What Should I Say?

    This is the number one reason people dislike Twitter. I don’t know if they get writer’s block or freak out because they only have 140 characters to work with.   Tweets are like the subject lines of your emails. What do you put in your subject line when you are sending an email to a friend or when you are sending out your monthly e-zine? Experts say shorter email subject lines are more effective than long subject lines. A good email subject line is usually less than 100 characters. Use the same thought process when you are sending a Tweet, and in no time you will get over your fear of Tweeting.

     Keep your business Tweeting professional so you project a professional image. It’s okay to add a little humor or even a little controversy to your business Tweets, but don’t go overboard. You want to make your business Tweets interesting and compelling so people will want to follow you and click on the links you add to your Tweets, but you don’t want to offend people with unprofessional behavior.

     Here are some ideas to help you create Tweets that your followers will enjoy.

Read Other People’s Tweets and Copy What They Are Doing

     This is the easiest and most obvious thing to do. Follow some popular business Twitter users like @chrisbrogan, @petershankman, @timoreilly, @marismith, @briansolis, @susanroane, and @garyvee.

     You can even start by ReTweeting and adding your comments or thoughts to the Tweet. When you ReTweet a business leader’s Tweet, people subconsciously associate you with the person, adding to your credibility.

Tweet Breaking News

     Twitter is the first place you find breaking news from around the world. You can follow popular media outlets and ReTweet breaking events, or create new Tweets with links to their news items. You can also Tweet about breaking news in your industry, which will add to your credibility.

     Don’t forget to add hashtags to your Tweets so people on Twitter who are not following you but monitoring hashtags will see your Tweets.

Be a Curator

     We all read articles about our industry and profession on the internet. As you come across interesting or controversial news stories related to your business or industry, Tweet a link to that article. In the Tweet, tell your followers what you liked or disliked about the article. Adding your perspective adds value for your followers.

Help Requests

     One of the most popular uses of Twitter is to reach out for support. You can monitor popular hashtags or keywords related to your products or your industry and help people when they have questions. You can also ask other Twitter users for help when you have a problem. You will be surprised to see how fast people respond to your help

Say Thank You

     Nothing feels better than someone thanking you after you help them. The next time someone helps you, whether it’s online or offline, thank them on Twitter and word will spread quickly.

Evaluations, Reviews & Opinions of new products or services

     When you are thinking about purchasing a new product or service, you can use Twitter Search to see what others are saying about the product or service. You can join in the conversations by replying to their review of the product or ask them questions.

Your Thoughts

     People do like to hear what’s on your mind occasionally. This helps build a stronger relationship with your followers and lets them know you have problems and vulnerabilities, too.

Have Fun

     It’s OK to let your guard down and Tweet some fun things like jokes, famous quotes, and links to funny videos, or lyrics from a song that’s stuck in your head. This lets people know you are human and have a fun side to you in addition to your business expertise.

Be a Connector

     Twitter can also be used for business networking. You can introduce one of your colleagues to another colleague via an online introduction on Twitter. This is very powerful because it shows your followers that you are well connected and are willing to introduce your followers to each other when it’s appropriate.

Promote Your Company

     You can Tweet links about your company. Some of the most popular topics people Tweet about are:

• A new blog post
• Jobs available
• Events you're hosting and/or are attending
• Special offers, sales or discounts

     As you see, there are so many things you can share on Twitter. Next, though, we will talk about things NOT to share on Twitter so you can avoid common traps and pitfalls that won’t help your business.

For more Twitter tips, download my free guide The Top 5 Twitter Strategies I Use to Create an Endless Stream of Clients