1. Commit

While incorporating social media in your marketing strategies you have to commit time and resources. It is not a one time engagement. There is a continuous chatter around your company and brand, so proactively keeping a real time tab on this chatter is what is needed in social media.

2. Communicate

There has to be a purpose for your communications with the customer. Marketing is one thing and establishing relationship with your stakeholders what can differentiate your uniqueness. To be frank the only reason companies are jumping into the social bandwagon is because their customers want to be heard. Talk, listen and establish relationships is what social is all about.

There is a lot of chatter around your brand both positive, negative and neutral. If you proactively respond and connect well with your customers it will not be too late when your stakeholders will become your brand ambassadors. Let your stakeholders collaborate with you to market your brand to form a bigger consumer base.

5. Create Content

Think like publisher and not like a marketer on Social Media. Write compelling, interesting, and engaging articles, blogs, tweets etc. on various social networking sites. Also write content relevant to your company strategy. First determine your audience then write what they want to hear, what is relevant to them.

7. Consistently Consistent

Twitter is a complicated puzzle to many small business owners and particularly fatal if you mess it up. It has a steep learning curve but the returns are exponential when you are passionate to stay the course. Twitter is one tool that can be used to drive traffic to your blog. Here are some simple yet critical ways you can capitalize to make more people read your blogs.

1. Business Logo

Once you have created a twitter account for your small business, first thing you should do is change your default picture to your business logo. Branding is very important as people will relate to your company logo and this is the first step to help you build trust worthy relationships.

2. Start conversations – Be Sincere

One thumb rule for twitter is never directly market here. You have to build communities with your earnesty. Customers tend to look through a company if they start marketing right from the moment they start twittering. Start tweeting and connect with influential people and customers that are impacting the business landscape for you. You will be surprised to know “sincerity is what attracts people”. So step in your transparent shoes, be truthful to your stakeholders. Your competitors are already doing so.

3. Complete Bio Profile

I have seen many companies who do not bother to complete their Bio Profile after creating their accounts. Bio Profile is nothing but a brief write up on what your company does within 160 characters. This is vital if you are looking at creating communities and meeting people and companies relevant to you. Also remember bio lines have to give some useful information about your company, it can just be keywords of the services your company provides. It does not have to be in complete sentences but should carry the right keywords.

4. Customize your Twitter Background

Just like any billboard on the roads used to market brands, Twitter background is a very good place to brand your small business. This can be used to draw attention to your brand. There are many twitter background applications that can be used to customize the background like Twitrbackgrounds, Twitrounds , Twibacks.

5. Social Proof

Twitter may be a challenge to many people but unfortunately this may add more to your challenges. Potential people and consumers look at your social proof i.e. how many people are following you, who and how many people are you following and the number of tweets you post. As I have already mentioned in my earlier tweets, the ideal following versus followers ratio should be 1:10. In the beginning people will slowly trickle in to follow you but as you consistently and patiently continue conversing with your potential community it will not be late when you have an out-pour of people who want to follow you and be a part of your community.

After a trial and error of implementation at our company i.e iridium Interactive, our team is fully aware of the power of engaging communities via twitter.Its all about being patient, consistent and transparent. If you have all these three ingredients topped with the passion to experiment you will have a successful stint in twitter and a huge community of people.

Keep reading on, as I will answer Twitter FAQs in my next Wisdom Series.

Follow us on @iridiuminter or my personal twitter @sbharatam