Over the course of three years, the micro-blogging website Twitter has become one of the most popular and influential networking sites on the Internet. You see newscasters on television talking about it every day. Protesters in media-censored Iran are using it to make their voices heard all over the world, and regular folks tweet to stay connected and up to date on each other’s lives. Because of its vast influence, twitter is also a perfect place to market your business, and it can yield great results provided that you’re willing to put in the work and participate actively in the Twitter universe. Here are 5 tips that will help you market your business on Twitter the right way.

1. Don’t spam!

Despite Twitter’s 140-character limit posts, the service was meant for conveying meaningful and useful information. In fact, this limit is precisely meant to encourage conciseness. Twitter users should get to the point and post the essentials of their message. All of your tweets should be relevant and readable. People who subscribe to your tweets expect to have something with significance to look forward to. Posting often will do your marketing campaign no good if all you post is spam. It’s quality content that really matters; it’s what will get you followers and keep them following. 

2. Participate in the Twitter community

Don’t just tweet one way. If you only post links to your site or information about your business, you will only end up losing your tweet network. To build a good community and increase your connections, you have to reply to other people’s posts and contribute your thoughts to discussions that are going on. Look for other members that are interested in the same businesses you are. Networking is essential for the success of any marketing campaign and this is especially true on Twitter.

3. Make your profile page work for you

Use every tool on your Twitter profile page to promote your business. Include pictures and company information so that people who follow your tweets can get to know who you and your company are. This practice is at the center of social networking. This is part of the nuts and bolts, the essentials of successful online networking and, thus, marketing. If you make people feel like they know you, they are more likely to follow you and come back to see what you’re up to. 

4. Don’t over-promote your business

It can be tempting to over-promote your own products and services, but avoid it at all costs. It doesn’t mean that you can’t mention or make announcements about your business, but don’t go overboard. Post all different kinds of industry-related and relevant information. Make your Twitter profile and your tweets informative and beneficial to the community.  

5. Learn the language

You cannot communicate effectively with others on Twitter if you do not learn the language of the medium. You cannot just approach twittering in the same way as email or other kinds of online messaging. There are abbreviations and special symbols that you have to get used to when twittering, but it is important that you learn them. Twitter is a new way of speaking, and you have to know how to use it to create buzz around your business on Twitter.