Be Twitterrific

Twitter is a fantastic venue for online conversations. Twitter can introduce you to a large community of like-minded artists and designers. And, Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool that helps you form connections with potential customers.

Sometimes though, people abuse their allotted 140 characters. What was once an interesting conversation turns into a shouting match.

So: How do you walk the fine line between talking with your followers, and talking at them?

The important thing to remember when promoting your business on Twitter is this:

People come to Twitter to have fun, not to hear your advertisements.

Because just like any other gathering place, Twitter operates under some pretty standard social rules.

To Follow, or Not To Follow

There’s no quicker method to make me click the “Unfollow” button than to bombard me with a torrent of pushy sales pitches.

Imagine a little scenario: You and your gal pals are having lunch at a local cafe, sipping lattes and catching up. Then, uninvited, a man with a bad comb-over walks up to your table with a megaphone and starts shouting:

SOLD AND RELISTED! BUY NOW!

Whoa. What would happen next?

At best, you and friends would try to ignore him. You might get up and leave. And you’d probably never consider buying what he was selling.

My point is, strong-arm sales pitches don’t do it for me, especially not when I’m hanging out on Twitter.

Mind your Audience

So, what is a well-meaning business owner supposed to do?

If you produce a quality product or service that will improve your customers’ lives, then there is no need to be shy about promoting your business.

But before you type your next tweet, remember your audience (your followers) and what kind of information they’re interested in. The best tweets are conversational, informative, and helpful.

For example:

Instead of the old “sold and relisted” strategy, try:

I can’t believe how fast these scarves are flying off the shelves. I’m knitting so fast my fingers just caught on fire. [link]

This tweet works because it’s personal, a little funny, it tells a story– and it doesn’t feel spammy. With this short tweet I am able to share my experiences with my audience, and connect with them even more.

Here’s another:

There’s a great brainstorming session happening on MAKERY about the possibility of a dis-loyalty card in the #handmade community. [link]

Now, this tweet doesn’t direct readers to an Etsy shop or a product page, but it does inform readers about my latest blog post, and encourages their participation in the awesome conversation already in progress. So, go ahead and tweet about blog posts you’ve written. You can even share articles you’ve found interesting. Why? Because using Twitter to build a community will help build your business as well.

Next steps: What are some ways you can turn old-school advertising broadcasts into customer-focused conversations?

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