You might be wondering why I’m writing about Twitter on a market research site. You already know that Twitter is often the place to go for the most immediate source of news — not to mention customer service. But if you really want to ultimately use Twitter as a resource for connecting with your clients, customers and audience so that they share their insights with you, then there are a few things you need to be doing.
Building a brand on Twitter does not often happen overnight. Although you may find yourself stumbling across marketers with hundreds of thousands of followers, it is more than likely this occurred due to consistent updating, interacting with followers and taking the time to build one’s own personal brand and image in the online Twitter-sphere. 
Create a Bio and Professional Online Presence
Creating a bio using your Twitter account is necessary to help represent your online presence, official website and any other URLs you plan to promote with your brand using social media. Adding a Twitter bio that is thorough, direct and to the point is essential to help other marketers and potential influencers in your local area or industry and niche to find and follow you within the community themselves.
You also have the option of adding in your website’s official URL into your Twitter bio in addition to linking other social media pages you run including Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and even Tumblr or Instagram. The more connected you are able to stay with your followers, the easier it is to maintain their loyalty over time, regardless of whether you are promoting services, products or even online content regularly.
Determine Popular Local Influencers
Determining the most popular local influencers in your area is a great way to get started on Twitter, regardless of the niche or market you are trying to appeal to with your brand. Seeking out popular influencers on Twitter is possible by searching for local hashtags and also by setting your overall Twitter location while seeking out potential individuals to connect with personally.
Conducting research daily for the most influential people in your area who is also working in your business or industry can often lead to potential guest blog posts, retweets, favorite tweets and even press and interviews, depending on the connections you have obtained with the use of Twitter and additional social media tools and apps available on the market today.
Tweet Consistently
Updating your Twitter and official blog or website consistently is also a key factor to consider when attempting to build a brand or business from the ground up in any market or field. Tweeting consistently is not only a way to generate more potential page views and sales on your official website or blog, but it is also a way to maintain a connection with any of your loyal fans or followers who are genuinely interested in the products, services or content that you have to offer.
Updating your Twitter account at least once a day and even a few times daily with new content, news and products or services is a way to maintain relevance. Ensure you are also capable of staying up to date and tracking the latest hashtags and trends that are on Twitter, both locally and internationally to help stay within the conversation that is most popular at all times within the community.
Using Twitter to communicate directly with local journalists, marketers and those who are also involved in business and entrepreneurship is also a way to quickly build a follower base while also gaining credibility and a professional reputation in any field and industry. The more you reach out and connect, the easier it becomes to discover new potential opportunities, partnerships, affiliate programs and other options that can help to boost and build your brand even more, whether you are trying to grow a local store, an eCommerce store or an international brand that is known worldwide.
Get Involved With Those You Follow And Your Followers
Any time you begin following new individuals on Twitter, you can send messages or even directly send a tweet to them, depending on your preferences. There are also tools and automated applications that help in sending DMs, or “Direct Messages” on Twitter to your new followers or those you have chosen to follow, depending on the type of message you want to leave for any new individual you are trying to connect with online.
Connecting with your followers frequently is not only a way to build brand loyalty, but it is also a way to boost your professional reputation and credibility. Interacting with online followers is also a great method of giving away freebies, products and even services you have to offer to help with spreading the word of the brand or business you are promoting and sharing within the Twitter community.
Always be sure to reach out with personalized messages that are direct and honest, especially when connecting with individuals for the first time. The more honest, sincere and individual your messages appear, the easier it is to capture the attention of new followers or those who are also in the same line of work or business as you. Maintaining sincerity is also essential to boost a brand’s reputation over time with both customers and potential networking partners.
Monitoring and tracking current trends with Twitter hashtags is also essential whenever you are interested in gaining followers and staying involved with the live community at all times. Tracking hashtags is possible by doing so after setting a location with Twitter’s system or by tracking various international hashtags that are trending worldwide with all of the users on Twitter sentiment analysis at the time.
You also have the option of searching for hashtags or creating your own using the “#” prior to adding the word or phrase you want to share with your followers or potential customers online. Searching for hashtags using Twitter is possible after logging in using the “Search” feature within the Twitter interface itself.
The more you know about marketing on Twitter with the use of an official online presence, social media and communication, the easier it becomes to build a reputable professional image regardless of the industry you are working in and represent. Having a professional and credible reputation online is not only a way to garnish more potential fans and online followers, but it can also lead to more potential sale leads and the generation of additional revenue and income altogether.
photo credit: mkhmarketing via photopin cc
