Social networking is one of the most important strategies online for generating clients and new business leads. Of the sites that are out there, Twitter is one of the best and most efficient. In forty characters or less, you have the opportunity to reach hundreds or thousands of people with what you have to offer. However, there is a right and a wrong way to do it.
Why use Twitter to find clients?
So, what makes twitter so great? One of the biggest things is its simplicity. When I first signed up for it, I honestly didn’t understand the point. I thought, what could I possibly say in forty characters or less? The answer is – not much, yet you can still say quite a lot.
A month later, I wised up. As someone who works from home from my computer, I quickly realized that it is invaluable. I share aspects of my daily life. I promote my websites and blogs. I share articles I find amusing. I’ve also learned that there are some people on my list who are potential clients. How do you win them over?
Finding Potential Clients
The first thing you need to do is determine who your potential clients are. For example, if you’re a freelance writer like I am, you’ll want to target people who will hire writers. This could be anyone from business owners, editors, and people who have their own websites and blogs.
Basically, you’ll want to figure out who you want to market your business to and seek out their twitter profiles. You can do this by looking on their websites if they’ve shared their twitter profile, inviting people who read your website or blog to subscribe, and looking at the main twitter timeline to see if anyone is a good candidate.
Having a Blog or Website Helps
One of the reasons why twitter works so well to help you gain clients is because it gives you the opportunity to share new content. In this case, the content will highlight you as an expert in your field. There will also be plenty of opportunities on the site to encourage people to contact you for more information. You’ll also share with people what your business is and what your rates are.
When you share a link from your site on your twitter profile, make sure that it’s helpful and will improve your potential client’s lives in some way. If they like your advice and find your article informative, they’ll be more likely to contact you.
Use the Timeline to Find Potential Clients
You can also use your timeline or the main Twitter timeline to help you find potential clients. For example, if someone is asking a “how-to” question related to setting up a blog, and you’re a webmaster, you can contact them saying that you’d be happy to help and leave your website URL. You can do this on the timeline by typing @theirusername or sending them a direct message. This can also drum up some business.
Another tactic is to simply help them, especially if the question is simple. This will go a long way to position you as an expert. They’ll also be more inclined to remember you when they have a problem that they actually need you to solve for them. Thus, you would have gained a new client. This also fosters a healthy relationship between you and your followers. You need to give back to the community if you expect to gain something.
As you can see, Twitter presents you with new opportunities for finding new clients. All you need to do is set up your profile and spend a few minutes each day looking for worthy followers and updating your time line to your advantage.
