Twitter for Business Networking

Social media is everywhere. Even on some television adverts now, companies want you to follow them on Twitter or become their fan on Facebook. With Google pushing their Google+ network and the recent rise of Pinterest – using the Internet for ‘social’ reasons and business promotion appears to no longer be a fad or craze. It appears to be here to stay.
For Businesses and especially small businesses it can be difficult to know where to invest your energies. In this post I want to focus on using Twitter for Business Networking.
Twitter for Business: It’s ‘Social’ Media
When embarking on promoting your business on Twitter it is important to remember that it was designed first and foremost as a social platform. You should use it to interact with people not just to push your product or service.
Anyone who has used Twitter for even a short period will have come across numerous auto tweets including any or all of the following:-
- Words of wisdom, sayings and proverbs
- Bots which latch onto certain words in your posts and reply
- Link Spam
- … and worse?
As in real life, people online still prefer to deal with real people. So if you must automate any tweets, make sure you balance it out with actual interaction.
Twitter for Business: Listen then Speak
You can use Twitter’s excellent search function to find people in your business niche and listen to what they’re saying. Then you can reply intelligently and begin to build up a rapport with that person. New relationships do not turn into business straight away so don’t expect them to! Twitter is not a door-to-door sales platform.
You can also use this function to find people who could be in your target market. For example if you’re a painter and decorator, you could search for phrases like ‘need a new painter’, ‘low cost decorator’ or look for tweets in your local area and reply in your professional capacity. Start a conversation – in this instance the person already needs what you offer, so offer it to them!
Share the Wealth (and use Hashtags)
Use the platform to share snippets of what you know. For example if you’re into alternative therapies then why not share some health tips or the latest natural remedies? Write blog posts (more frequently than I am able to do at the moment) and share your knowledge. This builds up confidence that you know what you’re talking about and keeps you in people’s minds.
When you post a Tweet remember to use relevant hashtags to attract people to you with interest in those channels. And if you’re wondering ‘what is a hashtag?‘ then check out then Twitter’s definition is:
The # symbol, called a hashtag is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.
(bold emphasis mine)
So you’re interacting with people and posting relevant information to attract attention to yourself. What about networking?
Twitter for Business: Get Hooked into a Network
When we first moved our web design and SEO Business to Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland I looked to see which business networking events already existed. Then I got hooked into them, gave and received business cards and 6 months later am starting our first project resulting from those events.
Business networking via social media is no different in principle: find good quality business networks, meet and talk with members, give and receive ‘follows’ and later on down the line it may turn into business.
Some Great Twitter Business Networks
Following via a list I keep up to date with some business networks and I’m happy to recommend these ones. They are listed in alphabetical order to treat everyone fairly.
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BlueBiz Network “Bluebiznet are passionate about supporting local businesses and SMEs. We provide a great platform for businesses to promote their services” Twitter: @bluebiznet Website: www.bluebiznet.co.uk |
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Gladstone Business Network At Gladstone BizNetwork we’re about helping YOUR business to GROW! We promote, advertise, refer and introduce local & national business. So please FOLLOW & PROMOTE US on Twitter and we’ll do the same for you! We provide marketing help and support to thousands of UK businesses, Free PR to business owners and Business strategy and development Twitter: @Gladstone_Net Website: www.gbizuk.info |
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Purple Dog Network The Purple Dog Network was the first network of its kind on Twitter and has grown from zero to over 16k followers in just 8 months. Our #purplebiz competition attracts well over 100 retweets every day and the winner receives free promotion to our 16k followers. We also offer tools, tips & strategies to make the best use of Twitter for Marketing and are constantly coming up with new networking ideas. Twitter: @PurpleDogNet Website: thepurpledog.net |
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The UK Enterprise Network Our aim at @UKenterpriseNet is to get business engaged and connected by using Twitter and Social Media – we offer training and strategy along with Twitter promotions. New website coming very soon. Twitter: @UKenterpriseNet Website: www.ukenterprisenetwork.com |
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Working Bees At Working Bees we make it easier for you to promote your skills and services online with our Free Online Vouchers. The Online Vouchers we just launched might help you in better promoting your skills and services. When you register you’ll be granted up to 5 Free Online Vouchers to immediately. We are creating a community, with social networking capabilities available for members. This is a great platform to use for those looking to develop their service, brand or reputation. Twitter: @Working_Bees Website: www.working-bees.com |
What do these Networks Offer?
These excellent Twitter networks offer business support and features such as:-
- A ‘Business of the Day’ competition – giving your business multiple tweets over 24 hours
- Encouragement to their followers to follow you
- Re-tweets of your posts
- Low-cost sponsorship for a period of time giving you extra exposure
And of course you gain access to all their followers who could become potential customers and suppliers (or even friends!)
So go on, get stuck into some great Twitter networks, meet new people and make new contacts. Used properly Twitter can be a really effective marketing tool for your business.

