How Do Small Businesses Use Twitter

Small businesses often ask how, or if, they should be using Twitter. While Facebook and Instagram are the two most common social media platforms for small businesses, Twitter has some real strengths you should consider. 

Here are a few reasons why I like Twitter.

Diversify Connections

Twitter is a great way to expand connections and experiences by following people who are different than me. I look for opportunities to connect with people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, races, ethnicities, faiths, and perspectives.

I follow influencers, individuals, and organizations, including political representatives and candidates, sports and business leaders, musicians, photographers, educators, authors and entrepreneurs. 

Listen & Learn

I’ve relied on Twitter to learn about COVID-19 and how I can support the fight against racial injustice. I go to Twitter for news I might not hear from other sources.  

A variety of reactions to a news story I can quickly scan on Twitter may be a better use of my time than longer articles. The fast pace of the Twitter news feed can deliver play-by-play updates on news that’s evolving, with the caveat that news is rarely 100% accurate. 

Research

If you haven’t used Twitter to research customers and competitors, you are missing out!

Following your customers, or prospective customers, will help you learn more about the company culture, leaders, and challenges. 

Since many organizations use Twitter as a vehicle to respond to inquiries and customer service issues, you can get insight you won’t see on review platforms. Try searching the company or leader name without going directly to their profile and see what others are saying about them.

 As much as I like Twitter, it can also be a distraction. A few minutes scrolling through my news feed can easily lead to 30. Twitter is a great place to connect, listen and learn, and research, but I could do better with engagement, so that’s my next step.

 If you’re not on Twitter, start by setting up your account and following some people. If you are struggling with what to say, get started by liking other people’s Tweets and retweeting them. 

 Twitter can be a great resource for your business, let me know if I can help.