Using Social Media to Grow Business The Most-Overlooked Branding Feature on Twitter Dos and Don'ts for Using Twitter to Grow Business 5 Twitter Rules Firms Should Never Break

It's not uncommon for companies to be aware they need a presence on Twitter but also be unsure about how to use this immensely popular social medium well for effective promotion. Just remember, social media are all about having conversations. The basic idea is to find conversations, listen in, understand, join in, and offer solutions.

Is this you?

"OK. I signed up for Twitter. My account is set up. Now, um, what should I tweet?"

We hear this from clients. We were there once ourselves. We also hear Twitter is "for reporting real- time status" and "one should tweet about whatever is going on right now." Then we get tweets about people walking the dog or washing a car or what they had for breakfast. Boring! Who wants to converse about irrelevant matters? Boring content undermines promotion and probably motivates your niche to un-follow you—the opposite of the desired effect. That's worse than not tweeting at all.

What, then, can we tweet that's interesting? Granted, it's a challenge in such short messages. Most likely, it's not whatever you happen to be doing unless you're a deity. Consider tweeting something that would contribute to the conversation you want with clients or prospects. Put yourself in their shoes. Ask, "What tweets would make me feel smarter or better at business?" That will help relevance. It could also be valuable, but be sure to not abuse your privilege of self-promotion. Earn more promo credits than you use by being interesting, helpful, and practical. Social media communications benefit from our very best conversational skills, even in snippets of 140 characters or fewer.

Members-Only Premium Content   

• Free Webinars: Access all recorded webinars (full members attend all live webinars free).
• Free Tools and Guides: Receive all how-to guides and tools sold in the RainToday Store free.
• Research and Reports: Receive 20% off all research and benchmark reports.
• 1,000+ Articles: Access over 1,000 professional services marketing, sales, and leadership articles.
• Exclusive Premium Content: Access members-only interviews, templates, and case studies.