Zero dollars to market your business? Wow, the folks from SCORE didn’t like to hear that. I know because I tried. How will you grow your business without a marketing budget? Never fear, Twitter is here. Certainly not the wisest of moves, every business should have some money allocated for marketing. I’d been playing around with Twitter for awhile. I had a decent following and it seemed like it wouldn’t be that difficult.
What is your message?
What is it you want to do? Who is it you want to help? What problem do you solve? Why do they need you? What makes you better or different? The answers become part of your message and direct your strategy.
What is your competition doing?
Is your competition already on Twitter? How are they using it?
Jeff Bullas published two posts about using Twitter for Business!
How to Use Twitter for Business: 5 More Incredibly Interesting Case Studies
What these case studies point out is that companies have different reasons for using Twitter, none are right or wrong. They capitalized on some of the key features of the tool, such as “real-time” feedback, mass number of users, satisfied customers, etc., to implement their strategies.
Where do you find followers?
Wait, you need to identify your target audience first. Is it by industry or geography? Try Twellow. First add yourself to this free directory, then mine it for industry or Twellowhood Tweeters.
I know there are ways to mass follow, but that violates my quality vs quantity values. I want to at least think there is a reason that I am following the people I follow. You can follow other industry-leader “lists” on Twitter. For example: want to keep track of who Pete Cashmore, CEO of Mashable. says is in the know? Follow his social media list of over 6000 tweople.
I didn’t know marketing a business could be so fun. I am enjoying the positive feedback, the sense of community and along with the helpfulness from complete strangers.
Hannah Morgan, aka Career Sherpa, is a guide for lifetime career navigation. She provides no-nonsense advice on how to pro-actively manage your career. She is a blogger and avid fan of Twitter and other new media.
