How To Sell On Twitter With These 13 Tips

Connecting with your audience on social media might seem as easy as posting and following, but it’s actually a lot more complex. Twitter as a marketing tool can be applied to public relations, thought leadership, brand building, and lead generation. Selling on Twitter takes skill and practice, but it’s a viable platform to grow your business that’s well worth it.

What can I sell on Twitter?

The short answer is: anything! The great thing about social media marketing is that it can be used to sell such a variety of products. There is a lot of business to be done on the Internet through many channels. There is a niche somewhere on the web for anything you might have to sell. To tap into your niche and sell on Twitter like the pros do, follow these best practices.

The internet can be unpredictable, but there are some specific steps you can take to ensure you get a positive ROI from using Twitter. No sales are guaranteed, but using some of these best practices will help you get the most out of Twitter as a sales tool.

1. Interact with your audience.

Social media was created for people to be social, so don’t be shy! Respond to your mentions and retweets, host Q&A sessions, and be active not only with your followers, but also with other relevant people in your industry. It helps build interest and trust that will also encourage your audience to join the conversation.

2. Share things that interest your market

Your stream of tweets shouldn’t just be about what you’re selling. People will be more likely to follow you if they see that you share content they want to see and posts they can relate to. And the more glances you attract to your profile, the more potential prospects you will have.

3. Monitor the reputation of your business.

Keep track of what users are saying about your business online through routine social listening. Whenever you or your product is mentioned, check what is being said so you know how people are discussing it. Analyze the information for useful insights to improve what might be preventing prospects from becoming customers.

4. Be consistent.

Twitter’s algorithm favors users who tweet frequently and consistently. To help you, there are many social media management tools that allow you to schedule posts in advance. That way, you don’t feel like you have to open the app every day and think of something new and insightful to say. A scheduler app can keep your Tweets consistent, which means your prospects will stay consistent, too.

5. Take the comments.

Don’t just watch what people are saying about your business or product, actually listen. Customers who have had a negative or positive experience can voice their opinion on Twitter. Take the free comments you would typically need to pay for a focus group and make changes that can improve your sales.

6. Stay up to date on industry news.

Stay on top of big (or small) changes in your industry by checking Twitter frequently. For example, if you’ve heard that your competitor made an important announcement but don’t know the details, search on twitter for the competitor’s name for the latest news and what people have to say about it. Twitter’s real-time updates are great for catching wind of big news before it even hits the web. This advantage will inform you of ways to gain more sales compared to the competition.

Social media has grown tremendously as a business tool, which means you’ll always be behind the competition if you don’t use it. In fact, the number of Monetizable Daily Active Users (mDAUs) of Twitter stands at 206 million people. That’s a ton of opportunities to sell on the platform. Some of these users might be in your target audience. Unfortunately, having a large number of subscribers alone does not guarantee sales, so use these tips to get the most out of the platform for business income.

Using Twitter as a platform to sell your product can be really effective if you do it right. It’s not just about building a lot of subscribers or promoting the most content. Focus on the following tips to improve your sales through Twitter.

1. Have a plan.

Don’t go blind selling on Twitter. Create a Twitter marketing strategy that works for you and your product, then execute it.

2. Determine which trends and hashtags will benefit you.

You don’t have to go viral to be seen, but you have to put yourself in a position to be found. Following relevant popular trends and using hashtags will put your profile in front of users who search for your content.

3. Create a great profile.

It is easy to completely customize your Twitter profile with adjustments tailored to your product. Even your “handle” doesn’t have to be just your business name, it can be related to your product or branding. And that also includes having a special tweet pinned that you want to draw attention to as part of your profile.

4. Establish a personality.

Are your tweets going to be humorous? Serious? Cheerful? Memes? Decide what you want people to see of your brand and how you want your Twitter profile to express it.

5. Connect with relevant influencers or followers.

Find people who are agents of change in your industry and follow them. Constantly check what they are saying and decide which collaborations could benefit your business. For example, co-branding partnerships are a mutually beneficial offer you could make to another successful brand that you connect with on Twitter.

6. Pay attention to your subscriber ratio.

Believe it or not, the myth that people care about your follow-up rate is actually true. This is a sign of your account’s success, so be more selective about which users you choose to follow.

7. Don’t be afraid of promotions.

Twitter ads are a great tool that you should take advantage of. They are a smart way to promote your brand and product once you target the right audience.

Use Twitter effectively as a sales tool

Different social media platforms require different strategies to be effective. For example, Twitter focuses on text while Instagram focuses on media. Consider the unique aspects of Twitter as a platform and use them to your advantage when developing a strategy. Social media is an important tool in selling your product that cannot be ignored as you continue to grow your business.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2009 and has been updated for completeness.