This post was originally published on Sept. 10, 2013, and was updated on Sept. 25, 2017, and May 28, 2019.
Twitter can be a great marketing tool for businesses of every size because this social media platform is an easy and convenient way to stay on top of industry trends, connect with customers and prospects, and promote your brand. You can share up to 280 characters in a text Tweet (up from the old 140), plus links, photos, GIFs and videos. And the immediacy of Twitter means you can learn from others and make connections in real-time. Ready to learn how to use Twitter for your business?
It’s as easy as setting up an account, following others in your industry, and gaining followers of your own by retweeting and replying to others’ posts and, when you feel comfortable, posting to your own feed.
Let’s get started!
How to use Twitter for business
- Create a Twitter account.
- Customize your profile.
- Start following.
- Compose Tweets.
Let’s look at each step in more detail …
Editor’s note: If you don’t have enough time to focus on social media, let GoDaddy help! The experts at GoDaddy Social not only manage your presence on your social networks, but also can help turn an online interaction into a lifelong customer.
1. Create a Twitter account
Head over to Twitter or download the app and sign up for an account. You’ll need to enter your full name, phone number and a password. Twitter will send you a text message with a code to verify your phone number.
Choose a username.
In the Twitterverse, your username is known as your “handle.” For example, the handle for GoDaddy’s Twitter account is @godaddy. Followers will use your username to send you @replies, direct messages and mentions.
Note: You username can’t exceed 15 characters or contain “admin” or “Twitter.”
Related: How to claim social media handles
2. Customize your profile
This is your opportunity to create a Twitter page that reflects your business’s unique brand. Go to your Profile and click the Edit profile button to customize any or all of the following:
- Header photo (find current image sizes here)
- Profile photo
- Name
- Bio
- Location
- Website address
- Theme color
Editor’s note: GoDaddy Website Builder lets you link your website directly to your Twitter account and other social media platforms with just a few clicks.
3. Start following
Once you’ve set up your account, it’s time to start following other businesses and individuals. When you follow another Twitter user, you get their Tweets on your timeline — essentially creating a customized stream of information.
For instructions on how to find people by name and browse Twitter’s account suggestions, check out this support article.
4. Compose Tweets
Spend some time exploring Twitter, getting familiar with the lingo, and reading Tweets from other users before you compose your first message. You’ve got 280 characters to work with when you’re ready to click the Tweet button in the top right corner of your Home page.
Keep in mind that adding photos or video, links and polls will decrease the amount of characters available for text.
- Learn how to use hashtags on Twitter to become part of larger conversations.
- How to get verified on Twitter (and why it’s worth the effort)
If you know how to use Twitter for business properly, you can establish your online presence, cultivate customer loyalty, and build credibility within your industry.
Establish an online presence
It’s important to get your name out there. Customers can’t find you if they never hear from you or about you. You can set up your Twitter handle (i.e. @coolexample) to match your business name to help create a consistent online brand.
As people start seeing your business name circulating, they will start to recognize it and associate it with your company and services.
Related: A beginner’s guide to branding your business
Cultivate customer loyalty
Think of Twitter as another platform on which to communicate with your target audience. If your customers are on Twitter, they might comment about their experiences with your company, good or bad. If you know how to use Twitter for your business, you can respond responsibly to those comments.
Twitter is a perfect avenue to maintain a real-time dialogue with your customers.
Related: 3 steps to managing reviews online
Build credibility
Every savvy businessperson keeps up with the latest news and trends in their industry. Twitter is another way you can accomplish this. But don’t just keep up … establish yourself as a thought leader within your industry by sharing tips and tricks, and retweeting relevant content from other Twitter users.
- 4 essential Twitter tips for businesses
- Twitter for restaurants
- Twitter for hotels
- Twitter for entertainers
When you tweet great content to your followers, be sure to include links to related content on your blog or website. Participating in conversations with other industry insiders also will build your brand’s muscle.
What’s next?
Once you’re comfortable with the basics of how to use Twitter, you can begin driving more traffic to your business website and gain relevant followers by using Twitter business tools like Twitter Ads. You’ll also want to measure your results and tweak your strategy to improve engagement.
Happy tweeting!
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