We recently blogged about large companies who have used social media well. However, I feel Twitter can benefit the little guys even more than the big companies. As a small business, you get the chance to choose and connect to your customers, and you get to promote your small town spirit.
Here is a list of some general points you can keep in mind- exclusively for small businesses:
1. Add Some Personality
Small businesses can be more informal and friendly than large corporations, so use this to your advantage…”The thing that sets us apart is the ability to be more approachable, and opinionated, than a mega corporation,” says Matthew Griffin, president and CEO of Baker’s Edge, a baking products company in Carmel, Indiana.
If it is springtime and you want to shout-out to Trenton Thunder minor league baseball team, you won’t get backlash from PA’s Iron Pigs fans for doing so. Just keep personal matters to a minimum. TMI backfires.
2. Know Who’s Talking About You – And Reply
Keep a close watch on your “mentions” – meaning, the posts that mention your name.
Large businesses can cover most of their mentions on a good day. You have the ability to cover all your mentions every day.
3. Offer (Helpful) Information, Not Just Ads
“If you reach out to people and say ‘buy my product’ you will always fail,” says Neuman.
Tweet about articles related to your industry, or offer advice to a follower who Tweets a question that you can answer. The more good advice you give, the more people trust you as a local source of information. You can show you are experts about certain needs of local clients.
4. Find Your Clients
Don’t expect people to find you. “We run basic searches on Twitter for specific keywords that will likely lead us to users that might be potential customers,” says Imperi.
Some customers will find you, but certainly not all. You have the luxury of finding people in need of your services and extending a friendly invitation to your business through Twitter. Since you are targeting your audience, they will definitely pay attention to what you have to say through quality Tweets.
5. Offer VIP Incentives for Your Followers
This makes your followers feel special, and encourages others to start following you.
“A lot of companies are having success with limited-time, Twitter-only offers,” says Rick Mathieson, author of The On-Demand Brand.
On occasion I go to local bars near my apartment for an occasional happy hour. I used to walk the streets near me and find the first good special I saw on their signs out front. Now on Twitter, I can find the specials from several bars on any night of the week, and I will walk a few streets further to the special I like. Local businesses don’t have to leave if up to chance that their patrons will stroll by and see special or sales. Nudge them in your direction ahead of time!
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