Is Twitter still relevant today? It depends!

Users on social media platform change year by year, but one thing remains the same—every platform has its own corner of the market. If you are successful reaching your audience with your message on ANY platform, you should stick with it. Meanwhile …

Twitter has a global presence with users spread out to all corners of the globe. Its mission statement: To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.

It’s a unique social platform. Used effectively, it can be a tremendous asset in growing your personal brand. If you are just “on” Twitter, then you are missing out on a huge opportunity to brand yourself among colleagues, clients, and industry leaders. If you are going to take advantage of this platform, really use it!

The first step to branding on Twitter is to implement a personal branding strategy. When developing your strategy here are a few things to consider:

• Your target audience and the type of followers you hope to attract
• The message you are attempting to send to your followers about your professional brand
• Your clearly defined goals in terms of what you are trying to accomplish

Make sure that your profile is complete and ready to attract followers from your target market. In order to do so, you will want to put a powerful personal branding statement as your header. The effectiveness of your brand statement will be a big determining factor in your ability to attract new followers.

Secure your Twitter handle and make sure that it is effective in conveying your brand message. Whether your account is for your business or a personal account, having a strategic Twitter handle that reflects your brand is critical.

Become known as an industry expert by sharing value-based content. Twitter is a great place to share your blog posts, company marketing materials, YouTube videos, or any other digital content that will enhance your image as a thought leader among your network. Utilizing Twitter for content sharing will greatly enhance your viewership and get your message out to a wider audience. Make sure to use strategic hashtags to help your Tweets reach an even broader audience outside of your followers.

Once your content starts getting favorited and re-Tweeted you will see the ripple effect take hold. The more you Tweet about the topics you want to be known for, the more impact you will have on your followers. Don’t be shy! Tweet away!

Follow both your current clients and perspective clients. One of the bylaws of Twitter effectiveness is to SHARE others’ content! Don’t make it a one-sided relationship. Make sure to interact with your followers on their Tweets, and re-Tweet when appropriate. Engaging your target market via Twitter will help you stay top of mind with clients.

Integrate Twitter into your other branding efforts. Make sure to link your Twitter account with your LinkedIn account. Add your Twitter handle to your email signature. Attach it to your website and to your blogs.

Share some personal Tweets as well. Twitter is an opportunity for you to get to know your network better, and for them to get to know you. It is a proven fact that people do business with people they know, like, and trust. Many times a personal Tweet about something non-business related will catch someone’s attention if it is about something that they too are passionate about. Well done non-business related Tweets can be a valuable tool to build rapport with clients.

So don’t ask if Twitter is relevant today, ask whether or not it is relevant to you—and your message—today!

Beth Kelzer
Follow Beth at LinkedIn.com/in/marybkelzer
CareerToolboxUSA

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