Treat Twitter as though you were writing a company email or a friendly note to a client. You can have fun and joke around on Twitter, but make sure you do it in a suitable and easy-to-understand way. Your brand depends on it.
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Tweet too rarely.
If you’re not tweeting regularly, then you’re not tweeting correctly. Twitter is made for frequent, daily updates. Because you’re limited to 140 characters, you should feel the need to tweet frequently anyway.
Most small businesses don’t have the time to spend hours tweeting daily, so try social media management tools like HootSuite or TweetDeck that allow you to manage and schedule tweets in advance.
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No interaction with others.
Never tweet out into the abyss and assume your followers are reading it. Think of Twitter as a meet-and-greet. Make conversation with others and share interesting news and facts. Get to know people within your industry as well. This might sound counterintuitive or like fraternizing with the enemy, but it will help expand your social network.
It’s perfectly fine to talk with customers and other small business owners on Twitter too. Compliment peers on something they’ve done that you admire. Ask about their experiences. Thank customers for their patronage, and make it personal and sincere. Interacting is what Twitter is all about, so start talking to others and not just to yourself!
Did you take note of what you could change on your company’s Twitter account? Not making the most of Twitter doesn’t mean you run a bad business, but it does mean you are losing out on potential customers.
Now that you’re armed with these Twitter tips, go ahead and rethink how you use Twitter for business. Redesign your account and start tweeting new, more interesting things. Twitter should be a enjoyable experience for both you and your followers, so go have some fun!
Brendon Schenecker is equal parts developer and CEO, which has led to array of tech-based startups and over 10 years of experience managing startup ventures. Brendon is currently founder and CEO of Travel Vegas, a technology-focused destination travel company.
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