Twitter is a free, social networking service which offers a new-age way to enhance brand recognition and build relationships with your prospects and customers. Twitter enables users to micro-blog, or communicate through small, quick spurts of content and reach thousands of people every day.

Here are few tips on how to use Twitter as part of your online marketing strategy.

• Create a list of topics for posting before you get started. The more you plan out your endeavor, the more you’ll benefit from marketing on Twitter.
• Follow your competitors. Your competitors will have already sought out a similar target audience you want to reach, which enables you to catch up quickly. You can also track your competitors’ marketing tactics and messaging.
• Make a commitment to Twitter before starting. Twitter requires constant involvement and timely follow-up. Without this, Twitter loses its credibility. Successful Twitter marketing also requires intelligent message writing. With only 140 characters at your disposal, choosing the right message and responses is crucial to your success.
• Strengthen your brand image. Create an interesting profile by posting photos and information about your company. Be sure to seek out people, companies and groups that you are interested in on a personal level, too, even if they are unlikely to use your services. This helps create a personality for your company, which can help make you seem more accessible and friendly.
• Participation is key. Users must be willing to participate in online conversations and communicate with other businesses, consumers, and individuals. Not only can you share your industry knowledge, but it gives you the opportunity to spread the word about your business and share something about yourself with the rest of the community.
• Inform people of new products and services offered by your company. The Twitter community is a great way to stay on top of industry news, as well as promote your new products and services. However, don’t to make product or service promotions the sole focus of your Twitter account. Twitter is a social network, not a medium for spamming. Be sure to post only meaningful, relevant content that readers will look forward to reading.
• Drive traffic to your web site. You can add links to your website, blog or press releases, which is also a great way to increase your company’s exposure.
• Promote events. If your company is throwing an event or attending a conference, you can tweet (create a status update or post) about it to generate interest in the event. Pre-networking can add value to the relationships you then create in person.
• Create unique ways to interact with readers. Engage others in your field by asking thoughtful questions, request feedback on your products, take polls, and facilitate conversation.
• Follow relevant Twitter feeds. The owner of a feed will be notified when you follow their feeds, creating awareness and building traffic for your own company as well.
• Use it as a back-up form of communication. Twitter is a reliable tool for communicating with customers if your website or email servers go down.
• Read feedback about your company without a formal survey. If you search for your company’s name using twitter search, it will return all the tweets where people mention the terms you search for. This is a great way to gain insight on opinions behind the scenes.

Whether you are selling a product or a service, or want to make your company’s name more visible, Twitter is an advantageous way to attract interest in what your company is all about. If you’re looking for other ideas on how to communicate with your prospects and customers, stop by today! We’d love to show you examples of marketing materials that will create a significant impact on your business.

OK, this was actually my first attempt! You know what they say; If you can’t laugh at yourself…

If you want to learn how incorporating Eco-Friendly Printing Methods with Social Media Tactics and Internet Marketing Strategies into your business can help increase your sales, come visit us at Phillips Printing.

Are you a twit? I used to think twitter users were until I discovered the marketing power behind the online platform. Twitter is a revolutionary social media platform attracting millions of worldwide users, taking the Internet by storm. Social media platforms were originally created to provide a format for individuals to exchange ideas. However, it did not take long for businesses to learn how to leverage social media as a marketing tool. If you want to grow your business, follow the ideas outlined below.

1.       Build a Strong Following- The quantity and quality of followers on your twitter profile is crucial to your business’s success. To build followers, begin by inviting your current email contacts. Then, build your list of followers through searching organically and following those people who interest you, many will follow you back. One method gaining popularity to quickly establish a large group of followers,  is by utilizing an automatic friend adder program. The use of these programs is somewhat controversial however, so be sure that you research the systems fully before implementing them into your business’s marketing strategy. Personally I don’t subscribe to this method but it may be beneficial in certain circumstances.

2.       Engage your Followers- To generate leads from Twitter, you need to be visible to your list of followers, and to the Twitterverse in general. Ask questions of your followers. Post links to powerful and informative content that you stumble across in your Internet searches. Announce promotions or discounts your business is currently offering. If you post new content to your company website or blog, post the link and a description within your twitter profile. Vary your twitter posts in order to engage your followers and to stay regularly visible.

3.       Leverage Keywords- Just as in other marketing techniques, keywords matter on Twitter. If your business leverages or targets specific keywords, you can search for twitter posts that include those specific keywords on a daily or hourly basis. Set up an automatic search function on twitter so that you are notified when your specific keywords appear. For example, if you provide eco-friendly printing services, by identifying that keyword phrase in a twitter search, you will be notified of any post containing that exact phrase. Following up with those posts can often generate additional lead traffic for your business. Consider it a form of targeted marketing.

Twitter can be a powerful lead generation tool for your business when leveraged effectively and consistently over time.