#12 How to use twitter for beginners

Before I jump into this podcast and post about how to use twitter for beginners I really want to emphasis something from the get go

DON’T GET OVERWHELMED WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS &

DO NOT SPEND YOUR WHOLE DAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA! (Unless it’s your job!)

I’m sorry to shout but I really want you to understand this so I can help you grow your business with the little time you have in between those manic school runs.

Before you implement any of these twitter tips – figure out what social media platform to concentrate on first – this will eliminate overwhelm. If the bulk of your customers only use facebook then why are you spending all your time on twitter?

Remember social media is an extension of your business, it builds your brand, customers are more likely to trust you and its a way for you to engage and as the name suggests be SOCIAL

Ok without further a do let me introduce you to todays special guest –

Dior Simms is a Mum of 2 from South London, she is a multiple business owner and on a mission to create a better life for her kids – I instantly connected with Dior and I’m so happy you can listen to our twitter for beginners discussion.

You will love how real & truthful this episode is – I LOVE & appreciate when guests come on the podcast who are just honest and tell us info that will really benefit us – high five’s to Dior!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN

• How Dior met the CEO of Mulberry through twitter!

• What exactly is a hashtag & how to effectively use them to grow your followers

#twittertip (see what I did there 🙂 )

• Why twitter may not be the right platform for you and your business

• How to get quality followers

• Why unfollowers are great!

• The best time to post on twitter

 

HOW TO USE TWITTER FOR BEGINNERS

 

• USERNAME

– Pick a twitter name that reflects your business and is preferabbly the same name as your other social media platforms – you can only write up to 15 characters

E.g My business name is Mum to Millionaire on every social media platform EXCEPT twitter as that name is too long (darn it!) so I had to shorten it to MumToMillion

– Create a separate business account to your personal account

 

• HEADER

Make use of the twitter header – It should describe your business, who you are and what you do

I think this is a great example from Social Media author Alex Stearn – Her header instantly shows what she does, promotes her business in a professional way and it’s consistent with her brand.

 

• SHARE

Share your thoughts on topics relevant to your industry and set your account to PUBLIC (not private)

 

• BIO

Write a clear description in your bio and remember you can only write up to 160 characters so make it good! Try different wording and see what works for your brand – remember you can change your description over time.

TIP – You can put relevant hashtags # in your bio – for example I could write #Mumpreneur #BusinessMum or #Entrepreneur

 

• HASHTAGS

Like we just mentioned – make use of the # – You could even create your own # to get people involved in your business, start a discussion, grow your followers and market your business

Example – Dior created the hashtag #ParentpreneurHour – Once a week she gets her followers to tweet what their business is and she retweets everyone who uses that hashtag

Dior’s followers then get exposure on her account and in turn she can also gain more followers on her own account.

Really hope that makes sense – If you are still unsure ask any questions you want in the comment section below this post

 

• UNFOLLOWERS are good

Okay, okay this podcast is all about how to use twitter for beginners and we’re teaching you how to get followers BUT remember you want followers who are engaged with you and sharing your content. Who wants thousands of followers if they are not buying your products or even know what you’re currently up to!?

I used to feel disheartened when people used to unfollow me on one of my twitter accounts! But now I’ve learnt that if someone unfollows me that is actually great news – Horray and goodbye to them!

 

•  TIMES TO POST ON TWITTER

Timing varies with who your followers are – Mine and Diors audience are business parents so we tend to get more interaction from 6.30am or after the kids are asleep around 9pm

 

• TWEET ETHICS

– Tweet relevant content to keep your followers engaged. This can be about something interesting that has happened in your business, a great blog post you have just written or a link to something informative you have just read on someone else’s website

– Tweet people to say thank you when they follow you

I think this is such a great tip from Dior and really need to start doing this! Now, if you are getting lots of people following you everyday this may be difficult to implement but just try and tweet people when you can

 

• TWITTER STRATEGY

Sit down with a bit of paper and think about what your twitter strategy is – implement the tips we have already talked about. When are you going to schedule your tweets? What are you going to tweet? Most importantly, what is your business goal for using twitter in the first place?

 

• EVENTS

When you go to events (or anywhere for that fact!) use the hashtag the event has created. I went to The Business Show and when I was there tweeted about how I enjoyed it, tips I learnt from other entrepreneurs and pictures of the event.

Because I used there hashtag #tbs2014 (image below) AND tweeted The Business Show official twitter account – they noticed and as a result asked me to be an ambassador for them this year.

 

So….wherever you go – if it is relevant to your followers and niche TWEET! You never know who you could connect with on twitter.

In the podcast Dior reveals how she got a meeting with the CEO of Mulberry – THROUGH TWITTER!

 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST

• Dior Simms – Founder of Mummies & Daddies business club & Designer outlet tours

• Dior’s twitter & My twitter 

• Hootsuite – easily schedule your social media posts – Listen to the full episode on how to use it

• Best & worst times to post on social media – Infographic

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING

Please click here to subscribe to this podcast on itunes and never miss a show! Join hundreds of other business Mums just like you.

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The little things like this will help Mum to Millionaire grow and help even more Mums and Dads across the world – yes I am on a mission and I really hope you are too!

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If we help each other we can ALL build successful businesses and create incredible lives for our children

 Be Confident, Be Brave, Be You – Thank you for being part of the Mum to Millionaire journey

Veena xx