While there was one a time wherein you could avoid social media platforms as a small business owner, that’s no longer the case. If you want to continue to grow your customer base, you need to be active on the most popular social networking sites that align with your target demographic.

Twitter is a unique platform that allows for breaking updates, humor, and the spread of helpful information – all in 140 characters or fewer. Whether you currently have a Twitter account for your business or you’re considering branching out, you’ll want to have a firm grasp on the dos and don’ts. Here are just a few recommendations to keep in mind before you tweet.

Do…

• Fill Out Your Profile Completely: With any type of social media profile or business listing, leave no stone unturned. You’ll want to fill out every part of your business’s Twitter profile to give consumers every opportunity to connect with you. Add a banner image and a profile image, fill out your bio, and add a link to your website. Don’t forget to pin important tweets and to make your handle consistent with your brand.
  
• Perform Hashtag Research: Hashtags can be a great way to connect with others on Twitter. Help your customers find you by utilizing the hashtags they’re likely to use or create unique ones specifically for your brand. You’ll find out whether hashtags are already being used (or what conversations are being had within them) by performing some basic research. Stick to a few hashtags and make sure not to go overboard.

• Engage With Your Community: On social media, you can’t post and expect followers to flock to you. This might happen once in a blue moon if your post happens to go viral, but the best way to build your audience over time is to authentically engage with those in your community. That may mean retweeting posts from other local businesses, following and replying to organizations in your area, or adding to discussions in ways that support your brand mission and voice. The idea is to get noticed and build genuine connections.

Don’t…

• Post Inconsistently: According to data from Semify’s Twitter survey, only 20% of agencies studied had published anything on their Twitter account within the first few months of 2022. It’s easy to let your Twitter account fall by the wayside, especially if it hasn’t proven to be a great source of lead generation for your small business. But consistency is key on social media. If you fail to keep up with Twitter, your engagement will tank – and the algorithm won’t show your posts to as many users in the future. On Twitter, you can and should post a few times a day to keep your brand at the forefront.
  
• Follow Everyone You Can: Seeing your audience increase can be a great feeling. And while reciprocity can be helpful, you shouldn’t follow back everyone who follows you. Having a higher follower-to-following ratio is recommended on most platforms for celebrities and brands. What’s more, you should be a little discerning about who you follow. Be sure to look at the accounts you follow with a public relations eye; if there’s anyone on the list that might put your brand in a negative light, hit the “unfollow” button.
  
• Use Automated Commenters: Auto-commenting might seem like an easy way to drum up engagement and interact with your audience. But users can usually tell right away when a brand is using an automated commenting tool. The comments left provide little to no value or personalization, which won’t help customers feel connected to your brand. Social media management can be a big undertaking, but brands that manage to maintain a human element will usually win out in the end.

Getting active on social media platforms like Twitter can help you reach new customers and boost your brand perception. As long as you follow these dos and don’ts, you’ll be in good company.