Questions I Get Asked About Getting Business Through Twitter

People are asking me the following questions – an awful lot – so I thought I’d write a blog post to redirect everyone to, when these issues come up again.  This blog post is directed at new Twitter users who are tweeting about their occupation or business.

How do I get more followers on Twitter?

1. You must tweet.  If you don’t tweet, people won’t know you exist nor what you do.  Don’t expect people to approach you in Twitter.  It won’t happen.  And, when you click to follow people, some people will be put off if there are months between tweets.
2. You must interact with others, as described below, under What should  I tweet about?

How many followers do I need?

There is no magic number.

• How many people do you want to have conversations with?
• How many people do you want to read your blog?
• How many people do you want to connect with in order to do business?

Those are all legitimate questions I try to ask back, in order to place the ‘number’ thing in context.

It’s not about numbers.  It’s about what kind of connection you build with people.  There’s no point in having thousands of followers, if you follow no-one back.  Or, if you follow thousands of people yourself, yet you never connect with most of them.  What’s the point?  It becomes a children’s game… I’ve more followers than you.

By the way, once you do manage more than a few followers, it might help to use a tool such as TweetDeck to keep track.

Do you get business from Twitter?

Yes, I do.  However, if you think of Twitter as a source of your future fortune, you’re missing the point.  Twitter is one way to communicate with people.  It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme.  Not everyone uses or likes Twitter.  So, you have to remember that you will only connect with some people on Twitter and they may bring in some business.  Of course, you may meet a fantastic customer on Twitter.  If so, excellent!

Avoid the over-hype.  Sometimes, it’s good to remember that Twitter is also about networking, finding others in your field, meeting entrepreneurs, new friends and searching for information, while helping others out.  It’s not just (and maybe not even mostly) about picking up new customers.

How do you get business from Twitter?

How do you normally get business?  People contact you and you sell a product, or in my case, meet up first for a chat, then arrange what they want and set it all in action.  Or, you contact them, and they respond by finding out more, or making a purchasing decision.  This is how I get business on Twitter.  It is another place for people to find me online.

But, it starts with some type of personalised interaction (i.e. a chat).

Here are the things you need to think about doing:

1. Connect with others.  Introduce yourself.  Ask a new follower what they do.  Try to make some kind of initial connection (before you decide whether to follow back).  It may be that you do the same/similar things (so, unless you’re in direct competition, and even then, you can exchange ideas).  Beware though. Those who see you as direct competitors may be less likely, as in other networking contexts, to share any information.I find that the best interactions on Twitter come from those who do complimentary, related products and services.  And, just as often from those who do something completely unrelated to me.
2. Share what you do.  Share your passions.  Share what gets you out of bed in the morning.  Share your goals.
3. Whether you have a blog-style website or a regular website, make sure you put your URL in the Web space.  It is the first thing I look at when I get a new follower.  And, I never follow anyone myself, before checking the URL.  If there is none… then I don’t know enough about you, and have to start reading tweets… which there’s not always time for…

When should I send Direct Messages and when should I send a Reply?

Might other people be interested in your reply, or might it mean anything to them?  No?  Then, send it as a Direct (private) message.  The format is as follows and means only the person you are responding to will see it:

D thesensei OK, thanks for the info

If other people might be interested in your reply or find it useful, then send it as a Reply (public message).  The format is as follows and means all your followers will see it:

@thesensei OK, I thought this was a great site too – www.sensei-winbeforehand.co.uk

Remember, that following this simple rule is impossible if the other person isn’t following you.  If not, all you will be able to do is send Direct messages, until they decide to follow you.

Is there anything I shouldn’t tweet?

This is going to be a subjective little section, because it’s me blogging about it.  Feel free to disagree.  And, it really depends whether your Twitter profile is public (for business and the public), or private (for family and friends).

