Twitter Tips for the Engaged Entrepreneur

What are some of the ways businesses can use Twitter as a marketing tool? The power of Twitter comes from its ability to be a relationship-building tool. It should not be treated as a blatant marketing tool. Just as the door-to-door salesman doesn't make many friends knocking on doors, the Twitter user who attempts to market and sell will not fit into the culture of the site.

There is a four-step process to building relationship that leads to sales: Like me, know me, trust me, pay me. Twitter is not just like real life. It is real life. You cannot circumvent the process of relationship-building and expect great results. The good news is that for the engaged businessperson, Twitter allows you to move people through the relationship-building steps much faster and more efficiently than traditional means of marketing.

Businesses can build this kind of relationship successfully when they are interested in others and when they become interesting to others. This doesn't necessarily happen through direct marketing. It happens by engaging in a dialogue with others, seeking to bring value to the conversation. It happens through participation in the community, demonstrating that you place value on your potential customers as people and not as a potential customer. There has been a paradigm shift in Twitter; one that gets back to the basics of building a following based on the value you bring, not necessarily the products or services you wish to sell.

What are some of the ways businesses can use it as a sales tool? Sales are a by-product of relationship and branding done properly. Twitter allows businesses access to millions of people, some of who can become raving fans. Whether local, regional, national or international, having a large network of followers provides an opportunity to introduce people to your products and services just by having a Twitter presence and engaging with other members.