Two months ago I wrote how new to using Twitter for business I was. I only had a handful of followers back then and I was just starting out to build my position on this platform.
Since then the number of my Twitter followers has grown to nearly 3000 amazing people. I have made many new friends, built new business relationships and begun working with new clients that I have met when I started to use Twitter for business.
All of that happened before my new company even launched. I am still 3 weeks away from that yet I already started generating business through Twitter.
It is not my intention to brag about my achievements though. I still consider myself relatively new to social networking and marketing. At the same time I also know that I have learnt a great deal about it already too (mainly by trying things out and following some very good advice).
Today I want to start a short series of posts in which I will share with you what I know and have learnt so far about using Twitter for business. And I think the best way to start is by discussing some little known reasons why your startup should be on it in the first place.
TWITTER IS MASSIVE (AND HIGHLY USEFUL)
With millions of registered users and so much publicity, I don’t think there is a business in the world that wouldn’t have heard about it. Yet in spite of the platforms popularity, there are still many startups that decide to do not avail of all the opportunities this social networking platform is offering them.I can understand some of their reasoning. Twitter is time consuming, and something you really need to learn how to use properly (something I am still working on myself). And starting up a business is hard work already, without adding new things on top of that.
Twitter is also about people and interaction, just like business. And I know very well how tough gaining new clients is, let alone trying to build relationships online with people you will probably never going to meet in person.
However, there is the other side of using Twitter for business. I use this tool to increase my market position, as well as gain some advantage over my competition for instance.
Neither of those things on their own can really transform the business, I agree. In conjunction with other business actions though, they become a really powerful way to build and grow your business.
5 LESS KNOWN REASONS WHY YOUR STARTUP SHOULD BE ON TWITTER
1. To build your credibilityWhen you are only starting out, one of the things you lack the most is credibility. You do not have years of experience behind you. You do not have the position of an expert in your field. You do not have the reputation that you need to build the business.
Twitter allows you to build that credibility. By interacting with people but also by getting reviews and opinions about your business.
2. To give your business a personality
Just like your new startup lacks credibility, it most likely lacks a personality too. In order to succeed in business you need to be a professional but you also need to be a person. Someone with opinions, dreams and goals. Someone who is more than a shirt and tie and a sales pitch.
People like to buy from people and Twitter gives you the ability to show that you are one too.
3. To keep an eye on your competition
If your competitors are smart, they are on Twitter too (if not, then you really have nothing to worry about). That gives you an enormous opportunity to observe what they do. You can see their next moves and the direction they try to take their business to.
And if you work smart, you can learn from their mistakes instead of your own and outsmart them in your marketing.
Just be careful, just like you are watching them, they may be watching you.
4. To research your market
One of the greatest aspects of Twitter is that you can be there and just listen. Twitter offers a great opportunity to gain some market insights, know what you clients talk about, what are their experiences and expectations. You can also notice what may be the new emerging trends in your industry and predict what you should be focusing on in your sales for instance.
You can react to those right there by joining the conversation or by changing the way you work, to meet your clients new expectations. In other words, Twitter allows you to think ahead and that is one of the most important things you should be doing if you want to make it as a business.
5. To build a following
People buy from people but in most cases they buy from people they know, and who are known too. Leaders in the market get most of the sales, it’s a fact. Twitter offers you the ability to build that following for your business, or a product and become an influencer. It gives you the ability to share your story and inspire people. Think of it as your little public speaking channel but with much larger audience.
I believe in Twitter and its power to help startups take off the ground. But as I have said, it doesn’t work on its own. Together with your other actions though it gives you a huge potential to help you grow and develop your business.
About Pawel