7Twitter is a great platform to grow your business, but it’s ever-changing. New user-based research, capabilities, and ways to interact are always on the horizon. It can be tough to stay on top of things. Below are 7 ways you can keep up with the curve and improve your online interactions, get new clients, expand your network, market better and get publicity free of cost.

 

Link First, Talk Later

Although many people think that posting a link anywhere in your tweet is enough, a recent study used a heat map to analyze tweets and found that if the links are placed toward the beginning of the tweet, the rate of click-through was higher.

 

Use More Multimedia

With the recent addition of GIFs in tweets, it makes it much easier for companies to show a quick and catchy video loop. Non-GIF users should post photos and videos, which has been shown to increase retweets by 35% on average.

 

Use @ Reply All

A problem with Twitter that you may not be aware of is the use of @ to reply. Suppose you are replying to me, @IamTravisParker. If you start your tweet with @IamTravisParker, it will only show up on my account, as it’s considered a personal message to me. However, if you start your tweet with another word or a period before addressing me, it will show up on your page—as well as mine—and allow others to chime in and join the conversation. Click here to try it now! (A tweet to me will open but will not send until you tell it to.)

 

Twitter ListUse Twitter Lists

The little known ‘List’ function will help you locate people who retweet, reply to or favorite your tweet the most. Customize tweets to people on your lists (or others). They may help retweet your content and get more views for your product or service.

 

Follow the Competition

Competitors learn from each other so make it a point to follow yours. Learn about their trends, what their followers are saying about them, and how they respond. This will give you insight in ways you could be doing things better, or pitfalls you can avoid.

 

Make It Personal

Make sure your Twitter ID is on your business card, website, and other marketing materials so that new prospects have the opportunity to get to know you better. Remember, your consumers aren’t connecting with your business, they’re connecting with you. Keep your Twitter feed from being a sales piece by incorporating humor, thoughts, observations, and anything else that is more “human” than “corporation”. 9 times out of 10 your client wants to work with you because you have something in common, not because you can write a press release just like the thousands of other PR firms in your area.

 

Cross Connect

Use a more combined approach to social media. Join groups related to your topic or industry on other sites and answer questions based on your areas of expertise. When you post a detailed response to a question, give a brief response in Twitter with a link to the full version. Also include your Twitter handle in your full version response. This way, you have let the Twitterverse know more about your expertise while inviting those who are reading your advice to connect with you on Twitter.

 

That’s it. Go tweet! And follow me here.