Twitter: Powerful Web Presence in 140 Characters or Less

If you haven’t experienced Twitter yet, you may not understand all the fuss about broadcasting 140-character bursts, called “tweets,” out into the internet. But many business owning Twitter converts have been able to leverage those incredibly short info bytes into powerful results when it comes to exposure and the bottom line.

Here are just a few ways that small businesses can harness the power of Twitter:

1. Gain exposure – With Twitter, you can search other people’s biographies and Tweets, and make sure that your product or service is reaching your potential buyers. If you sell a bookkeeping web service, for example, you can set up a search to capture any Tweets that involve bookkeeping, as well as related searches like small business services or money management.
2. Communicate Directly with Customers – Never before has the barrier between customers and the movers and shakers in a company been lower. While before you may have had to wait for customers to visit your site or fill out a web form with feedback, now they can quickly dash off a 140 character message to you and you can reply just as quickly. Through the alchemy of the internet, the informal Twitter format has made it acceptable practice for the average Joe to communicate with businesses, governments, and even celebrities.
3. Manage Reputation – In today’s wired world, it is imperative to set up a Twitter search for your own name or business name so you can keep track of what people are saying about you. If you find negative tweets, you might even be able to turn them into positives by addressing the issues with the commenter and perhaps offering a refund or discounts. And if you find positive Tweets, use them to your advantage by incorporating them into testimonials or pitches. You may even want to reward loyal users. After all, a discount is soon absorbed by your bottom line while a good reputation is priceless.
4. Keep Tabs on Competitors – Chances are your competitors are exploring the wide world of social media, too. Keep track of their communications on Twitter and you may even learn a trick or two you can incorporate into your own business.
5. Get Advice – With Twitter, your network is at your fingertips. While it is, of course, not advisable to trust everything you read on the internet, if you are searching for a good supplier or have questions about a product, ask and the Twitterverse will often answer.
6. Replace the Water Cooler – Self-employment can get lonely, especially for people who work from home. Take a periodic break, pop into the Twitter verse and join in the zillions of conversations going on at any given moment.
7. Share Expertise – You will gain a positive reputation on Twitter if you share your expertise with your fellow Twitterers. If you are a graphic design guru and you spot someone asking for help, by all means lend your know-how. Do this often enough, and your name will be top-of-mind when someone has a question in your specialty. From there, sales conversions are sure to follow.

These are just a few of the ways a small business can benefit from participation in the Twitterverse. For a few more, see Glen Allsopp’s 7 Uncommon Uses for Twitter.

Are you a small business owner interested in navigating the waters of bookkeeping, business services, marketing, and social media? Follow @outright on Twitter!

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