People are all a’twitter. They are talking about things that relate to your business. Sometimes, they are even talking specifically about your business. And while they are doing this all over the web, one of the prime areas of this chatter these days is on Twitter. You had better know what is being talked about in your industry and what people are saying about your business on Twitter. And once you do, you might as well get involved in the conversation.
It is very easy to keep track of what people are saying if you know where to look. Using Twitter search and the right Twitter application, you can stay on top of the conversation. At the very least, you should be keeping track of your business name via Twitter. That way, you can respond to any inquiries or comments.
Using Twitter Search
If you want to check on a word or phrase from time to time, Twitter Search is a simple way to do it. Go to search.twitter.com and type in your term. You will be presented with the most recent tweets about the subject from across the whole Twitter universe. In this way, you can do research, find more people to follow, respond to comments about your business, or even refine your keyword list.
Using a Third Party Application
If you have a word or phrase you would like to keep track of regularly, you can use a third party application, such as Tweetdeck or Hootsuite. Any application that allows you to add search columns will do.
What you are going to want to do is add a new column as a search column. This column will be filled with the results for your word or phrase search. In Tweetdeck, you do this by clicking on the magnifying glass button at the top. In Hootsuite you go to add a column and select the search option. Note you can also add a tab in Hootsuite, but this is not what you want to do. The option to add a column has a plus sign next to the phrase “Add a Column.”
When you create a search column, just pick a word or phrase that you would like to keep track off. Pick search terms that are pertinent to your business. If you choose correctly, you will be given a list of people who you can interact act with. You can answer questions, develop relationships, and even make sales. It may take a few tries before you figure out the right search terms to keep track of.
Refine Your Impressions
One thing that will happen when you begin to track key phrases and engage with people is that you will refine your impressions. What I mean is that you will find certain phrases are more pertinent than others, and people who are tweeting about certain things are more receptive than others. Keep working through the system until you find the secret sauce that will work for your business.
Your goal is to keep track of what is being said about your company and industry. Once you have a good handle on that, you can start to engage with the talkers. And eventually, you can establish yourself as a thought leader amongst a group of ideal colleagues and customers on Twitter. All of which leads back to benefits for your business. So get listening.
Have a Small Business Question? Ask me and I will answer it here – email me with your question now.
Get Unique Content Weekly with The Letter
–
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
