Use Twitter for Business: 5 Tips

A connection of mine recently posed this question:

I’m about to start Twittering. What tips do you have for using Twitter for business?

Awesome question! I’ve got 5 great tips.

I hope they help my connection…and more importantly, I hope they help YOU!

5 Ways to Use Twitter for Business

1. Follow some folks you trust and listen/watch what they do. Follow some folks you’d like to know and listen/watch what they do.
2. Start tweeting about things that are in line with your brand.
3. Share links, share ideas, share thoughts, share pictures, and just share.
4. Use http://search.twitter.com and look for the topics/ideas you care about…and respond to those that Tweet about the things that match with you. Use the @username to get folks attention. The @ is like a personal instant message that everyone can see.
5. Follow some more folks that are in line with your other (non-business) interests. You never know if they might be folks who might know someone who fits in with what you really want to do business wise.

And 1 more bonus tip on using Twitter for business:

Don’t set up an auto-DM for your profile. Auto-DMs are spam. Let conversation come to you, or go get it, but don’t force it with a DM.

What are YOUR best tips on using Twitter for business?

I’m @philgerb Feel free to follow and connect with me!

Image courtesy of Twitter, only when it’s not working :)