Turn Profitable Twitter Leads Into Loyal Customers

One of the reasons advertisers love Twitter is the possibility of turning leads into loyal and profitable customers. Advertising on the platform, or any social media platform, can be risky, especially if you don't know the ins and outs to make money.

For many businesses, social media offers a beneficial way to increase brand exposure, boost traffic, generate leads, and grow their business.

Twitter, specifically, allows advertisers to provide excellent customer service in 280-character, real-time responses, aka tweets. Business pages on Twitter play a vital role in creating meaningful connections with audiences.

According to Twitter's Q2 2020 Shareholder Letter,

Average monetizable DAU (mDAU) grew 34% year over year to 186 million,

driven by global conversation around current events and ongoing product improvements.

Also, 85% of Twitter users say they feel more connected to an SMB (Small Medium Business) after following them.

Aren't these stats fascinating?

So, whether you already have a business page or are still thinking about creating one, read these tips and best practices to turn profitable Twitter leads into loyal customers.

3 Actionable Ways To Generate Twitter Leads

This list of ways to generate more Twitter leads works for most business types, but you might need to tweak them a little to fit your business model.

Here we go!

1. Generate Twitter Leads Through Referrals

We know that word-of-mouth is still one of the best marketing strategies to generate new leads.

However, I can't call “providing excellent service and quietly waiting for my customers to talk about me,” a strategy. I see it as merely hoping that someone else is going to generate sales for me.

Act by asking for referrals. You can use Twitter for this – after someone makes a purchase, prompt them to share their experience with friends on the platform.

Once a purchase is completed, you can also email the customer and reward referring to friends. Offer a coupon or discount for the customer and the person they refer. Doing so results in a snowball effect - more reward means more referrals.

A Twitter admin or handler will be a better judge on how satisfied your Twitter customers are. Remember that happy customers often share their experiences with friends and family.

You've already done the work to satisfy your customers – maximize your Twitter advertising efforts by asking them to generate more leads for you.

2. Generate Twitter Leads Through Partnerships

Sometimes for your business to succeed, you have to change the way you think about your competition. Brands that sell similar products and services to similar audiences on Twitter often take an opposing view – to beat each other and win sales from the same customers.

There's some truth in that, but customers who buy your products and services also buy much other stuff you don't sell.

So, instead of having a "winner-take-all" mentality that can lead you to be tight-lipped and selfish, why not partner with businesses on Twitter who sell different things to the same customers? By working together with other companies, you can generate more Twitter leads and increase sales.

3. Generate Twitter Leads Through Community Outreach

Participating in community outreach activities is a rewarding online and offline marketing tactic because it's good for the local community and an excellent branding strategy.

Helping your community through charitable events, community sponsorships, and other outreach programs tell your prospects that there's a human running your business. It also builds a positive association for your brand.

Sharing this type of activity on your Twitter page lets users who might not have heard of you through your regular marketing channels see your brand name attached to things that are important to them. Some Twitter users will likely visit your website or storefront out of curiosity.

Host events in your store to attract new traffic if your business has a physical location. Especially for small businesses, locals are often excited to support local entrepreneurs and business owners in their town. You encourage locals to engage in your business by joining in the local scene.

Don't forget to tweet a photo of these events to spark engagement on Twitter.

How To Turn Twitter Leads Into Profitable Customers

With Twitter, you can take the conversations already happening on the platform to get more customers in the door.

Once you generate leads on Twitter, it's time to turn them into paying customers.

Here are a few ways to do that.

1. Use Twitter's Advanced Search To Target Local Users

You can get new eyes on your brand and get new customers by exploring and engaging in relevant Twitter conversations. Ask yourself these questions to brainstorm on Twitter search terms: 

• Who is your ideal client?
• What kinds of conversations do they engage on Twitter?
• What's the personality of your business?
• What types of Twitter conversations are relevant to your business?

Once you have answers to these questions, look for tweets with relevant terms to your business.

For example, if you own a digital marketing company, use the search box in the upper right corner for the hashtags #digitalmarketing, #onlineadvertising, #SEO, or #socialmediamarketing to find potential clients who are tweeting about starting an online campaign.

