Twitter Can Help Small Businesses Attract Followers Customers

Twitter is the second-most popular social media site, with about 310 billion unique visitors each month, according to eBiz/MBA's August 2014 report. The study averages out rankings from four separate sources that look at social, global, and US traffic rankings.

With all those people visiting Twitter, can a small business really stand out and attract not just followers but actual customers? Of course it can, with the right kind of strategy that targets the customers it seeks:

Take Advantage of Twitter's Business-Friendly Profile Page

If you already have a Twitter account, take some time to examine your profile page. First impressions count on social media, and your Twitter profile is akin to your website homepage.

As ad agency exec Brad Friedman points out, Twitter's updated profile format introduced in April 2014 is more business-friendly. The large header (huge to those who have been on Twitter for some time) really provides a lot of real estate to promote your products or services. Plus, it adjusts to each browser — no more image cutoffs on Firefox where they look fine on IE.

Just be sure it works well on mobile devices, too. According to StatisticBrain, about 43 percent of people tweet from their mobile devices and presumably look elsewhere on Twitter that way, too. Plus, 40 percent of all Twitter users don't tweet but read on the site. Go ahead and adjust the header size, Friedman advises, and be sure to use a high-quality graphic. If you have an existing Twitter account, be sure to revisit it and upload a high-quality photo for your header.

Most updated header photos feature the product or service; San Tan Brewing Co., a microbrewery in Arizona, does a nice job with this. Others try to project a sense of calm. LifeLock, which provides online security services to businesses and individuals, chose a simple yet soothing image that works very well on mobile and looks great on a larger screen.

Try Out a Free Twitter Ad

If you tweet, look out for free advertising offers from Twitter. You have nothing to lose, right? But get the biggest bang for your freebie and think about who you want to attract. Small businesses, particularly storefronts, are most likely to benefit from geo-targeting their ads, so consider the zip codes in your area and include them in the ad specs you select. Also be sure your own business profile is complete, with your address, zip code, time zone, and other information. Twitter tracks what pages people visit and uses this information to target advertising.

Tweet a Coupon or Discount to Attract New Customers

One of the most effective ways to attract customers who will continue to follow you on Twitter is to offer discounts and coupons. Mobile and digital couponing are popular; according to RetailMeNot, online coupons nearly doubled between 2012 and 2013, and mobile coupons tripled between 2010 and 2013.

Entrepreneur recommends giving coupon recipients a feeling of exclusivity; "people like to feel they are receiving something that others aren't." A well-targeted Twitter campaign can be a nice payoff for both of you. Be sure to hashtag your coupons, says Matt Winn of Volusion, and offer them during busy shopping seasons like Black Friday. Think of other events that are relevant to your customers, such as Mothers' or Fathers' Day, Awards Season, back to school, etc., and piggyback your ads and coupons on those messages.