| Increasing your targeted following on Twitter | | | | like this: NameofMyProduct; and asking insincere |
| requires a bit of patience and a well thought-out | | | | questions. For example, if you sell cars, it would |
| strategy. Twitter, a micro-blogging social | | | | be insincere to post a question like: What is the |
| networking site, is popular for businesses because | | | | best car on the road? Twitter users are very |
| of the no-cost, no-frills way the site is set up. | | | | savvy and jaded consumers. They know when a |
| Twitter is used by small companies, as well as | | | | brand is being disingenuous. |
| larger companies like Starbucks, Dell and JetBlue | | | | Follow Smart People to Gain a Smart Following: |
| to connect with their customers and clients, | | | | There are a lot of online marketers who have |
| advertise new products, monitor their online | | | | used Twitter to help their clients monetize their |
| brands and in general, monetize their businesses. | | | | businesses. Twitter marketing gurus like Guy |
| There are four steps to increasing your targeted | | | | Kawasaki, Dave Peck and Chris Brogan should be |
| Twitter following. First, follow people on Twitter | | | | on your Twitter list. You might also want to do a |
| who you consider to be your target audience. | | | | search for corporations who are on Twitter |
| Second, post relevant information about your | | | | because they are the trailblazers and may offer |
| brand and news that is related to your brand. | | | | you a great deal of advice in getting a targeted |
| Third, never spam your followers with | | | | following. |
| auto-tweets, or post the same URL over and | | | | Consider following your competition to see what |
| over. Finally, follow smart people who are online | | | | kind of tactics they are using to increase their |
| marketers or who are leaders in your industry. | | | | own targeted Twitter following. Smart online |
| How to Follow the Right People on Twitter: | | | | marketers monitor their competition on social |
| Before you start following people, make sure | | | | networks to see what they're doing right and |
| your Twitter feed has at least a few interesting | | | | doing it better. It's also easier to see when your |
| posts. Most people on Twitter will not follow you | | | | competition has failed and how you can avoid |
| back if your Twitter feed is blank. After you've | | | | that. If your competition rarely posts to Twitter |
| started your micro-blog feed, start following your | | | | and never responds to negative posts, you can |
| target audience. There are two ways you can do | | | | quickly fill the gap for your audience. |
| this. Go to and type in keywords related to your | | | | Patience is Required When Using Twitter to |
| target audience. Let's say you are selling an iPhone | | | | Monetize: |
| application. Type in keywords like "iPhone," "bought | | | | Businesses who take to Twitter to market their |
| an iPhone," "iPhone app," and other related | | | | brand or products should be aware that using |
| keywords. Follow these people. If you post | | | | Twitter is a long-term strategy. Gaining access to |
| interesting, relevant things, there is a good chance | | | | your targeted following will not happen overnight, |
| they will follow you back. | | | | but if you use the proper Twitter strategies, it will |
| You can also find your target Twitter following by | | | | happen. Be very careful with your Twitter |
| going to Twitter and clicking on the "Find People" | | | | following. Don't sell to them like you would sell to |
| option. Type in keywords and any relevant | | | | the Average Joe online. Twitterers can sniff out a |
| industries and locations to find your followers. | | | | sales pitch and unfollow the guilty party in the |
| Start following these people. | | | | blink of an eye. |
| Give Your Target Audience Relevant Information: | | | | When you have gained your targeted Twitter |
| Post interesting news and reviews about your | | | | followers, market to them gently. Instead of |
| product, but don't forget to also post related | | | | sending out tweets that say, "Buy this cool |
| industry news. For instance, if you sell a particular | | | | product now," consider writing a more subtle |
| gadget, you can post news about other gadgets. | | | | tweet like this: "Do you need a product that does |
| One of the most important thing about gaining a | | | | XYX? This one does." Instead of posting "New |
| targeted following is to retweet well and retweet | | | | product has just launched," consider starting a |
| often. If you see a relevant post by another | | | | corporate blog, and then post something like this |
| Twitterer, retweet them. Many times, these | | | | to Twitter: "New blog post: Why we're so |
| Twitterers will see that you have retweeted | | | | excited" and then end the Twitter post with the |
| them, and will follow you. This gives you access | | | | URL to your blog. |
| to their followers-just click on the "Followers" tab | | | | Always reply to any tweets that people send |
| under these people, and start following. Be | | | | you. Don't ignore your Twitter following. If your |
| generous with your retweets-it's one of the few | | | | Twitter following gets too large for you to handle, |
| tried-and-true ways of gaining a following. | | | | consider outsourcing some of the work or having |
| Check often. Search for your brand name, for | | | | your Virtual Assistant take on some of the hours |
| example. Are there happy customers? Follow | | | | needed to tweet or retweet. However, never |
| them and thank them. Do you find angry, | | | | have someone tweet for you as if they are you. |
| disgruntled customers? Follow them, retweet | | | | Twitter is a relationship-building tool, and YOU |
| them, and ask them how you can fix the | | | | need to be the one building that relationship. You |
| situation. There have been countless examples of | | | | can always have someone tweet questions to |
| people reaching customer service reps on | | | | start a conversation, share links to articles or |
| Twitter, and then telling the Internet all about the | | | | other interesting information, or finding new |
| great service that came from a company they | | | | people to follow, but you should be the one |
| had just recently been bad-mouthing. | | | | responding and interacting in discussions... not |
| Never Spam Your Twitter Followers: | | | | delegating it out to someone else. Be authentic! |
| If you spam your followers, they will unfollow you | | | | Twitter is not a one-way marketing tool. It's an |
| quickly. Spammy posts include: Posting the same | | | | integrated, holistic approach to marketing. That |
| URLs over and over again; only posting product | | | | means staying transparent, interacting with the |
| descriptions of your own products; having a | | | | Twitter community and staying interesting. The |
| Twitter handle that looks like this: | | | | quickest way to kill off your Twitter following is |
| MyAwesomeProduct1000 instead of something | | | | to be boring. |