Get your Small Business Famous on Twitter

BANGALORE, INDIA: In late February, Twitter began recruiting small businesses for a new advertising service by offering credits of up to $100 for those who signed up to help it beta-test its ideas. The service was supposed to go into testing during March (the recruitment site is still live if you want to participate), and the social networking technology company hopes to sign up people for real starting in late 2012.

Meanwhile, the social networking company has released a guide to help small-business owners get started as tweeps (see below). Some of the ideas are very rudimentary and intended for neophytes, focused on explaining how to use hashtags or retweets to reach different or broader audiences.Here are some best-practice suggestions for Small Business:

    Keep it simple: Pick a Twitter handle or name that is easy to find and remember.

    Listen: What you say is what you are. Take time to “listen” to other businesses like yours before you dive into making your own comments.

    Seek: Identify and follow conversations that are already happening about your business. You don’t have to follow everyone who follows you but you definitely want to follow those people that you might want to have a direct conversation with over time.

    Share: Don’t forget to follow your employees, so that you can retweet them or mention them when they are talking bout things that relate to your business. It will make your company seem more human.

    Don’t be too formal: Could someone respond to what you want to say easily? Does it invite conversation?

Also read: IITs, IIMs to help SMEs improve managerial skills

    Establish frequency: There is no hard and fast rule about how often you should send out tweets. Some businesses schedule or time messages to go out over a period of time. Others only send out messages occasionally. The more frequently you tweet, the more likely you are to build a network of followers.

    Interact, don’t just broadcast: The best way to come to the attention of others is to participate in conversations they are having, if they are relevant. That means retweeting their comments, reply to things they might be saying about your business, or answering questions.

    Take it direct: In its guide, Twitter offers the reminder that sometimes conversations should be taken private.

    Be relevant and interesting: The more you are willing to share with your followers, the more engaged they will become. Twitter is a great place to ask questions, because questions will almost immediately engage the reader. Offers and discounts are also likely to be passed along, which can help increase your Twitter following.

    Promote your Twitter identity in the real world. Include your handle on business cards, advertisements, on your Website and blog – even on your packaging or bags.

Source: www.znet.com