Twitter has recently become one of my favorite social media platforms.
It’s the perfect place to connect with likeminded creatives, build friendships and share your work.
The mistake a lot of business owners make when promoting their business on Twitter is only tweeting their content, services and products.
That’s not going to work on Twitter.
Have you heard of the 80/20 rule? You can apply this rule to ANYTHING in life, but we're going to apply it to the wonderful world of Twitter. Here’s what it comes down to:
Use 20% of your content to promote your brand, and dedicate 80% to content that really interests your audience and engages them in conversation.
Twitter isn’t a place to shout about you, you, you. Twitter is the place to build relationships and community.
I experimented with Twitter. I went through a month where I used Twitter to primarily promote my blog posts and services. When I looked at my statistics, barely anyone was clicking on my links.
I then spent a couple of months applying the 80/20 rule and promoting other people’s content more than my own.
The result?
My tweets started getting more and more clicks and the link in my Twitter bio was getting more action too! This was because I was building up a reputation as someone who shares high-quality posts my audience enjoys.
When your audience discovers you’re sharing amazing content, they begin to trust in your expertise, click more of your tweets and interact with you more.
I’ve built my Twitter following to almost 8000 followers, and over the years I’ve discovered a few audience-building techniques that have helped me develop not only a large audience there, but an interactive one. (You can find these tips and dozens more in my ebook, Social Splash!)
Ready for my tried’n’tested strategies? Here they come, friends!
My 5 favourite Twitter strategies for finding clients
1. Create a list of people you’re going to reach out to every week.
This is by far the best thing I did to build relationships with influencers and my followers.
Making a list of people to connect with every week sounds a little odd or fake, but I promise you it isn’t. For me, it was the only way I could stay organized and purposeful with my Twitter marketing.
Write down 5 people you’re going to connect with every single week so it doesn’t become something you forget. Then, stick the paper up near your workspace so you’re reminded every day to reach out to someone on Twitter.
Building relationships on Twitter is easier than you may think. You can simply send a tweet starting a conversation with someone or genuinely complimenting them.
If you feel like that’s a little forward, you could just tweet someone’s blog posts on a regular basis. People always notice if there are followers consistently and genuinely promoting their work and cheering them on.
Who should you reach out to?
Reach out to others in your industry! Forming connections with these ones could lead to referrals. At the very least, you’ll make some amazing new friends who just ‘get’ what your industry is like.
2. Participate in Twitter chats.
A Twitter chat is a public conversation around one hashtag. The host tweets out a series of questions, and everyone participating in the chat answers the question and includes the hashtag.
Everyone keeps up with the hashtag and chats with each other. It’s a great way of meeting potential new clients!
To keep up with Twitter chats, try using Tweetdeck. And if you’re struggling to find Twitter chats to join in with, I recommend starting with Create Lounge, an amazing Twitter chat my friend Kayla founded.
I interviewed Kayla on using Twitter chats to find clients! To listen to the interview, sign up below!
3. Use direct messaging to build stronger friendships.
I do not recommend direct messaging dozens of people every week. In fact, that would be pretty difficult because you can only direct message people who follow you.
But if you and someone else keep having really interesting conversations on Twitter, why not message them directly?
I’ve done this a few times when I’ve gotten to know people really well on Twitter. I’ve directly messaged them to carry on the conversation where there isn’t a character limit, or I’ve asked them if they’d like to chat on Skype sometime.
Use direct messaging sparingly and only with followers you’ve already established a friendship with.
4. Search for users who need to hire someone with your skills.
Twice a week, use the Twitter search bar to search for keywords someone would use if they needed to hire someone like you.
For example, a copy writer might search for the term ‘need copy writer’ or ‘hire copy writer’.
You’ll find lots of tweets that include this phrase, from newest to oldest.
Here’s my warning: Only reach out to tweeters once you’ve clicked through to their profile, checked out their website and assessed whether their business fits with your style.
Ask yourself- is this the kind of business I want to work with? Do they share the same style as me? Judging from the About page, is this person the kind of person I’d like to work with?
If you decide you would like to work with the tweeter, don’t just reply to their tweet. Be more memorable by dropping them an email!
5. Show your followers you’re an expert!
Most of your future clients will follow you on social networks like Twitter before hiring you. That’s why it’s really important to showcase your expertise and skills on social media.
Remember to put most of your emphasis on sharing other people’s work (remember the 80/20 rule!) but don’t forget to show your followers you’re a pro.
How can you do that?
Share blog posts that are centered around what you want to be hired for.
Start a Twitter series with your own hashtag. For example, a Squarespace website designer could start sharing Squarespace tips every Wednesday and give them the hashtag like #squarespacewednesday.
You could also share inspirational quotes based on your niche. So, if you’re a designer, you could share quotes about design or quotes from otherdesigners.
As long as your tweets are valuable and always related to your niche, you’ll build up a solid reputation as a pro with your followers
