Tweeting: 10 marketing mistakes to avoid

Is your small business effectively using Twitter to market your products or services to existing and potential customers? If not, it should.

Aside from Facebook, it’s another major tool with marketing power. The popular microblogging site touts a growing membership of nearly 200 million registered users, making Twitter fertile marketing ground to help you attract and retain customers. But many small businesses are mystified when it comes to maximizing their exposure on Twitter and as a result, make common marketing mistakes that often have adverse effects.

To help you successfully navigate your way around Twitter, BizBytes created a list of 10 marketing mistakes small businesses make and how to avoid them.

1. Not following properly.

How many people are you following on Twitter? How many are following you? If you’ve got 10 followers, but you’re following 10,000 people, that ratio is a clear indication that only 10 of the possible 200 million Twitter users find what you have to say important enough to follow your stream. This doesn’t make a good impression on a potential customer who happens upon your brand on Twitter. Instead, make it a point to follow the people who follow you.

2. Not using direct messages correctly.

Twitter’s direct message feature, or DM, should only be used when you want to communicate directly without sharing your message with fellow followers. It’s supposed to be a private, one-on-one conversation and that’s generally how it’s used. But many small business owners use DM to solicit customers by sending messages promoting their products or services that aren’t personalized. This is generally frowned upon and turns many Twitter users off to your brand.

3. Not thanking followers personally.

When someone follows you on Twitter, you can send them an automated message thanking them. But why? It’s better to build a rapport with potential customers via Twitter by sending a personal message of thanks. It’s a great opportunity for you to find out more about the person following you. This will give you some insight into how your product or service may be helpful to that person in the future.

4. Not properly maximizing your free Twitter real estate.

One of the great things about Twitter is the ability to customize the background of your stream. That’s some prime Internet real estate. Use it wisely by adding your logo and a custom message inviting people to find out more about your product or service.

5. Not keeping it real.

This is a common mistake small business owners make. Remember, on Twitter, keeping it personal will go a long way. Don’t compose tweets that look like they are coming from your brand. Instead, you or your employees should tweet personally. Putting a personality behind each tweet will help engage more potential customers. Remember that Twitter is all about personal contact, not random interactions.

6. Spamming followers.

Spamming is a cardinal sin on Twitter, so don’t do it. It might sound like a good idea to send your followers and random nonfollowers a tweet with a link to your latest sale, but a message like that could be considered spam and you will lose followers quickly. Don’t follow people with the intent to send them sales messages. Instead, tweet a link to some useful how-to information about a topic.

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Facebook Marketing Consultant Helps Chiropractors Get an Extra 20-30 New …

(1888PressRelease) July 25, 2011 – Dr. Matthew Loop, a well know and successful entrepreneur and marketing consultant, is once again using his Internet expertise to help chiropractors utilize Facebook marketing to quickly increase practice exposure, expand their patient base, and generate more revenue.

Through DCincome.com (http://DCincome.com/go), Dr. Loop, a chiropractor himself, is able to share his marketing secrets with practitioners who want to bring-in more new patients and create multiple sources of income by using social media marketing.

“If a chiropractor is not using the latest internet marketing tools at their disposal to attract new patients or to build passive income streams, then they’re missing-out and losing money,” notes Dr. Loop.

“This is a very tough economy. That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are many new ways that chiropractors can use to help more patients and finally get paid like doctors! The secret is in understanding how to use these new, powerful social marketing tools to their fullest.”

That is Dr. Loop’s primary focus as he teaches chiropractors how to dominate Google, create an extra $20,000 per month of passive income and sign up anywhere from 20 to 30 new patients per month! This is all done by harnessing the power of the internet.

One of the primary ways in which he does this is by sharing his personally researched and proven Facebook techniques with other chiropractors through his website, teleclasses, video trainings, special webinars and seminars.

“The thing is,” said Dr. Loop, “what I teach is not a theory like most of what you see out there. It’s based on real world experience put into play by thousands of chiropractors. What people learn from me regarding Facebook may contradict information they may have heard before from other people.” He continues, “but I’ve seen what I teach work first for me and now for the masses. These are not only powerful techniques, but they are also inexpensive.”

Dr. Loop notes that his marketing techniques are revolutionary and practically guarantee an EXTRA 20 new patients a month for those that apply the strategies and are consistent. Some chiropractors are getting double that amount. The snowball can easily turn into an avalanche in just a few short weeks. He’s quick to point-out that the structure of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are perfect for chiropractic marketing. Additionally, they are free to use.

For more information on Dr. Matthew Loop, his company DCincome, and social marketing go to http://DCincome.com/go where you’ll find a free video and various other types of information relating to this groundbreaking manner of profitably using social media.

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