Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with @NikaStewart. Nika Stewart, Co-founder & CEO of GhostTweeting.com, is an early adopter of social media. From her roots as an event planner and award-winning interior designer to her more recent successes as an internet marketing leader, national speaker, and business coach, Nika has expertly used multiple social media platforms to build an enormous following and catapult her brand image. More info at ghosttweeting.com
SmallBizLady: Why should businesses have a presence on Twitter?
Nika Stewart: Let’s face it – social media is where you need to be. And Twitter is a great platform for getting your brand message out to your ideal customers in a big way. It’s fast and it’s short, and this makes it easy to spread information and build awareness of your brand quickly.
Twitter is also a great network for engaging with your ideal clients, building loyal relationships, and getting attention from influencers who can further share your message. In addition, you can get real-time, authentic feedback from customers, and learn how you can improve products and customer service.
SmallBizLady: What are the biggest benefits that businesses can realize by being on Twitter?
Nika Stewart: When you market your business effectively on Twitter, you will amplify your online visibility. This can lead to increased expert status, more media attention, and a competitive edge over your competition.
By building a vibrant community of eager prospects, you will create loyal ambassadors who refer more clients. Twitter also drives traffic to your website, which can help you increase subscriptions, generate more leads, and close more sales.
We’ll talk about what to do – and what not to do – to achieve all of these benefits.
SmallBizLady: Speaking of what not to do, what are the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make on Twitter?
Nika Stewart: The first big mistake is thinking it is too hard, and not investing any time or energy into Twitter. For entrepreneurs who ARE on Twitter – many treat it as if it is an advertising platform. Twitter can be extremely effective for marketing your business, but only if you share valuable, entertaining tidbits of information, and invite people to learn more. Entrepreneurs should avoid constant sales promotions.
Another mistake is inconsistency. You want to build momentum, so don’t start and stop. You only get results if you are consistent with your message. Stay true to your brand in EVERY post you make on Twitter.
SmallBizLady: How can we attract more followers?
Nika Stewart: There are several ways to attract followers on Twitter. First, you want to post content that is valuable and entertaining to your ideal target audience. And post this content consistently – throughout the day, every day.
You also want to share OTHER people’s information. By sharing other tweeters’ content, you create good will, get attention, and show yourself as an expert resource – which leads to more followers.
Another way to get more followers is to follow people in your target audience. When someone sees that you followed them, they may click over to your profile and learn who you are. Make sure your profile compels people to WANT to follow you.
SmallBizLady: So, what does a compelling Twitter profile look like?
Nika Stewart: The most effective Twitter profiles are PERSONAL. Use your name and your headshot, instead of a company logo. People want to connect with people, not logos. Your bio should position you as an expert who helps a specific target. Focus on one area of expertise, rather than trying to show yourself as a “Jack of all Trades.” Add personal information – your interests, hobbies, favorite drinks, etc. These fun details allow people to instantly feel a connection to you. Don’t forget your location, business name, and website.
SmallBizLady: What are some ways to get more clicks to your website?
Nika Stewart: One of the biggest benefits of social media is getting people to your website – where you can share more information about what you offer. To get more Twitter users to your site, you want to start by having valuable, interesting material on your site. A blog is a great way to give value, position yourself as the expert, and drive traffic from Twitter. You can write many tweets for each blog post. Make sure they intrigue readers and leave them wanting more, so they need to click to your site to get the rest. Short, compelling tweets that end with a link are very effective in increasing traffic to your site.
SmallBizLady: What is “engagement,” why do we want it, and how can we get more of it?
Nika Stewart: Engagement is when someone responds to or interacts with you on Twitter. This is seen in the form of retweets, responses and comments, clicking links, and favorites. The more engagement you get, the more reach and visibility you have, and the more your message is spread.
Here are a few ways to encourage engagement:
Keep your tweets short. Yes, Twitter is short to begin with, but the shorter your tweet, the more likely the retweet, and the more room people have to add a comment.
Use image links. Tweets with image links have twice the engagement rates of tweets without images.
Add links! Your followers look to you to provide them with links to relevant information.
SmallBizLady: What types of things should a business tweet?
Nika Stewart: If you are a small business owner, you likely represent your business on Twitter. So while you will be posting things about your business, you also want to publish tweets that allow for personal connection. Remember that people will connect with people, not companies. A good guideline to follow is: 50% of your tweets are about your specific area of expertise, 20% share information about topics that support your expertise, and 30% are more personal. But remember that even your personal stories and tidbits must be in alignment with your brand image.
SmallBizLady: How often should a business tweet?
Nika Stewart: The short answer is: More than you think :) To get the most reach, studies show that you need to post throughout the day – all day, every day. Don’t think you are bothering people by posting too often. Your followers only see your post if they are logged on as you are posting it. Your tweets have a very short lifespan. So if you want them to be seen, post often. And don’t be afraid to post important tweets again. And again.
SmallBizLady: How can you stand out on twitter?
Nika Stewart: The best way to stand out on Twitter is to help OTHERS stand out. There are hundreds of millions of tweets each day, and almost every one of them is trying to stand out by screaming at you to notice them. Instead, share someone’s blog post, and tell your community how awesome you thought it was. Follow someone who has a low following. Favorite a great tweet. In other words, show “Twitter Love.” Imagine the attention you will get!
SmallBizLady: What are some ways to save time on Twitter (without sacrificing results)?
Nika Stewart: Instead of logging into Twitter.com, use a Twitter application. A popular one is HootSuite. This allows you to categorize the tweets and tweeters you want to look at, so you can quickly skim, engage, and post. You can also schedule your posts ahead of time, which will save you hours! At Ghost Tweeting, we save our clients time by writing 5 – 10 tweets for each new blog post that comes out, and scheduling them to post consistently for the next few months. We also create “relationship lists” so we can see exactly who our clients want to notice them, and we can efficiently engage with them on a daily or weekly basis.
SmallBizLady: If someone wants to boost their business presence quickly, what are the first things they should do right now?
Nika Stewart: One thing you can do immediately is make a list of influencers that you want to notice you, and start engaging with them by retweeting, commenting, and to favorite their tweets.
You’ll also want to check your Twitter profile, and make sure it shows you off as an expert in a specific, targeted area. Is your photo professional? Did you include your business name, location, and website?
Commit to being consistent, and you will quickly create momentum that leads to more visibility and more success.
If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz
For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.
Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is America’s #1 small business expert. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. She writes a weekly column on social media for The New York Times. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works and the ebook: How To Become A Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online.