Twitter and other social networks are most effective when you build connections with the people in your network.

Companies that have had success in social media marketing use social media as more than just tools for broadcasting information.  Although they see Twitter as a good tool for telling thousands even millions of people about the newest news in their business, they also see it as the perfect tool for building tribes and communities around a brand and really establishing brand loyalty among consumers. This can usually be achieved by really establishing connections with clients and listening to their needs and incorporating their preferences in your communications rather than alienating your clients by using social media as a one-way communication channel. When you use Twitter merely to send out information to people and you do not communicate with them and address their concerns individually then you will not gain the full benefits of social media.Social media is for socializing not for selling.  And even if your only intention for using social media is to sell, you must remember that selling is still all about forming positive relationships.  This is where Twitter can help.

If you want to establish stronger connections with your Twitter followers, here are some tips. First, put up a good profile picture. When people see who they are talking to, they learn to trust the person who is tweeting.  Make sure your profile photo looks good and it really represents you and your business well. Depending on the kind of business you run, you can post a professional looking photo with you in a suitor you can post something more casual so that you appear more relatable to your followers.

Use the direct message feature.  The Direct message feature will allow you to communicate directly to people following you. If you have information you need to send to your follower but cannot or should not be published publicly, the direct messaging feature will help you send the information you need to send. 

Reply and retweet. Reply to people directly using the @ sign before their user names. This will help you address individual concerns on Twitter and help you build stronger connections with users. Retweeting is the process of re-posting a Twitter message that was posted by someone else. When you repost a message you are encouraging more interactions within your Twitter community. People will post more useful and interesting information and they will also be more interested in reposting your message.

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