{"id":438,"date":"2012-12-11T17:55:52","date_gmt":"2012-12-11T17:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=438"},"modified":"2012-12-11T17:55:52","modified_gmt":"2012-12-11T17:55:52","slug":"how-to-make-sure-your-small-business-tweets-stand-out-from-the-crowd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/how-to-make-sure-your-small-business-tweets-stand-out-from-the-crowd\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make sure your small business Tweets stand out from the crowd"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to advising small business owners about getting the most out of Twitter, Lisa Barone lays it on the line in \u201cBe Loud on Twitter or Don\u2019t Bother Trying<\/a>,\u201d which recently ran on Small Business Trends<\/a>. Twitter is noisy, says the VP of Strategy at an East Coast web design and development firm. To effectively use Twitter, which is the second most popular social network, according to Nielsen and NM Incite in their\u00a0 Social Media Report 2012<\/a>, you need to rise about the noise level. Essentially, it\u2019s not just how much you Tweet, but what you Tweet that makes your company and brand stand out.<\/p>\n

Being memorable \u2013 in a positive way of course — is a goal of any marketing effort. It\u2019s more challenging today because any company can easily and cost-effectively jump into the social networking conversation<\/a>. That\u2019s why your Tweets \u2013 or any of your social media posts for that matter \u2013 need to strongly convey your message. You also need to be sure not to disappoint your followers with useless or irrelevant content.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Here are a few of Barone\u2019s Twitter suggestions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Use characters wisely: You have 140 characters to get your message across. Make sure they count. Also consider that Twitter users are looking for quick nuggets to encourage them to click on your link or something to re-tweet to share with their friends. Grab their attention early on in your message to get followers to act.<\/p>\n

Personalize your content: Keep in mind that people who follow you have decided to do so because they value your input. If you share a link you find useful, add your commentary to it or pick out a line from the post and use that instead of the title.<\/p>\n

Find ways to engage:\u00a0 Be proactive. Don\u2019t wait for people to come to you; insert yourself in the conversation. Search to find out what people are saying about your topic and jump in. Find conversations related to your business and introduce yourself. Connect with users who retweet your content.<\/p>\n

And as you are planning or revising your Twitter strategy for the New Year, here are few things to AVOID:<\/p>\n