The power of Twitter for small businesses: How to use social media to grow your brand

Introduction

Twitter is a powerful tool for small business owners to grow their brands. It's one of the most influential social media platforms, and it allows users to instantly share information with millions of people at once. With Twitter, you can build relationships, get feedback on new products or services before launching them into the market, and even generate sales leads through targeted hashtags.

In this article, we'll provide tips on how to use Twitter for your small business so that you can leverage its power effectively.

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Why is Twitter good for small businesses

Twitter is free to use and is a great way to promote your business and get people excited about your products or services. It's also an excellent way to connect with potential customers, build brand awareness, and authentically engage with your audience. You can use Twitter to get feedback, suggestions and ideas from customers in real-time as well as connect and build relationships with other businesses in your industry. By participating in Twitter chats, following relevant accounts, and engaging with others, small business owners can build valuable and durable relationships and partnerships.

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How to get started on Twitter

With more than 330 million monthly active users, Twitter offers businesses the opportunity to connect with a large audience to grow their business. However, creating a Twitter account and posting updates won't suffice to truly reap the benefits of the platform. Small business owners must understand the nuances of Twitter and develop a strategic approach to maximize their reach and engagement.

Here are some tips for getting started:

• When creating a Twitter account for your business, choose a handle that reflects your business name and is easily recognizable. Make sure to fill out your profile with a bio, a profile picture and a cover image that represents your brand. 
• Before you start posting on Twitter, define your goals, objectives and target audience. Use this information to create engaging content and to target your Twitter ads to reach the right people.
• Create a content strategy and plan out the type of content you will post on Twitter, including tweets, retweets, images, and videos. Your content should align with your goals and be relevant to your target audience.
• Regularly engage with other users on Twitter by commenting on their posts, retweeting their content, and participating in Twitter chats. This will help you build relationships with your followers and establish your business as an authority in your industry.
• Make sure to use hashtags in your posts as they are a great way to increase the visibility of your tweets and reach a wider audience. Use relevant hashtags in your tweets to make them more discoverable.
• Keep track of your Twitter analytics to see how your tweets are performing and adjust your strategy accordingly. Use this data to identify what content resonates with your audience and what areas you need to improve on.

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By following these steps, small business owners can establish a strong presence on Twitter and use the platform to grow their businesses.

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Consider hiring an intern with strong social media skills

If you are looking to promote and grow your business on Twitter, but don't have the time or bandwidth to do so, consider hiring a social media intern. Hiring an intern is often more cost-effective than hiring a full-time employee or outsourcing the work to a marketing agency. Interns can also bring a fresh perspective to the business, especially when it comes to social media marketing. They are often digital natives who understand social media platforms, and they can offer new ideas and strategies for growing your brand on Twitter.

Start by taking some time to work with the intern on a Twitter strategy. This strategy should outline the goals, target audience, and type of content to be shared on Twitter. Once the strategy is in place, the intern will be able to help create engaging social media content, including tweets, images, videos, and links to blog posts or other relevant content aligned with the strategy. 

The intern can also conduct research on relevant hashtags as part of your Twitter strategy, as well as engage with followers to build a community around the brand by responding to mentions, retweeting relevant content, and participating in Twitter chats.

Lastly, your intern can analyze metrics such as post engagement, follower growth, and website traffic which can help you gauge the success of the Twitter strategy and make adjustments as needed.

The Riipen marketplace is one of the best places to find an intern to help you with the creation and implementation of your Twitter strategy. With access to student talent from 430+ universities and colleges in Canada, US, UK, and Australia, you are sure to find the perfect fit for your needs.

Overall, hiring an intern can be a great way for small business owners to get help with growing their brand on Twitter without breaking the bank. It also provides an opportunity to mentor and develop young talent, which can benefit the business in the long run.

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Automate your content

Automating your content on Twitter can save you time and effort while still allowing you to consistently engage with your audience and grow your business. However, it's important to strike a balance between automated content and genuine, human interaction on the platform.

There are several social media scheduling tools available that allow you to schedule your tweets in advance. Examples include Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social. These tools allow you to schedule your tweets at specific times and dates, ensuring that your content is consistently shared with your audience.

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Conclusion

Twitter is a powerful tool for small businesses, but it may take some time and effort to get started. The key is to keep it simple and start by following people who share your interests or industry. From there, you can grow your follower base over time by tweeting regularly and engaging with other users on Twitter. 

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Whether you’re a startup, a solopreneur with ambitious plans, or a small business owner with a desire for growth, sign in or create your free Riipen employer account and access student talent from 430+ universities and colleges in Canada, US, UK, and Australia.

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About the author:

Jennifer Lussier is a bilingual Content Marketing Specialist based in Montreal, QC. With a multidisciplinary background and a desire to accomplish more for the betterment of society, she joined Riipen in 2019 as an Academic Account Manager and has since migrated to the marketing team as it is more closely aligned with her interests and expertise.

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