Businesses are discovering that Twitter is a very effective tool for marketing and sales. Your prospects and customers are talking about you and your competitors on Twitter.
Developing sales leads in today’s social media space happens when there is an established relationship based on trust, credibility and value between creators and consumers. We can’t sell what we haven’t earned.
Each one of these generates Twitter replies, retweets, hashtags and favourites, in addition to shares, comments and forwards, that can all be used to generate potential sales leads for your small business.
1. Build credibility and trust first, sell later
The ability to create, publish and market quality and consistent content that is relevant, valuable and sharable is a strong credibility asset. Content allows you to become a featured expert in your field. The expression “serving is the new selling” has proven to be right, as only trust inspires sales.
Twitter is and has become a preferred media platform for promoting content. The more you show up and build your community, the more potential leads you build who could become clients or referral sources. Each one of those shares could be a potential source.
2. Be authentic, genuine and believable
Have you read something that just speaks and connects with you, as if it was written for you? Where the personality of the writer comes across as if you are facing each other having a conversation?
The more you write like you speak and communicate as you are, the more authentic, genuine and believable you are and the more you will attract and be sought after. This may sound like fluff, but it’s not. Remember, in small businesses, people buy from other people.
“News no longer breaks. It tweets.”
See Also: How to Find Sales Leads On LinkedIn
3. Post timely, current information and trends
Breaking news happens every minute. Stories have a cycle. The news can become a new trend. Following the most current sources for news and information in your industry is critical for relevance.
Get out on top of, not behind, information and trends. Start conversations, or quickly join in on them. If you see a great blog idea, write it and post the link on Twitter as soon as you can.
4. Show the Story
The most compelling and endearing way to engage people is by showing a story about your background. This could include challenges, successes and life experiences using content and images. “Show and tell” is one of the oldest games in the world. Visual story telling is powerful, as the following eye-popping recent example from Volvo shows.
It captured images of action star Jean-Claude Van Damme doing splits between a pair of Volvo Trucks. This created a lot of interest for Volvo:
5. Don’t Oversell
This is probably the golden rule of sales. Use the 60/20/20 ratio. Overselling is selfish and a turn off. It makes it all about you — when it should be about them. And while it’s true that many people follow brands and small businesses on Twitter because they like to receive discounts and hear about special offers, no one wants a steady diet of that.
So one simple formula that works really well with regard to posting on Twitter and all social media is: 60% educate, 20% inspire, 20% sell. Why? Because if you educate and inspire people, then you have a chance of motivating them, making a quality connection and eventually selling them something you offer that can help them.
– Originally posted on SmallBizTrends
