twitter for business Archives

Dec 29 2015

Why is Twitter so Difficult to Use?

Twitter’s Difficulty Curve: You Know More than You Think

Have you ever logged into Twitter and felt a bit overwhelmed at the rapid stream of tweets? Or at a loss on where to begin? Why is Twitter so difficult to understand?

Don’t worry about it, you’re not alone.

Twitter’s executive chairman Omid Kordestani (Jack Dorsey’s boss) was recently quoted as saying, “I did find [Twitter] challenging to use at times and intimidating to use.” This is a former Google executive talking, who is knee-deep in the tech industry. So it’s no surprise that entrepreneurs unaccustomed to Twitter would feel overwhelmed upon first logging in.

But if you can overcome your initial hesitation and dive into Twitter with both feet, you’ll be able to quickly adjust and harness its potential to boost your business. Today I’m going to help you get over that obstructive mindset.

Similar Concepts

The best modern technology products follow similar design and usability concepts, so that it’s easier for users of one product to jump to another. Twitter is no different. Any entrepreneur with a Facebook or email account can quickly adapt their knowledge into using Twitter. Allow me to demonstrate:

Twitter’s tweet stream is basically the same as your Facebook stream or even your email inbox, where new messages come in at a constant pace (although Twitter’s feed is a lot faster than Facebook’s, an probably an order of magnitude faster than your email inbox!). You don’t have to read every single tweet—just the ones that really interest you.

Each tweet has several interaction buttons on it that have the exact same functions as other apps. Retweeting? Exactly the same as “sharing” on Facebook or forwarding an email. The only difference is retweeting automatically sends it to everyone the moment you click the button. Similarly, the Twitter “heart” works just like the Facebook “Like.”

You know how you can tag or label emails based on certain subjects? Twitter’s hashtags work in a similar way, except in this case these tags are publicly available to everyone on Twitter. Everyone can label, search or filter using these hashtags, and even create hashtags of their own.

Leveraging Twitter

One of the keys to effectively leveraging Twitter is to treat it like a networking tool, not a promotional tool. In networking, you introduce yourself to potential contacts and be as pleasant and useful as possible so that you build a good reputation.

Twitter works the same way. Entrepreneurs should invest time developing relationships on Twitter and engaging others, whether they’re customers, potential customers, or colleagues. These relationships are what will establish your online reputation so that when you talk, people listen. This is an effective way of becoming an industry thought leader or building brand loyalty.

As you can see, Twitter is not the mysterious technology that it first seems. With the right mindset and a little effort, you’ll be able to turn it into an effective part of your business marketing strategy. If you’d like to know a few strategies for making that happen, contact me at @jenkellyjen and I’ll be happy to share!

One way new Twitter users can get up to speed is by having some help. NimbleQuotes.com will send out inspirational and motivational quotes into your Twitter stream as if you’ve tweeted the quotes yourself. Then you’ll be able to see how hashtags, retweets, follows and mentions work. It will all make sense to you. Within 30-days you’ll ‘get Twitter’. Sign up today for your 30-day trial at NimbleQuotes.com

Dec 21 2015

Twitter do’s and don’ts

Twitter do’s and Twitter don’ts

To the average business owner, Twitter might seem like a one-way exchange, where companies or entrepreneurs throw out content but don’t get any feedback in return. But interacting on twitter isn’t just for social media gurus and celebrities. You can have meaningful interactions with people in a way that will build your business’ online audience and professional network.

Here are some suggested Twitter do’s and don’ts to follow.

Do make the first move

In a normal business setting, you wouldn’t just sit and wait for customers to approach you, right? You would get out and meet people, introducing yourself and making sure people know who you are. Interacting on Twitter is the same. In order to build your audience from scratch, you have to take the first step and make your own introduction.

One way you can do this is by following someone. A “follow” on Twitter is kind of a mix of a handshake and giving your business card. Following someone calls attention to yourself and puts your name in front of them.

Another way of making the first move is by releasing content that sparks conversation. This could be a quote or a blog that you wrote.

Do look for common ground

Starting a conversation works the same on Twitter as it does in real life. Look for common ground that will break the ice. Since you’re an entrepreneur, try talking about something you’re an expert in. Maybe they asked a question about your industry, or need advice on a specific issue. A cursory check of their past tweets can clue you in on what to talk about.

