15 Quick Twitter Tips to get your Business Tweeting

Twitter is a fantastic networking resource for professionals, brands, and businesses. Having a strong presence on Twitter can mean more traffic to your website and an easy way to get in touch with customers and prospects. The hardest thing about diving into social media is knowing what to say. Here's a quick list with a few ideas to get you started.

Say Hello!

It's that simple. In 140 characters or less, great the Twitterverse with a quick hello or a very short introduction about your company.

Inspirational Quote

Have a quote or saying that inspires you and your company? Share it, but be sure to give credit to the author.

Credit whoever pointed you to Twitter in the first place

If a friend, colleague, or consultant talked you into joining Twitter, give them a shout out. Social Media is a place to be honest and, well, social! Be sure to mention their @username in the tweet.

Start Following Others

This is a huge, often forgotten part of Twitter. It's not a one-sided conversation. You need to start looking for others to follow. Look for local businesses, organizations, and individuals.

Convey your company culture

Show off your company values. Enthusiastically mention recent internal meetings that improved processes or showcase specific cases where you've exceeded company values.

Talk about Events

Whether it was a successful tradeshow, a webinar that brought up great questions, or a sunny company picnic, share it! Include pictures when possible!

Answer questions publicly

Take a frequently asked question and answer it on Twitter (and the other social networks of course!) Encourage others to ask additional questions too.

Find Local Twitter Users

Use free services like Followerwonk.com and Geochirp.com to find local twitter users in real time, and target users who might be good potential prospects.

Get off your soap box!

Don't think you can get away with just posting messages. Socialize! Reply and retweet your followers, and communicate on Twitter. By doing so people will be more likely to communicate with you.

Be Quirky

Don't be afraid to be lighthearted. A little humor (appropriate, mind you) can add humanity to your brand. Look at what car insurance companies do; they take an otherwise boring service with memorable, humorous commercials and ads. Guess what - it works!

Employee Achievements

Announce your employee of the month, staff birthdays, and employee promotions. If an employee is celebrating a personal achievement, check with them to see if they mind if you announce it on the company social media accounts.

Let your Staff Post

When business owners delegate social networking to staff, especially (but not limited to) marketing and sales staff, they often find they are tapping into resources who are well versed in the do's and do not's for social networking.

Pass the Task

Your most passionate staff might be willing to share knowledge and experience, and can be a huge resource with your business's social media. Those younger, hipper employees know the ins and outs of social media as well, so be sure to tap your internal resources.

The Power of Freemium

The freemium model works great especially for industries where offerings include consulting and information. Offering advice and free information that you could normally charge for is a great way to build relationships and get your foot in the door. Providing good advice also establishes you as an authority. Sure, you might be giving something away for free that you'd normally make money from, but in the long run, more people will have a chance to try out your incredible services and get hooked on them. Offer freemium information through social networks!

Set a Schedule

The hardest thing about social media is staying on top of it. Schedule yourself a little time each day and stay on it. It's not the fastest road to pulling in more prospects but it should be one of your many paths that lead into your marketing funnel.