Twitter is very easy to get started on. Publishing your content is a no-brainer. You just write some words and send it to the stream. But this is not what makes Twitter so special. What does make Twitter special is the amount of interaction you can have with other people. Twitter is, more than anything else, a networking tool.
As you use Twitter for your business, you will want to build and nurture a two-fold network. First, you want to meet, interact, and learn from people who are doing the same thing you are doing. This is both generally, as in they run their own business, and specifically, as in you are both karate instructors. Secondly, you want to meet and interact with people who live within your ideal customer demographic.
Finding the Right People
Finding the right people to interact with is key to having success on Twitter. There are various ways to do this. Read about how to find people in your niche using Twellow in this article. Also, use Mr. Tweet to get good recommendations based on who others in your network are following.
Twitter chats are a great way to meet new people. Check out this growing list of Twitter chats to find out if there is one that appeals to you.
You also want to include searches for specific key words as part of your strategy to find the right people.
But don’t take all of your time searching for people and neglect your primary job on Twitter. That job is to keep posting interesting and pertinent information. If you do this on a regular basis, the right people will begin to find you.
Reach Out
Once you are following interesting people, you need to reach out to them. Take some time every day to respond to people’s tweets. Also, be generous in retweeting good information. The goal is to strike up some conversations and to start building some relationships. You have to put any shyness aside. You are only sending 140 characters or less, so don’t feel bad about interrupting anyone’s day. On the other hand, never send ads directly or anything like that. When you reach out to someone, do it to be helpful, to ask a question, or to engage in conversation.
Nurture
You may follow and be followed by a lot of people on Twitter. However, you will only be able to maintain an active relationship with a handful at a time. Your ongoing network will be made up of people that you respect as friends and mentors. Your potential customers will move in and out of your communication zone. Always be ready to reach out to a potential to answer a question or to lend a helping hand.
For the ongoing friendships with people who are in a similar position as you, you should have a plan. Use a tool like TweetDeck to organize your tweets, and devote a group column just to these people. That way, you can read more of their Tweets and get more active as a networker. Take time to reach out on a regular basis. Take an interest in them.
If you are committed to it, you can build a dynamic and useful network over Twitter that will open up new opportunities.
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Bradford Shimp is the publisher of All Biz Answers. He is also the co-creator of Idea Anglers, a place to see your ideas come to life through collaboration. Follow on Twitter @bradfordshimp. Let Bradford help you with your business – visit BroadRiverCreative.com
