You may or may not have a Twitter account. Chances are you probably already do, & you're probably not quiet sure what to do with it in regards to growing your business. After all you only have 140 characters to work with. There's these crazy #hashtag things. And what in the heck is #FF?
My hope is that this article will help you answer the question: How do I use Twitter to grow my business?
According to a study done by San Antonio marketing research firm Pear Analytics, here's how Twitter users use twitter according to percentages:
- Pointless babble – 40%
- Conversational – 38%
- Pass-along value – 9%
- Self-promotion – 6%
- Spam – 4%
- News – 4%
Twitter is a social network, so it's important to be sociable. Join in a conversation. Get to know people & allow people to get to know you.
Think of it as public texting, where you can share ideas, thoughts, & feelings. It's there that you find like minded people who will be able to share valuable information, ideas, & inspiration that will help you grow your business.
Immediately you can follow big name people in the industry & learn from them. Not only can you learn their techniques that they use in the salon, but you can also learn the techniques that they use to conduct their business. Remember: they're not just successful because they know how to mix chemicals & use a pair of scissors. They're successful because they know how to run their business. And you will be, too, if you allow yourself to learn from them.
Given that Twitter is the 3rd largest social networking website in the world, I'm sure that some of your clients are on their & that you're following each other. As you can see from the numbers above, Twitter's really not a great platform for marketing yourself to existing clients or possible clientele.
Sure, it's ok to let your Twitter followers know about upcoming sales & specials. But the truth of the matter is it's just not going to bring a whole lot of business into the salon. People on Twitter just don't want to be advertised to.
If you have a website or a blog then post your articles or post pictures of clients that you've recently done. Show off your work! Let them see how good you are! That ads value to who you are as their stylist.
As far as self-promotion goes, there's plenty of other places online where you can do that & it will have a more measurable impact on your business & sales. Try not to focus too much on marketing & promoting on Twitter. Honestly, it will leave you frustrated you if you do.
Instead, focus your Twitter energy on networking. This is where you will find the most satisfaction by finding people & resources that will help your business grow & be profitable.