Most of us have heard of Twitter by now — the online social media tool that only allows you up to 140 characters for your message. It’s a nifty app that gives you the power to say what’s on your mind now, in real time. You can share your photos with it or promote a valuable resource. And you can even report breaking news with Twitter.
Many small businesses have likely signed up with a Twitter account in the hopes of building their company but others are still on the fence about it. It can be overwhelming to consider learning one more piece of technology or to wear another hat when we already wear so many. I understand the concerns as an entrepreneur myself, but social media is here to stay and it can be a very valuable asset to your company if it’s done right. The other challenge is discerning which of the many social media tools available are right for your business. Today we will just discuss one.
Do you really need to use Twitter for your small business?
The short answer is no. Your business does not need to use Twitter … but this also depends on what type of business you have. Some businesses just wouldn’t have much to say about their work or products on a daily basis. They might not have industry news they can pass along or have a market that requires the information one would normally share through Twitter. If your account is strictly for business and you only tweet (send a message) once a day, then you won’t get many benefits from it.
There are businesses though that can generate great results from investing their time on Twitter. Any company that can provide valuable advice or insight in their market can build an audience willing to pay them for their services or products. If you offer discounts or reviews, then Twitter would be beneficial to you. So the question really comes down to what you might have to share with the world. If you have something of interest, it’s a good bet that your investment in this social media sphere would pay off eventually.
Will Twitter help your business make money?
The reason most small businesses would be interested in using any social media tools would be to grow their business or to make money. This is a fair expectation. After all, who wants to spend time doing something that yields no results? The reality is that any marketing effort takes time to generate results and there is no instant success with Twitter. Starting off, your goal should focus on getting people to know, like, and trust you. Once you’ve achieved this objective, then you will have an opportunity to make money from your social media efforts. And yes, you can make money from building a community around your service or products online.
(Graphic via ChurcMediaDesign.TV)
About James Dalman