However, there are some things to consider leaving off.  These are some of the things that will make me avoid following someone, if they appear too much:

1. Toilet chronology.  I just do not want to know.  End of.
2. Unpleasant or detailed health developments.  (Again, it depends on the purpose of the Twitter account.  You may be suffering a huge health issue and using the account to share with those who are genuinely interested, such as close friends/family.)
3. Nasty comments about individuals.  If you’ve something critical to say, I’d suggest a blog or forum post about their business model or unsatisfactory product might be a better medium.  And, is more likely to encourage constructive comments or corrective action, rather than personalised, one-off rants.  I’m not saying don’t rant, just don’t use Twitter as a medium for playground-style bullying.
4. Swearing, profanity and crudeness.  Just remember, it may alienate some potential followers.
5. Go easy on the cutting sarcasm.  Sarcasm’s great, but since people can’t see your face, nor your body language, it requires a little thought.  Some people use emoticons, where words have the potential to be taken the wrong way.  This seems fairly acceptable, though annoying if used too often.
6. Whinging.  Poor me, etc.  It’s funny for the first few times, then as time goes on, becomes immensely boring (though some people send me lots of LOLs about this!).  Think what image you’re trying to promote for you, your business or new project.  This probably won’t help.
7. I’m just stepping onto the plane.  I’m just fastening my seatbelt.  I’m just reading the opening pages of the paper. I’m just opening the little milk carton thingy. I’m just landing.  I’m just walking to the baggage reclaim.  I’m just getting to 2nd in the taxi queue.OK, we all know you’re a multi-millionaire, high-flyer, Twitter premier league person, jetting all around the world.  But, we’ve been on planes to exciting places too!  Yeah!  This type of tweet bores me silly, and I will Unfollow you.  Unfortunately, some of the most popular people on Twitter are infected with this brand of narcissism.

What should I tweet about?

So, what should you tweet about?  Maybe this should be your first question, but often it is not.  Here are some suggestions:

1. Tweet about things you are interested in, that relate to your business or occupation.
2. Tweet when you’re reading or have finished a great book, or reading a great blog or article online.  Link to the author’s webpage online.  State your opinions.  Ask what others think.
3. Tweet local (relevant) news, events or special offers/competitions.  People love to follow those in the same area as themselves.  They will appreciate the local tips.  If you’re based in N.I., make sure you include the words ‘Belfast’ or ‘Northern Ireland’, to help those who aren’t local to you, as much as those who’re specifically searching for those terms.
4. Tweet rhetorical questions.  Someone may just tweet back and start an interesting conversation.  Who knows where it might lead?
5. Answer tweets from others asking for help in areas that you have expertise.  Don’t help everyone though. 
6. Ask for help on Twitter.  No-one’s gonna design a fabulous website for you for nothing.  But, you might just get sent a wee bit of advice, or a useful link that will get you out of a jam.  This is one of the reasons I keep using Twitter.Remember, that if you’re not already doing no 5., don’t bother with no. 6.
7. Tweet your blog posts.  This can be automated using a tool such as Twitterfeed.  Even on the days you don’t tweet anything, your followers have something to read.
8. Tweet the odd rant.  Shows a bit of personality.  Be careful about turning your Twitter persona into MrsMiseryGuts though.  It’s depressing if all you get is negativity, from whatever source.  Twisery is not cool.  I finally click Unfollow or Block.
9. Tweet about other interesting/useful Twitterers.  Some people use Follow Friday as a format for doing this, but you don’t have to (simply include #followfriday at the end of your tweet).  Just tweet, ‘@thesensei looks like an interesting person to follow. #followfriday‘
10. Go random now and then at least once every couple of days.  For example, the MD of Legal Island recently tweeted a recipe.  It helps potential customers and ‘collabs’ (as I call them) to see what you’re about, behind the business mask.  Helps build relationships.

I hope this post has helped answer some of the most common questions you have as a new Twitter user.  If you have others, comment here and let me know.  I will attempt to create an answer in a future post.

Also, feel free to add your own thoughts on these areas, or even, to disagree!