Using Twitter for your eCommerce Business

By Geoff Jackson on 27 February 2010 @ 11:42 PM.

Tags: ecommerce, twitter.

Getting Started Using Twitter for Business

Okay, so you've heard of Twitter, the latest social media phenomenon, but how do you use it effectively for your ecommerce business? Here are some great starter tips to ensure you are ready to get the most out of your Twitter stream and to really connect with your customers and reap the value!

Getting started

If you haven't already, then get yourself over to Twitter and sign up for an account. You will be lucky if you can secure your ideal username as there are now over 50 million registered members on Twitter. However, when setting up your business on Twitter try and adhere to these guidelines:

1. Try and select a username that best identifies and represents your business, if you are active on other social media channels, it is important to try and use the same username on all your accounts to develop your online brand. Creating an official Twitter account under your business name may prove the most effective way of tweeting special offers, promotions, deals and sales. Alternatively you can use an individual within the company as the face of the business, which adds a personal touch to your communication.
2. Ensure you upload an avatar that represents your brand effectively, a 73pixel x 73pixel sized image can tell people a lot about you. If you are creating a Twitter account for your business, it is best that your avatar is your company logo. Ensure it is in proportion, up to date and optimised. If you going to tweet for your company under your personal identity then a clear, professional avatar showing your face works best
3. Complete your Bio, Location and Website fields on your account to give your followers as much information as is available They will be following you as they are interested in your company so make them feel like they really know you, and offer straight and factual information. You will also find that this is the first place potential new followers look before deciding whether you are worth following and if you can add any value to their Twitter stream; an empty Bio description doesn't tell anyone why you are worth following!
4. Customise your Twitter profile background, make it personal. Incorporate your company's graphics and colour scheme, check out this good tutorial online to create a custom Twitter background using the correct dimensions.
5. Use a legitimate, appropriate and professional font. You probably aren't making a good impression for your company if you are using a Comic Sans typeface for example.

How and what to tweet

1. It is important to engage with your followers, whether they are customers, people interested in your brand, fans or enthusiasts of your industry. Reply to everyone who mentions you.
2. Don't just self promote! Use a mix or engaging tweets amongst the promotional tweets. Nobody wants to listen if all you are doing is trying to sell sell sell to your followers.
3. Ask questions; Twitter's micro-blogging interface gives you the perfect opportunity to obtain feedback about your services or the products you sell.
4. Be yourself, let your followers know you are human and that you have thoughts, opinions and social skills instead of just representing your brand or maintaining your Twitter account in a robotic manner.
5. Use your Twitter account to extend your level of customer service, allow and encourage questions, queries or problems about your products/services. Always do what you can to develop the conversation and build a strong community of followers.

The reward comes naturally.

How to manage Twitter without "wasting time"

Even now, many businesses still do not see the value in Twitter and raise the argument that it wastes too much time that they see little or no return from. There are many tools and applications available now to help keep you on top of managing your Twitter account(s). Here are some recommendations:

1. CoTweet - Web based platform that helps companies reach and engage customers using Twitter. Allows the management of multiple accounts and users simultaneously.
2. TweetDeck - Desktop application that allows you to manage multiple accounts and users and create customised groups that allow you to extract your quality followers from the rest.
3. Ping.fm - Allows you to post to many other social network services as well as Twitter from your mobile phone (SMS/MMS) so you can manage your account(s) whilst your on the move and not just in the office.
4. Twitpic - Share photos on Twitter either via their website or post direct from your mobile. Great for when your getting some new products listed on your website and you want to let your customers know.
5. TwitterHawk - Targeted marketing on Twitter, track and monitor by keyword who is talking about your brand, services or products and automatically send replies to them each time these keywords are triggered.
6. SocialOomph (Formerly TweetLater) - Automate aspects of your Twitter account to save you time, although we wouldn't only recommend very little account automation, this tool can still prove great when used in the correct manner.

About the Author

Geoff is more commonly recognised online by his internet pseudonym 'zigojacko'. He is the Director of Search at Clubnet Search Marketing, founder of The Clubnet Group and has a huge involvement in the music, clubbing and entertainment sector where he also manages operations at Clubnet UK

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