Exclusive Virtual Assistant

Help Your Business With Twitter

The Power of Mentions

As per Twitter.com, “a mention is any Twitter update that contains @username in the body of the tweet”.  For example, if you wanted to post a tweet directed to me, it would look like this: “@MarieWalkerVA has a great blog post titled Help Your Business With Twitter”.  Now everybody that follows you can see that post. Since I get the message directly, in most cases, I will reply with a mention (“@yourusername”). Now everybody who is following me will see my reply to you. So if my followers are interested in what you had to say, they will click on your “@yourusername” and get to your Twitter profile page. If you seem interesting to them, they might even start following you. Here comes the fun part. What if you did something similar with someone who is a Top User with thousands of followers? You do the math.

Having a Niche Goes a Long Way

The more specific you are about a particular subject the more interesting you will become to your followers that share the same interests.

Have a Professional Looking Mugshot

Keep it clean and simple, but make sure that it is just you in the picture and avoid distracting backgrounds.

Make Your Profile Bio Memorable

Don’t be afraid to show who you are. Make sure to keep it professional but fun. Here is a sample of what my twitter profile bio looks like: “Professional Virtual Assistant, mother, wife, friend, dragonfly/insect lover, Nissan GT-R future owner, computer/internet enthusiast, bilingual, HABLO ESPAÑOL!” Let your followers know that you are more than just a business.

Promote Your Twitter Profile

Most likely you also use other social media sites like FaceBook, LinkedIn and MySpace.  Make sure that you link your Twitter profile to these and other sites that you use. Also, make sure not to forget your e-mail signature.

Peak Hours Work Best

Most traffic occurs at nine in the morning, at twelve noon, at three in the afternoon and at six in the evening. Of course, you would also want to test out different hours and see what kind of response you get.

The Links That You Post Should Be Of Value

You want to become your followers’ reliable source of information.

Repeating a Tweet Isn’t a Bad Thing

Go back and read the point about posting during peak hours. If you are not following this rule, then it is a good idea to repeat a post that you feel is valuable. But what if you do tweet during peak hours? Well, if you post on a regular basis, chances are that your followers may have not seen your tweet. Like with any other type of marketing, test the waters and don’t go overboard.

Engage Your Followers

Adding to the point about “@mentions,” another way to entice Twitter users to post a tweet with a mention in your name is to ask questions. Something simple like “What do you think about Michael Jackson’s movie ‘This Is It’?” That should do the trick. It is simple and current with what is happening right now.

Pictures Speak Louder Than Words

Need I say more?