Finding Twitter marketing strategies that work can be challenging. As with other Internet marketing techniques, there are a lot of gimmicks being promoted that don't really work. Stick with these proven methods, and Twitter success will "follow".
Follower acquisition strategies
On Twitter, followers are everything. Your goal should be to acquire real, active Twitter subscribers to your update feed.
Cross promote
The most popular Twitter users are still celebrities, brands and websites with an enthusiastic following outside Twitter that has simply crossed over. It is essential that you leverage your online and offline presence in order to feed Twitter.
Just follow
Find and follow as many potential clients, as well as industry peers, as you can. There is simply no other way to start networking on Twitter. Unless you are very well known outside Twitter, you have to actively seek out other users first.
Monitor conversations
Look for opportunities to join a conversation. This can be a successful way to make new contacts if done tactfully.
Once you've acquired followers, it is important that you remain interesting and nurture relationships.
Stay active
See our article on Twitter for business for some great ideas.
Be responsive
Always respond direct messages, questions and negative comments. There are no moderators on Twitter, so you need to adopt a mentality of addressing, not suppressing negative feedback.
Tweet during peak hours to maximize views
Marketers know that the best time to Tweet is during regular business hours. That is when most people are online, and on Twitter. Which means it's the ideal time to maximize exposure.
Send direct messages
Once someone has followed you, a good strategy is to immediately make a connection through a direct message. It can be an automated response that is the same for everyone. But you should try to give it a personal touch with a link to a page with your picture, or use a YouTube video for a more powerful impact.
Engage
Once you have followers, you need to engage them! A direct message is good, especially at first, but communicating over the public timeline is much more effective since it encourages others to interact as well.
The key to Twitter success is making and maintaining connections with people. This is the essence of social networking.