Social Media: 3 Steps to Using Twitter for New Business


comment now!

People use social media for many different reasons. Some use it to connect with friends. For others, it is simply an easy distraction from day-to-day boredom.

But for freelance copywriters, social media has the power to nearly replace something many find about as fun as chewing on a habanero pepper: cold calling.

If you’re like approximately 95% of people on Twitter, you have fewer than 100 followers, and the vast majority of them are people you knew on a first-name basis before you were followed. Facebook stats are pretty similar. Obviously, THIS is not going generate many offers.

That said, a huge portion of the most active participants in social media conversations are…marketers. Agencies, design shops, marketing directors… the kinds of people who are likely to NEED the services of a freelancer. And there are three easy steps to connecting with these people.

1. CREATE SOME CONTENT IN ADVANCE
The first thing someone does before they decide to follow you is often to see what you’re saying. If your best posts are “That was the most kickass tuna loaf I ever ate!” and “How did I lose a sock???” You’re most likely not going to get followed back, or will get unfollowed in short order.

Your Twitter stream doesn’t have to be all business, all the time. But it does need to be INTERESTING, most of the time. Oh, and make sure there is a link to your portfolio site in your profile.

2. FIND THEM.
It’s really pretty easy, especially on Twitter. Here, it’s like a reverse food chain; the medium fish follow the big fish and the little fish follow the medium fish. So, find the guys and gals at the big MadAve agencies and Fortune500 companies and follow them. They may or not follow you back. It’s great if they do…but that doesn’t really matter.

Because what you’re really interested in is WHO IS FOLLOWING THEM. Creative directors at top 10 agencies are going to be followed people who want to be like them: creative directors everywhere else. And those people will be followed by people they know in the biz — creative directors at similar agencies, directors of marketing, folks at design shops, studios, production houses, etc.

Be discriminating, but liberal in who you follow. Anyone who looks like they might be interested in what you’re saying (and, hopefully, hiring you if there’s a need), click “follow.” You should find that your follow-back rate wanders between 30% and 50%.

3. ENGAGE THEM
Pick a handful each day, find out something about their company, and @name or direct message them. Congratulate them on a win, or a great campaign. Ask them for advice about something. Weigh in on something someone else has said about them.

People like attention from other people. If they notice that you’re interested in them, they are more likely to be interested in you, than if you simply say “Here I am; Hire me” in 140 Characters.

And if they’re interested enough, they’ll return the conversation and check out your site. NOW you have the beginning of a relationship. And that’s the first step to new business that most people ignore. People who know you will give you more business than people who don’t, every time.

|comment now!

Comments

Leave a Reply