Are You Twittering Valuable Tweets?

If you’ve entered the world of Twitter, you know there is a lot of junk out there… people telling you what they ate for breakfast, what happened at the dentist, the cute thing their child said yesterday… you know what I’m talking about. Now, many of these Tweets really are for the birds and may make you stop using this form of social media all together. But there is some good information out there and a great opportunity… so if you are using Twitter for your business, here are two things to keep in mind:

1. Are You Providing Value? Before you start tweeting and obtaining followers, think about what you’re trying to accomplish. What kind of information can you provide that will help your business build buzz and credibility? Try to provide your followers with interesting tips, news stories, insights, and links that will help them solve their problems.

2. Are You Home? If someone sends you a direct message on Twitter or comments about your products and services, follow up. The whole point of Twitter is to communicate quickly and succinctly. If you don’t respond or take part in the conversation, you might as well end your account. After all, you don’t want it to look like you’re out of the office or “not home.” Plus, you’re losing out on a great opportunity to communicate with customers, build loyal followers and obtain valuable information to improve your products and services. … so how do you get this done? Have a Dedicated Tweeter. Twitter can be a key part of your overall marketing strategy. But to be effective, it’s essential to have a person dedicated to your Twitter account. That person can provide valuable content, share important marketing messages, respond to followers, and monitor competitors on a daily basis.

Now, when you take all of this into consideration, Twitter can take some time (which kind of defeats the whole purpose of sending quick messages, doesn’t it?) But there are services to help you organize the process. Check out TweetLater and this list of services to enhance your Twitter experience here. Before you know it, you’ll have a big Twitter following and get the most out of your account. But one last word of warning… Twitter can be addictive so watch your tweeting time!

By Melanie Rembrandt