Another social network that has a significant role in social media marketing is Twitter. It is less more popular than Facebook, but it still has over 270 million active users. What differentiates this social network from the others is the micro-blogging form upon which the website is based on. Sending short messages, called ‘tweets’ is how the content is shared on this social network.
Twitter is popular among celebrities, politicians, journalists, marketing and business professionals. Twitter profiles are less personal than Facebook profiles. In fact, profiles on Twitter is for everyone, both individuals and companies. You should start developing your presence on social networks by creating an account. Provide the name, email and password and click on the “Sign up for Twitter” button. You will need to click on the verification link that will be sent to your email in order to complete the process.
After you have joined Twitter, you should add a profile image and a header photo. Additionally, you can add a bio (up to 140 characters), the URL of your website and location, which can also help you customize your Twitter profile. Twitter allows users to customize the background theme and font colors, in order to match the profile and header photo. There are options that can help you both be found on Twitter and discover new content and people that share the same interests. Here are some of the most common ways to do so:
Use hashtags
Hashtags are labels that allow people to discover content that is related to a certain topic. The popularity of hashtags grew on Twitter, to be adopted later by other social networks. For example, if you are a furniture manufacturer, add hashtags such as #marketing or #makemoney in your tweets. Users who look for those terms will be able to find your tweets easily.
Have in mind the following:
• Do not use too many hashtags in a single tweet
• A hashtags must be related to the tweet
Retweet
If you come across a tweet that you like, do not hesitate to retweet it. It is a good way to connect with other people and show appreciation. Besides, it is a good opportunity to share quality content with your followers. However, use this option in moderation, as you need to have some original content published on your Twitter profile as well.
Follow and get followed
Connecting on Twitter through following is not mutual. When you follow someone, it means that the user is notified, but that user does not necessarily have to follow you. However, Following other users is a good way to connect, and get exposure on this social network. Your goal should be to increase the number of followers, as you will also increase the base of potential customers. Only your followers will be able to see your tweets, as you update them, whereas people you follow will not see your tweets, thus you have no way of converting them into your customers.
Google+
This social network has quickly grown into the second most popular social network. Additional integrations with other Google’s services, including Google Maps and Google Search makes this network is a very powerful tool in social media marketing. Google Authorship, which is very helpful with creating online integrity and credibility, is set up through a Google+ profile. Google+ allows users to create Google+ profiles, which are supposed to be used by individuals, while Google+ pages are for companies and institutions. Profiles and pages offer some different features, due to their purpose. For example, pages include reviews and insights that can be helpful with social media monitoring, while this option is not available for Google+ profiles.
You start by creating an account on Google (if you already do not have one). You will have to create a profile first. Using that profile, you will create a page and you will automatically be the creator and admin of the page. Go to your Google+ profile and find the option “Pages” from the menu on the left. If you choose Storefront or Service Area, you will be redirected to Google Maps. Since Google+ pages of this type include local aspects and are often referred to as Local pages, there is a need to integrate Google Maps in order to provide the location of your business. If you choose the third option, Brand, there will be no need to provide the location of the business.
The next step is will be to add basic information about the Google+ page which including the following:
• Page name
• Website
• Type of page
Once you have created your Google+ page, you will be able to customize it, in order to provide additional information about your business, link your website or other social media accounts. Not only will this help people find you easily, but you will provide enough information for all of those users who accidentally find your profile on this social network and want to learn more about your business and how to reach you.
