Guest Post by Askley Faulkes of Mad Lemmings

Sometimes I think Twitter is like the misunderstood child of social media.

Facebook is where your friends and family are.

LinkedIn is where you go for jobs related stuff.

And Pinterest is where you pin your dreams.

But where does Twitter fit in? Especially when we are talking about business, or more specifically, your business.

In this post I want to go over some of the benefits, well-known and otherwise, of Twitter.

Some Say Twitter is Like a Cocktail Party

Unlike other social media platforms, Twitter is very much a cocktail party-like experience.

You can jump in and out of conversations.

Make a comment here and there.

Meet new and interesting people with little or no introduction.

And oftentimes, have a laugh in the process.

Once you come to understand and appreciate the way Twitter works, you will wonder why there aren’t more social media platforms like it.

After all, where else in the world can you…

Connect So Easily with Anyone, Even Influential People

Twitter is one of the easiest places to connect with people on the web.

Although it is not the only major benefit of Twitter, it is something quite unique and powerful that only this platform has.

When you are logged in to Twitter, you have the ability to connect with anyone else on there.

Unlike most other social media platforms, Twitter allows you to follow people, even if you don’t directly connect (ie. they don’t follow you back).

I guess it is a little like stalking, but in a nice way. You can keep up to date with people you respect, without needing them to be aware of you.

And of course you can easily connect with celebrities too!

Ok, perhaps not actual celebrities. Brad Pitt will probably not respond to your tweet, but influential people in your niche might.

And those are the ones you want to get in touch with. The ones that can amplify your message, your content, your tweets.

This can accelerate your growth like almost nothing else on the web.

I used this idea successfully last year, when I wrote a blog post on Social Media and Blogging Influencers.

Many of them I was already connected with on Twitter. And of course, even more after!

But it does not stop there. You can also

• connect with like-minded people
• connect with potential customers
• connect with plain-old “fun to chat with” people.

Other times, you can just sit and watch.

Because Twitter is also…

Like Watching the 6 o’clock News

As you might know, Twitter invented hashtags – or at least some of their users did.

And we know they are amazing, because TV shows and movies are now using them too.

What bigger endorsement can there be? Well, getting into Wikipedia maybe.

But what does all this mean for you?

Twitter enables you to monitor specific topics and trends. And using hashtags is one of the most powerful ways you can do this.

What this means is that Twitter is a place to keep your finger on the pulse of your niche, by watching the topics that affect you, as they happen.

Be the first to get the breaking news in your area of expertise, and pass that on to your followers.

It will help you become an expert and a respected source of information in your niche.

After all, this is the reason most reporters are on Twitter.

And this is almost impossible to do on any other social media channel.

But you don’t have to do this by hand…

There are Powerful Tools to Help You

Because Twitter is such a massive source of information, there are a lot of tools around to help you leverage this powerful resource.

There are tools for:

• monitoring information in real time
• chatting on specific topics
• finding information and conversations that interest you
• discovering people that you want or need to connect with
• automating your tweets at the optimal times
• and much much more

This means that although Twitter itself may not always be simple to use, there are very specific tools available to help you achieve your goals.

If building your network is your focus on Twitter, then I can point you to a number of tools to achieve that goal. I use them all the time.

It could also be that you are looking to find customers who need your services. They are also on Twitter, tweeting their problems out loud.

And you can find them. With the right tools and know-how.

Monitoring your brand might also be on the agenda, and there are ways to do this too.

Twitter can almost do it all.

Which begs the question…

What Are You Waiting For?

Twitter is one of the best places for small businesses and entrepreneurs to be.

Not only is it a great place to network, but you will find customers, information and much much more.

So why not get involved on Twitter?

The benefits are astounding.

 

Want to learn more? Join me July 15-17th, get virtual access and the recording  at the Women of Power Virtual Summit by registering here!