Twitter Marketing Strategy & System

I'm a real fan of having systems in place in my business. And I believe there isn't a more important system to have in place as your marketing. This allows you to take consistent action to grow your business, hire help as and when needed, and follow an established effective process to attract new leads. One of those sub-systems in your marketing would be to manage your Twitter presence - if you chose to use Twitter for marketing that is! Here's how to get it set up and running for your coaching business.

First of all, let's be clear - Twitter is not for everyone. Just because other coaches and colleagues you know are on Twitter, doesn't mean it's right for your business.

>> TWEET THIS <<

Step 1. Is Twitter right for you?

Before jumping all in into Twitter marketing, consider the following points:

Twitter is all about short to the point messages, if you prefer to write longer copy and just can't limit yourself to around 100 characters - you might struggle.
Successful Twitter users are consistently active on Twitter: sending out a mix of update and replying to any comments and mentions they receive. If you don't like the idea of monitoring your Twitter account daily, this might not be for you.
Some Twitter newbies start by sending out a stream of promotional messages all about them (check out my offer!, read my blog!, here's my affiliate link!) - but Twitter is about mixing social and business. If you'd rather be more business, than social chit-chat, this might not be the right social media network.
Now if you've decided it's something you want and need to use as part of your marketing strategy - read on on how to do it.

Step 2. Set up your Twitter account.

Setting up an account is free - you need to create your profile, fill in information about your business, website link and so on. The usual stuff you would expect in a social media profile!

Next you would want to brand your account by adding a profile image that will showcase your business and what you offer.

In the infographic below you'll find the best dimensions to use when creating an image - you could use free tools like Canva.com, GIMP and PicMonkey to create your image. Or you can hire a designer to do it (for example, we offer social media set up and branding packages - "Social Media Kickstarter" - contact me for more information).

Step 3. Choose you will connect and why.

With over 200 million active users monthly, it's easy to get lost and overwhelmed. Who should you connect with? Where can you find those people? What will you say?

Start by creating a checklist of who you need to connect with:

current and past clients - as they already know and like you, they are more likely to share your messages and talk to you;
current and past suppliers - similar to clients, they can become your connectors to other potential clients;
business partners - businesses you work with already or could form mutually helpful relationships in the future;
useful business resources - websites and blogs that you follow so that you could share their useful information with your followers;
potential ideal clients - you don't know exactly who they are, but you can create a detailed description of what they like and where to find them.
As you start building relationships with the first 4 groups, you will start coming across people from your ideal clients list. You might not always know if a few follower could be a client, so keep an open mind and don't jump with a sales pitch at each new connection :)

If the first 3 groups are aware about who your ideal client is (who you are looking for), they might make introductions and referrals for your business through Twitter.

Step 4. Create your marketing system.

Now you have your account and your audience, it's time to create a system of what you will say to them and when.

Social media marketing is all about balancing social and business in the right proportion - too much social, and you'll be wasting valuable time on social media. Too much business - and you'll look like a spammer and not a real engaging person.

>> TWEET THIS <<

Marketing tools you will need to use:

BufferApp or HootSuite to track your account and schedule messages;
Twitter mobile app to reply on the go to replies and direct messages your receive;Tweriod to analyse the best times to tweet - when your followers are active - and re-check on the regular basis.
1. Work out when your followers are active each day - so that the messages you send out have the most impact. These times vary from account to account and are unique to you.

2. Create your messages using Buffer or Hootsuite:

Questions about your followers likes and problems,
Coaching tips and quick solutions,
Inspirational statements,
Links to your blog posts and articles,
Links to your resources and websites,
Links to third party content (blogs, articles, videos, podcasts) that your followers will find helpful,
Answers to questions you often get asked about your business,
Personal insight into your business, your operations, your hobbies and likes.
3. Mix and match messages - so that each day you send a variety of messages covering several groups from the list above.

4. Less is more - the key is not about sending 10s of messages every day, and therefore spending hours every week writing them up. Especially at the beginning - keep your account active, be helpful and spend time listening to what your followers are actually talking about between themselves. So that in time you can learn to craft messages that will link into those conversations and attract their attention!

5. Be active with replies - using your mobile app, check daily (or even several times per day) for responses, RT's and messages you receive. Reply, thank, comment as appropriate but don't keep your followers waiting for days - Twitter conversations are fast in their nature so timely responses will increase followers' engagement with you.

6. Review what works - on the regular basis use the Analytics part in your chosen social media management tool to review what works well. What messages receive the most response? What links get clicked or retweeted? Take note and adjust your future messages to get more of them working for you.

7. Stay consistent and persistent - after the first couple of months it's easy to get discouraged if you don't see immediate 2-3x increase in your turnover. Or gain 100s of followers. Or sell 100s of digital products. However social media marketing is a long-term strategy, all about slowly growing your presence through the right connections. So stay consistent with your messages and your replies. And stay persistent with not giving it up straight away.

Twitter Marketing Strategy - Infographic

The strategy above is summarised in this infographic - feel free to share and pin it:

twitter-marketing-tips

Your action this week:

Have you tried Twitter as part of your marketing strategy ? Did you feel it worked well?

Which of the tips and steps above do you believe would be the most useful for your business?

Share in the comments below.

P.S. if you are struggling with creating and implementing marketing strategies in your business, then marketing mentoring might be just what you need. I work with a selected group of clients 1-to-1 to create measurable and effective strategies to marketing their business. You get direct access to me, resources and guides, training and hands-on support, accountability and coaching - as part of the Digital Marketing Mentoring. Spaces are open for September start - find out more here.