Started Using Twitter for Business Started Using Twitter for Business

Twitter is a fantastic tool for small businesses but it can feel a bit daunting if you’ve never used it before. Here are six tips to help you on your way as a beginner.1. Have a look around

There’s no need to launch yourself right in to posting if you’re unsure. Try and spend around fifteen minutes a day logging in and having a look around before you launch your account. Read other people’s tweets, research topics you’re interested in and start to follow accounts which look relevant – this will give you a good grounding for your first tweets.


2. Customise

It’s important for businesses to stand out from the crowd on Twitter. Customise your header picture and background in profile settings to give your profile a unique look. Don’t forget to include your company logo or a picture of you as your profile picture, the ‘just hatched’ egg is not appealing!

3. Keep your tweets short

You’ve only got 140 characters to say what you want to say – so be quick! Try not to abbreviate too much in your tweeting and instead make your message short and punchy. If you want to improve your chances of getting re-tweets, stick to 120 characters.

4. Don’t be a billboard

It’s good to tweet about what you’re doing, but Twitter shouldn’t just be a platform for your company’s products and successes. You need to engage with people otherwise they’ll lose interest and unfollow you. Stay part of the conversation by responding to people and participating in popular discussions.

5. Use hashtags

Hashtags are a simple way to catalogue tweets about specific topics, usually consisting of one word (or possibly two) with the ‘#’ attached to it. While you certainly shouldn’t use hashtags in every tweet, they can really get you noticed when used once in a while. If you’re not sure where to start with hashtags, why not try the #FollowFriday trend? This is where tweeters can recommend accounts for others to follow by tagging their tweet with #FollowFriday or #FF.

6. Check your ‘connect’

The ‘Connect’tab at the top of your homepage will show you who’s been talking about you on Twitter. Check this regularly and make sure you reply to any mentions with a thank you or a return comment. It’s good form to keep up with your clients, but don’t worry about following everybody who follows you – some people only follow for advertising purposes.

It’s well worth getting used to Twitter as the most successful accounts are active as often as possible. Try and get as many people in your business on board as possible – the more people you have to help you, the more rounded your Twitter account will be. Good luck!