A lot of us have used Twitter for personal purposes, but not a lot of us are aware of how we can use it to develop our business. Twitter is an all-powerful tool for sending a 140-character message to thousands (or even millions) of followers within a fraction of a second. Below are some tips in using Twitter for your business.

1. Twitter is simple yet powerful

The message you send out is typed in the box where it says “What are you doing?” In this box, you can type anything about your business – updates, promos, improvements, invitations, etc. Think of using this main feature of Twitter to build your network and advertise your products/services.

2. Twitter can be used to repeat others’ tweets

If you find something catchy and wish to repeat it (while also showing who it was that originally Tweeted it), simply “re-tweet” the message and affix an “RT” near the end. This clarifies that this message is a re-Tweeted version of the person’s message.

3. Communicate using Twitter

This is easily done by replying to a person’s Tweet. Simply hit the reply button, and type in your message. The person’s handle/nickname should appear right before your message, with an “@” sign before him or her nickname. You could use this feature to communicate with other Twitter users, which might be able to spread the word with regards to your business.

4. Use Twitter to join in on the conversation

Joining a conversation using the hash tag or pound sign # is also an easy way of getting noticed on Twitter. Other users discussing the same topic can be found by using the search box and typing in your chosen topic. For example, you sell quality inkjet printers. One way of advertising this is starting hash tag Tweets called #bestprinters.

5. Using the search box to find out what is going on

When it comes to businesses, it is vital to know what your competitors are up to, in order to know how much of a threat they are to your own business. Twitter’s search box is good for this purpose. It only takes one click to reply to one of the messages in the search results.

6. Other apps can be used for a more convenient Tweeting experience

Firefox now has an extension called TwitterFox, which makes it convenient to see how many followers you now have on Twitter. Likewise, this extension makes it effortless to post updates or statuses without having to go to Twitter.com. There is also a TwitterAnalyzer, which will help you analyze things such as how many Tweets you have sent out, how popular you are, etc. Google some Twitter applications to find out what tools you can use to promote your business or develop even more connections.

7. Tweet from your cell phone

You could also Tweet using your cell phone, as well as receive Tweets through your mobile phone. This feature allows you to stay up-to-date without having to go to Twitter.com.

8. Use your creativity

Twitter is also a great tool for the creative, as any creative Tweet is sure to catch attention. Employ some creativity in Tweeting short, memorable and catchy messages about your business.
There is simply so much that can be done using Twitter. You can also use it to get visitors to check out your business’s website – something that can be especially useful if you have just launched the website for your business. Offer an incentive to get people to follow your Twitter, and inform them of any new products/services that you might have. This is an easy way of reminding them of your brand, products and/or services.