Search for hashtags in your location with Twitter's advanced search feature.

Follow these steps to use this feature:

• Step 1: Search by keyword, phrase, or hashtag.
• Step 2: Hit Enter.
• Step 3: Click the three-dotted next to the search box.
• Step 4: Select Advanced Search.

You can add a specific location to target people in your city or town who tweet about digital marketing. In that way, you're ensuring your chances of reaching out to clients who might visit your profile.

Twitter Advertising is all about finding the right search terms for the demographic you want to reach.

If you own a restaurant, #wheretoeatnext could be what you're looking for. If you own a car rental company in Denver, Colorado, using terms like "car rental company in Denver, Colorado" might be more useful than using a hashtag.

2. Engage In Friendly Twitter Conversations

Twitter is all about building long-lasting business relationships. As small business owners, we can use the platform's social power to attract potential clients who are already thinking about our business way before purchasing.

When you find a potential customer tweet that seems to fit your target customer, reach out, and introduce your business.

Start a conversation. Respond to tweets in a personalized, engaging manner to make your business seem relatable and humble.

If a user replies to your tweet, your business can now get in front of that user's followers, bringing more attention to your business.

3. Find The Perfect Time To Promote Your Business

Twitter users are smart. They know that you will promote your business sometime during the conversation.

Promote your business when the time is right. Ask users if they would ever try your business. You can also tell users you'd love it if they swing by your office next time they're in town.

4. Ask Users To Share Their Experience On Twitter When They Visit

After you plug your business in a Twitter conversation, ask users to share their experience on the platform when they visit.

A simple snap of a photo when they visit will do. Doing so will keep users engaged beyond your first conversation and create a relationship that hopefully turns them into a loyal customer. User-generated content is beneficial for building brand awareness and lead generation for your business.

When a user posts a photo related to your business, their followers, and anyone searching for the hashtags and relevant search terms can see it. These terms are used and searched multiple times a day, anywhere in the world.

Remember that consumers trust their friends' and followers' recommendations on social media by looking at the reviews of your business on Twitter, which can lead to more referrals and loyal customers.

Not all Twitter conversations with users will yield wins immediately. But, even if the Twitter users you engage with don't quickly do business with you, they might still end up clicking your Twitter profile, check out your business and follow you. They may think of your business the next time they want or need your services.

Bonus Tips

Want more? Here's a list of bonus tips on how to turn Twitter leads into paying customers.

• Always Keep Good Records
• A list of your Twitter leads must be handy all the time to update users about new products, services, offers, and business changes. Monitor each lead thoroughly so you can tailor the information you send to each of them. 
• Provide Offers With Value
• Provide valuable offers, information, or incentive to your Twitter leads. A proper plan to chart each lead's needs will help tremendously in capturing leads as prospects.
• Avoid Assumptions And Stereotyping
• Two things to remember in turning Twitter leads into profitable customers - never rely on first impressions and never expect your prospect to remain loyal for a long time. 
• Always Listen And Investigate
• Conduct a question-answer session with your Twitter leads to obtain the right information you need about them. Inquire further and set online appointments with your leads to know their buying intentions. Always plan your approach. State your purpose for contacting a lead.

And those are my tips on how to turn profitable twitter leads into loyal customers!

Don't forget to check out the recommended resources section below to learn more about generating lead on Twitter. 

Recommended Twitter Leads Resources

• How to Generate Leads with Twitter Advanced Search Queries
• Everything You Need to Know About Generating Leads on Twitter
• 14 Steps to Generating Leads on Twitter

So what do you think about this article? Are you ready to make more money from your Twitter leads?

Leave a comment below and let's discuss.

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Header image courtesy of Unsplash.

About the Author Tim Fitzpatrick

Tim Fitzpatrick is the President of Rialto Marketing. At Rialto Marketing, we help service businesses simplify marketing so they can grow with less stress. We do this by creating and implementing a plan to communicate the right message to the right people. Marketing shouldn't be difficult. All you need is the RIGHT plan.