1. How to Use
Twitter for
Business Marketing

2. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
Common Questions People Ask When Starting on Twitter
Q. How do I see what other people are posting?
A. Not everyone on Twitter will see every tweet. Each person has a
“stream” of tweets from people they are following as well as their
own tweets.
Q. What kinds of things are posted on Twitter?
A. Anything and everything is posted on Twitter. The idea is to learn
how to filter through and find the nuggets of information / links
that make sense for your business.
Q. Why should I be using Twitter for business?
A. It’s easy to understand why it might not seem appealing. You are
limited to 140 characters or less, there are over 60 million users
and there are thousands of tweets per minute. It seems
overwhelming, confusing and noisy. Here are some compelling
reasons to use Twitter for Business.

3. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
1. Create Brand Awareness
2. Direct Traffic
3. Hire People
4. Research
5. Get Breaking News
6. Network, Partner and Build Relationships
7. Keep in Touch with Customers
8. Event Updates
9. Find Prospects

4. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
Twitter is a powerful tool for business marketing that
can be used in the following ways
1. Build relationships with transparency and trust
– Be honest, be yourself, be helpful
2. Drive potential customers to take action
– Drive them to your website and blog for more information, to opt-in to
your mailing list or make a purchase
– Drive them to registration for a live event
– Give them a discount coupon to use in your store or for your services
3. Market your brand and your business
– Outline the value your service can bring them
4. Share your expertise (ask/answer questions)
– Demonstrate your value by giving your followers free advice, tips,
strategies, techniques that will lead them to follow you

5. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
5. Learn from experts in your field and expose yourself to new ideas
– Be open-minded and open-hearted
6. Connect with others and watch experts with real-time chatter thread
– Be in the know with the latest and greatest by virtually attending conferences
and following conversation threads
7. Learn best practices in social media marketing
– Watch, listen and learn
8. Stay current with the latest news and industry trends
– Follow experts in your field and be the first to deliver the news to your
community
– Learn about breaking news by observing the top trends column on Twitter
9. Improve your search engine rankings
– Develop and use keywords in tweets, knowing that each tweet is a new and
fresh micro-blog post

6. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
TWITTER BASICS
1. Tweeting / Micro-blogging
Twitter allows 140 characters. Best
practice is to use no more than
120 characters, making it easy
for followers to re-tweet your
posts.
Only people that are following you
can see your tweets.

7. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
TWITTER BASICS
2. Re-tweets / RTs
The more you are re-tweeted, the
more people will see your
@name and links. This
increases followers, visibility
and sends people to your
website.
Ask for re-tweets sparingly, but
when it’s important do ask.
There is a 40% increase in RTs
when asked for. The standard
way to ask is “Pls RT.”

8. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
TWITTER BASICS
3. Direct Messages (DM)
Direct messages are private messages that you can send only to people who you
follow and are following you back, and that only you and they can see.
How to send a direct message:
Enter “D” in the post window,
followed by a space and a Twitter
username. You do not need to add
the @ symbol, Twitter will insert it.
Example:
D @venajensen What time can you meet
to do the training?

9. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
TWITTER BASICS
4. @Replies
Select Reply next to a post to
answer a question or comment
on a post.
An alternate method for replying is
just to place @ before a
person’s username

10. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
TWITTER BASICS
5. #Hashtags
Hashtags (#) are used to categorize tweets
into trending topics. It is
an easy and organized way to follow
conversation. (examples of
hashtags include #quote, #todo,
#followfriday). You can enter a
hashtag you know or a keyword into
the search box and you’ll get a stream
of people talking about that hashtag
or keyword. This is a good tool for
finding new people to follow.
Create a hashtag simply by prefixing a
keyword with a hash (number) symbol
#hashtag

11. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
6. Lists
Twitter Lists offer a way to organize
your followers into easily
accessible groups. The lists are
designed to allow you to group
real time tweets from a specified
list of users. You can create a list
that groups people for any reason
(industry leaders, for example),
and then you can get a snapshot of
the things those users are
tweeting by viewing that list’s
page. This page includes a
complete tweet stream for
everyone on that list.

12. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
7. Favorites
This feature allows you to select a small
star icon next to a tweet, indicating
that you like the tweet or want to save
it to be able to look it up later. It also
lets the poster know you liked it.
Since your followers can see your
Favorites, it is a way for your followers
to learn more about your business ,
preferences, opinions, etc.
For more Twitter basics and terms, see
handout “Twitter Terminology.”

13. Using Twitter for Business Marketing
8. Time Management
Use your time on Twitter strategically to maximize the benefit from your time
investment.
See link “The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Time to Tweet” to identify patterns
that can increase the chance that your brand will be seen by the widest audience
possible.
One of the biggest complaints I get from clients is ―”I don’t have time to do all of this.”
Well, you’re right! You can’t spend all day, every day on Twitter. What I suggest to
my clients is the 3x15 formula. Very simply, 3 times per day at 15 minutes each.
I’ve put together a handy-dandy “Twitter Success Plan and Checklist” to help you
manage your time on Twitter. See handout “Twitter Success Plan and Checklist.”

14. Using Twitter for Business
Marketing
FINAL THOUGHTS
Twitter is just one tool in your marketing strategy. Make Twitter work for you, not the
other way around.
With practice and persistence, Twitter will become a valuable tool in your overall
marketing strategy. Consistently using the strategies and tools presented here will
help you created a branded social media presence for your company, product or
service and allow you to attract new clients, customers and partners.
Remember, even though Twitter is such a simple concept, it is one of the most
powerful connection and conversation tools available to business owners. Do not
underestimate the power of words and the speed with which information and
inspiration spreads these days.
Be mindful of your message. Bring value to your community, and you will be
successful in creating a powerful brand PRESENCE, extending your REACH,
increasing your VISIBILITY, growing your IMPACT while establishing your
CREDIBILITY and EXPERTISE.

15. Using Twitter for Business
Marketing
FINAL THOUGHTS
Make Twitter work for you, not
the other way around.

16. Using Twitter for Business
Marketing
With practice and
persistence, Twitter will
become a valuable tool in
your overall marketing
strategy.

17. Using Twitter for Business
Marketing
Remember, even though Twitter is
such a simple concept, it is one of the
most powerful connection and
conversation tools available to
business owners.

18. Using Twitter for Business
Marketing
Bring value to your community, and
you will be successful in creating a
powerful brand PRESENCE,
extending your REACH, increasing
your VISIBILITY, growing your
IMPACT while establishing your
CREDIBILITY and EXPERTISE.