Do promote others

Did the other person just publish content of their own? Retweet it. They’ll take notice of that. Even if they don’t thank you that particular time, there’s a good chance they’ll remember you next time you interact with them.

Don’t rush things

This is where it can get strange. Some of us move faster than others and feel more comfortable quicker than others with people we’ve recently met online. Just be aware that while Twitter moves fast, people’s ability to know, like and trust you moves at different rates than yours. Sometimes a sales pitch will work immediately and it is appropriate to do so, other times not. Just be aware that everyone you are interacting with may move at a different pace than you.

Don’t interact with bots

Bots are empty Twitter accounts run by a computer, which are usually used to artificially inflate a Follower list. These don’t do anything for your business, and can actually hurt you if people discover many of your followers are bots.

It’s easy to recognize a bot: first, they follow way more people than those who are following them: I’ve seen bot accounts that have 1000 follows but only 10 follows. Another sure sign is that they always tweet the exact same thing to many people. Once you discover a bot, don’t waste your time or energy trying to interact with them. Just walk away.

Do be you

The best way to engage with people on Twitter is to just be a person people want to talk with. Behave with them the same way you would behave with someone who was already your customer. Be pleasant. Be professional. Be helpful. Be memorable. Be interesting.

If inspirational and motivational quotes appeal to you, add them to your Twitter feed. NimbleQuotes.com is a service for Twitter users where you choose quotes to cycle out into your Twitter feed as if you’ve tweeted them yourself. No searching for quotes, just enjoyment, retweets and great interactions with your followers as a result. Try today for 30-days free. Sign up at NimbleQuotes.com

Dec 17 2015

Retweet and Build Relationships

Savvy entrepreneurs know that it’s important to have an active presence on Twitter, and understand the value of growing an audience through regular tweeting. But just posting your own thoughts and content isn’t enough to develop Twitter relationships. Retweeting is an effective way to engage with people and build bridges on Twitter.

How to retweet

Retweeting is an easy way for an entrepreneur to share a great tweet that someone else posted. When you find an item of interest, just look for the double-arrow icon at the bottom of the tweet. It’ll often have a number next to it that shows the number of times it’s been retweeted.

When you click that button, you’ll open up a text box with the original tweet’s text pre-filled with the label “RT” in front. You also have the chance to add your own comments before you send it out. Check out what I did below:

The people who write the original tweet will be notified about how you retweet their message.

Why retweeting works

Just knowing how to retweet isn’t enough to grow an audience. The best businesses make it about the customer, and building a Twitter audience works the same way. Being a good retweeter can impact your business by:

An authority

You don’t have to keep posting original content to have your customers see you as an authority in your industry. Scan the Twitter feeds of industry experts and retweet what they share. Being a content curator, which means that you pick and choose valuable information for your customers, can be just as effective in building up your business’ reputation as coming up with it yourself.

Engaging your followers

Whatever you retweet, be it a quote or a piece of content, you’re acknowledging the other person and building them up. It puts your name in front of them. This is a great introduction to them and has a more positive context than just sending them a follow notice. You can even use it to start a conversation, which is ideal if you want to eventually have them as a customer.

Try it out for yourself by going through lists of people you’d like to connect with. Look through their Twitter streams, find something interesting, and retweet it. Watch the magic happen.

Inspirational quotes get a lot of retweets on Twitter. Why not add them to your Twitter feed? You can, automatically. Sign up for a 30-day free trial at NimbleQutoes.com. Choose quotes and watch them cycle out automatically on a schedule of your choice. A great addition to the content you already share, and these have been found for you. Give it a try today.

Dec 08 2015

4 Twitter Tips for Realtors and Real Estate Agents

Here are four quick tips to help you maximize your use of Twitter as a realtor or real estate agent.

Tip 1: Your Twitter profile

Have another look at your profile. Does it effectively communicate in 160 characters what you do? The areas of town you sell? The type of real estate you sell? Most users find that once they are on Twitter for a while, they update their profile as they get clearer how they can help more people on the platform. Opt for your picture instead of your company or agency you represent. Remember, your client wants a connection with YOU not a company logo.

Tip 2: Say one thing per tweet

We are all limited with the 140 characters per tweet. So use it fully – meaning use it to talk about one thing, not cram as many features of the listing in as possible. One thing with an appropriate link and applicable hashtag will go further as an effective message. And yes, cycle it out multiple times.

