[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]At 960 Design we have experience with marketing across a broad spectrum of online channels and social media has become one of the best ways to improve your position as a business in the market. Although it can be powerful when used correctly marketing successfully through social media is as elusive as a rainbow unicorn. Today we want to discuss Twitter and the time of this writing there are about 65 million active twitter users in America and 49% of twitter users follow brands or companies compared to the 16% average of all social media. Put another way, Twitter users are 3 times more likely to follow and engage with brands than their Facebook counterparts. That being said we have compiled 15 proven tips, methods, and strategies that can help you grow your following and use Twitter in a way that will add value to your brand or business.

So how can you leverage the popular 140 character-based social media site to drive more traffic to your business or website? Incorporate the following techniques and strategies that we have carefully selected – tips that are used daily by twitter experts, marketing pros, and social media gurus.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Optimize Your Biography – Start your Twitter marketing campaign by forging a clear, concise, well-thought biography that not only describes the essence of your business but works cohesively to further enhance your brand’s message. Make sure to craft a clear consistent tone across your marketing – this will not only improve your brand’s image but offer qualities that will truly resonate with your potential clients.
Find Leaders In Your Industry – Next, quickly find the mass-influencers, experts, and innovators of your industry and make sure to not only add them but engage with them. As you grow your followers and the people you follow begin to build honest relationships with important people in your industry by engaging with them in a way that is fluid and natural. As you begin to engage other users, make sure to do so in a way that doesn’t seem pushy or spam-like, engage others in a way that is compelling and allows you to connect with them on a deeper level.
Get Your Peers Involved – As you begin to grow your Twitter presence you can expedite the growth by getting those you already influence involved in the process. This means you should invite your followers from other platforms, your current clients and fan base, and anyone that is involved with your business or organization. Don’t be scared to invite the people around your organization to get involved and partake in your endeavors.
Tweet Regularly – This may seem innocuous or palpable but constantly utilizing the platform to share your thoughts and insight about that which you are passionate about can be one of the greatest assets to your marketing campaign. Using Twitter on a regular basis will not only boost your presence on the platform but it draw users to learn more about your organization or business. Twitter is a platform that has a huge marketer and brand enthusiast presence so don’t be scared to share your thoughts about your brand from a branding perspective.
Track Mentions and Respond Appropriately – Track brand mentions and keywords to find out what’s being said about your business and respond politely when necessary. The ability to track specific keywords like the name of your brand or any relevant terms allows you to respond to a variety of situations in real time. In many cases, responding quickly can be the difference between saving a client, gaining a new one, or just plain missing out on the possibility to work with a client moving forward. This technique allows you to find out if someone is complaining about your service or if someone is in the market for one of your services – as you can see time is of the essence in both of these situations and by using this technique you significantly increase your chances for success.
Utilize The Retweet – By using the retweet you can reinforce your brand’s values and thought leadership. Although this may seem somewhat mundane or redundant retweeting can actually improve how your brand is perceived within your industry.
Follow Trends & Hash Tags – Identify surging trends and hash tags and find a way to connect your brand to them in a way that seems natural and unforced. Utilizing trending topics and hash tags will allow you to improve your brand’s presence on the platform. Many businesses have gained many new followers by using this simple technique but make sure to use it sparingly to increase its effectiveness.
Use Photos & Videos – Use images and videos to improve the way you communicate with your followers and potential followers. It has been shown that images and videos drive 3-4 more clicks than their text-based counterparts. In fact, research shows that rich tweets have significantly lower negative feedback rates as consumers appreciate interactivity and content designed for their social media context.
Integrate Your Social Media – Like all social media, Twitter works best when used in conjunction with other marketing campaigns. For example, you can use your Twitter account to spread awareness about your email marketing campaign or in contrast you can share information about your Twitter account with your Facebook followers. Seamlessly integrating your social media marketing efforts will reinforce your brand’s message across various platforms and strengthen your follower base at the same time.
Twitter Analytics – Use Twitter’s native analytics regularly to get a grasp on what’s resonating and what’s not with the audience once you’ve built it. Using Twitter’s analytics allows you to get powerful insight like demographics, best time to post, and results by content-type, among other things. Understanding how your followers interact with your twitter account allows you to figure out what’s working and what isn’t, fine tuning the problem-areas, and replicating features that work.