8 Ways You Should Be Using Twitter for Your Business

8 Ways You Should Be Using Twitter for Your Business
By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, August 7, 2010—By now, we all know that Twitter is one of the most-trafficked and used social media platforms…for both consumers and business professionals. But what’s the secret to getting more consumers to follow you…transitioning them from just followers to clients.

From the simple to the complex, there are a number of methods that real estate professionals should consider to improve their following on Twitter. Here are eight tips to consider, courtesy of Twitter.com:

Tip 1
Include in your Bio and/or custom background the names (or @usernames) of the people twittering from your company account. It’s also a good idea to include additional contact info, like email addresses.

Tip 2
Listen regularly for comments about your company, brand and products—and be prepared to address concerns, offer customer service or thank people for praise.

Tip 3
Use a casual, friendly tone in your messages.

Tip 4
While you shouldn’t feel compelled to follow everyone who follows you, do respond to some questions or comments addressed to you.

Tip 5
If you like a particular message, retweet it. People often appreciate the sharing and amplification of their ideas, so look to retweet cool stuff.

Tip 6
Post links to articles and sites you think folks would find interesting—even if they’re not your sites or about your company.

Tip 7
Make sure your tweets provide some real value. Here are few examples to spark ideas:

Offer Twitter exclusive coupons or deals
Take people behind the scenes of your company
Post pictures from your offices, stores, warehouses, etc.
Share sneak peeks of projects or events in development
Tip 8
Don’t spam people. Twitter’s following model means that you have to respect the interests and desires of other people here or they’ll unfollow you. The most common way to run afoul of that understanding—and to thus look like a spammer—is to send unsolicited @messages or DMs, particularly when you include a promotional link.