Tip 3: Use real estate images

You are selling an environment people will be spending time in. Whether residential or commercial real estate, use the power of images to communicate. While you can tweet images of all sizes, the “in-stream” preview is always 440 pixels wide by 220 pixels tall (a 2:1 ratio). Consider this size when taking pictures – yes a snap from your phone is just fine. You can always load it up, tweet it, review it, and if need be, delete your tweet and start over.

Tip 4: Include hashtags to increase visibility

Hashtags are simply words with the hash, pound or number sign (#) at the beginning. It’s a way of categorizing tweets by subject. Think of hashtags like Google keywords. People search conversations on Twitter by hashtag. It is a great way to both narrow your tweet in on just the people involved in that topic of conversation and to expose yourself/your company for broader awareness to people talking about that topic but do not yet know about you. Some ideas for hashtags could be the type of home your are selling #bungalow, the neighbourhood you sell in, #Kerrisdale, or the type of information you are sharing in your tweet #mortgages.

Do you have a tip that should be added to the list? Tweet me @jenkellyjen and let me know!

Buying, selling and investing in real estate is exciting. Connect with those you serve via inspirational real estate quotes. These cycle out from your Twitter account automatically as if you tweeted them yourself. They have a positive impact on your followers and are yours to try for 30-days free at NimbleQuotes.com. Just sign up, choose the real estate category of inspirational quotes and start sharing wisdom like the quote in this article from Mark Twain.

Dec 04 2015

How to use Twitter Direct Messages

There are many features for Twitter users. One of the best ones for connecting with your followers is the direct message or dm. This article will explain what direct messaging is and how to use it.

What does a Twitter direct message mean?

Direct message (or DM for short) means that you are sending a message to someone on Twitter who you are following and who is also following you back. The direct messaging feature allows you to send messages directly to another user without it appearing in either of your home streams. You can’t message non-followers.

Now, while direct messaging is “private”, it is unknown as to how secret the messages are. Please assume that anything you share online may not be totally off the record.

Send up to 10,000 characters

Twitter is known for its concise 140-character-long tweets. Earlier, you could only send 140-character-long messages as a direct message. But, on August 12, 2015, Twitter announced an increase in the number of characters to 10,000, giving you more room to communicate. Many companies use the dm feature to handle customer service questions. It allows enough space for the customer and customer service agent to sort out problems, questions and issues.

How to use Twitter direct messaging

The DM feature makes it easy to appreciate your followers by sending them targeted ‘thank you’ messages in which you can introduce them to your business further. You could use it as a way to figure out plans for later or how/when to have a call.

To send a direct message, click on the round circle to the left of the following button. A dropdown menu will appear. Choose the option to Send a Direct Message.

A large screen will open up, this is your direct message screen with your Twitter follower. Simply start typing your message and press send when you are finished. Remember you have up to 10,000 characters.

Why use direct messaging?

Starting conversations with your tweeter audience using direct messages can build a warmer relationships right off the bat. You have more room to start a conversation about what you learned about them from their Twitter profile. It also may be more comfortable (for you or them) to start this type of conversation “privately” rather than publicly.

DMs are also great for customer service. Sometimes, it would be awkward to address certain client concerns in public. DMs enable you to offer customer service in relative confidentiality where necessary.

What to expect when sending a direct message

Three things can happen when starting conversations with your twitter audience using direct messages. They may respond, or they may ignore you, or they may respond later. As I wrote this article, I direct messaged one of my colleagues. As you can see from the image, she hasn’t responded yet. This is normal. The timing between responses can be immediate or delayed – like email.

Avoid spamming your audience

With such an easy way of starting conversations with your twitter audience, it can be tempting to sell right away. However, resist. Use the dm feature as a cyber handshake… just as if you met at a networking event. Introduce yourself and start the conversation, without saying “buy from me”!!!

Auto direct messages

These are direct messages sent to you as soon as you follow someone who is already following you. Typically they thank you for following and ask that you connect on a different platform as well like Facebook or LinkedIn. They may also include a link to their product/services. If you respond to an auto dm, you may get a human response at some point or you may never get a response. People seem to be split about the auto dm. A lot use it, and many people dislike it.

Over to you! Start using the Twitter direct message today to connect with your followers.

NimbleQuotes.com posts inspirational and motivational quotes to your Twitter feed as if you’ve tweeted them yourself. This is delightful content to add to your Twitter stream in addition to your industry and promotional information. Try it free for 30-days.