30 ways businesses can use Twitter to boost their bottom line

Many marketers and small business owners are trying to figure out how they can use Twitter to increase sales and profits. While there are some well known examples, such as Zappos and Comcast, of businesses using Twitter effectively, lots of people are still struggling with how they might use Twitter and other microblogging services to increase their business.

So, here is a list of ideas. Some of these are very specific to certain types of businesses, while others are more general.

Twitter for listening and learning:

1. Ask for feedback on your customer service.
2. Solicit ideas from customers about new products and services to add.
3. Ask for advice on business strategy.
4. Ask for help identifying needed business resources – the name of a good accountant, for example.
5. Use Twitter’s search function to find people already talking about your business, then join that conversation.
6. Use Twitter’s search function to find people already talking about your industry, then join those conversations.
7. Remind people you’re open to getting and answering questions about your business via Twitter.
8. Keep tabs on your competititors by following their tweets.

Twitter for direct marketing and advertising:

1. For restaurants, Tweet the lunch/dinner/daily specials or soup of the day.
2. Publish links to news releases.
3. Run a contest – ask people to submit their best 140-character review of your business or run a trivia contest. Give away real prizes.
4. For retailers, announce sales and specials.
5. Announce new locations.
6. Announce special holiday hours or special events (such a midnight sale).
7. Offer followers something free – a special Twitter-only coupon, free advice, a free product or service.
8. Tell followers what the lines are like right now at your business – helps customers decide whether to shop now or later.
9. Notify people of special ads or coupons in the newspaper or somewhere else.

Twitter for public relations and branding:

1. Say thank you to your customers and your community.
2. Publish links to news coverage about your company.
3. Publish links to news coverage about your industry.
4. Publish brief announcements, such as new hires, about your company.
5. Point followers to new posts on your company blog.
6. Tweet about unusual happenings – if your business closes unexpectedly because of a power outage or severe weather, for example.
7. Publish content to other social media networks (such as YouTube videos or Flickr images) and then use Twitter to direct people there.
8. Use your Tweets to support your favorite local charity – this builds good will, enhances your reputation and helps your favorite charity.

Twitter for networking and sales:

1. Remind people they can schedule appointments by sending you a direct message via Twitter.
2. Twitter industry events and conferences live while you’re attending.
3. Use Twitter to gather people for impromptu get-togethers at industry conferences.
4. Answer sales questions from prospects and customers.
5. Use Twitter’s direct message feature to keep customers updated about the status of their orders.

I’m sure there are lots of other creative ways businesses and business professionals are using Twitter. Please leave your ideas in the comments below.

Technorati Tags: Twitter, microblogging, marketing, socialmedia

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