Using Twitter to enhance the awareness of your brand or business can be fantastic. With so many active and dedicated users, there is sure to be somebody interested in everything throughout the network. You can tune in to the small niches and attract the big crowds, all with 140 characters worth of text – so it’s important you get it right. Using Twitter for your business doesn’t have to be a difficult thing that you have to be worried about, and if you embrace it you will discover the many benefits.

There are some do’s and don’ts for Twitter usage – follow this guide to understand them.

DO’S

– Try to respond to any questions or queries sent via @ messages or through direct contact. People can often form a bad opinion of you if you completely ignore them, especially in an environment that is so social.
– Have a custom picture that represents you business. Try to avoid generic pictures of computers, phone systems, etc, and keep within your brand. Try using your logo or the picture of the head of company if they are well known.
– Chose a username that is representative of your business. Usernames such as “andrewsfanasticelectronicsshop” is never going to work. Keep your username short and sweet, and remember that a common spelling will be easier for users to find you.
– Engage with relevant people. If you just constantly post updates saying ‘come and visit my amazing website’, then you will be unlikely to attract a following. However, interacting with people, answering questions and providing information will help greatly.

DON’Ts

– Don’t provide open access to your Twitter account for all company employees. You need to assign somebody to be in charge of it and be careful who uses it – remember that this is your company’s reputation on the line.
– Don’t be so commercial. If all of your updates are about your company then it will become stale very quickly. Twitter is a social network, so treat it as such. Provide updates at a personal level and speak to your user base directly.
– Don’t create a profile and never update it. It’s good to have presence across different networks, but if you are going to use Twitter, don’t do it half-heartedly. You need to provide regular updates if you want to get the best out of Twitter.
– Don’t try to fool people. If you try fabricating your brand, telling people lies or say something stupid, it will be picked up and it will spread like wildfire.

If you are going to use Twitter, or any other social network for that matter, you need to follow some basic rules to ensure you get the maximum benefit. Social networks are used by people all over the world in every sector imaginable, so if you haven’t even considered venturing into the social sphere then it is about time you should. The chances are people are already talking about you, so why not get involved?

Author Bio: If you need help running a social marketing campaign or promoting your business online, why not speak to Manchester PR experts Zeus. Visit us at: www.zeuspr.co.uk to find out more.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: twitter, business, social marketing