Here are 5 easy ways to use Twitter to market your business online. Depending on how SEO savvy you are, or how much time you actually have to devote to marketing your business online, you may or may not know that a lot changed about SEO in 2013. The Hummingbird search algorithm update from Google was introduced, and while it appeared that not much changed on the surface, there are very clear cut signals coming from Google that the future of SEO is going to be much different. The days of easy-ranking wins are over and search engines are demanding more and better content, and they're rewarding online marketing efforts that encourage engagement with that content.
Now, as we move forward into 2014--a new year with many new rules for marketing your business online--you need to ask yourself two questions:
Are you creating good content for your website?
How are you getting people to interact with that content?
If you're a master within your industry--and you most certainly are--you're likely invested in your content and your expertise is dripping off the web pages. Answering the second question, though, can be tough. How do you get people to read all the great content you've written?
Get your content out there with twitter!
Twitter is an often overlooked social media platform when it comes to online marketing for small businesses. To be honest, it doesn't garner that much search engine ranking weight, so why even use it? In 2014, post-Hummingbird, a higher value placed on quality content means that content marketing is definitely worth your time, and Twitter can be a great way to get your content out there. Here are 5 easy ways to use Twitter to market your business online:
Follow influencers within your industry
This is one of the easiest things you can do with your business or brand's Twitter account. It's simple. Find the movers and shakers within your industry on Twitter and follow them. This will do three things for you: it will keep you up to date on the latest happenings within your industry, encourage connections between your Twitter account and people interested in your industry, and give you the chance to weigh in on discussions within your industry. All of these things are good for your SEO efforts and your brand awareness online.
Got a blog?
Most business owners with a pulse know that blogs are important, but few actually know why. Blogs can be huge for your SEO efforts and often require only a few hours of your time each month for them to be effective. You need one on your website. One way to get your blog content out there is to tweet your links out to your followers. If you're investing your time in creating quality content, you'll also encourage...
Backlinks!
Without getting too complex here, in a post-Hummingbird world getting quality links to your site is going to be tough. Many link building tactics are being devalued with recent algorithm updates and that means you've got to get creative. Great content that goes out to your followers and those interested in your industry has a better chance of earning a link if you're tweeting links to the content you've worked so hard to create, and not just hoping they crawl the vast expanse of the Internet and wind up on your blog.
Join the conversation
If you're connecting to your industry effectively on Twitter, you're plugged into the latest industry news. Don't just sit back and read what everyone is saying; join the conversation! You're an expert in your industry, which is why you started your business anyway. Contribute your expertise, challenge the status quo, and start becoming part of the conversation. Social media is exactly that--social!
Use Twitter to work smarter
You may have enough money to hire an SEO company or an in-house online marketer, or you may be doing it all yourself. If you're posting to Facebook, did you know you can set it up to automatically blast your post out to Twitter? There is all kinds of interconnectivity between the most popular social media platforms that allow you to use them in a smart way that saves you time and increases your reach and audience engagement. Take time to work with your SEO professional to set these up in a way that works for you. If you're doing it yourself, jump into the settings and play around. You might be surprised at how easy the setup can be.
Use all your tools in 2014
Without a doubt, online marketing is going to be tough this year, but maybe it's time to start learning the tools at your disposal to make it a little easier. When you're investing in your content this year and writing blog posts that will shake the industry, Twitter can help you make sure your post doesn't collect dust on your website. Use it to get your content out there and to connect to your industry and let it do some of the heavy SEO lifting for you.
© Zawya BusinessPulse QATAR 2014
Now, as we move forward into 2014--a new year with many new rules for marketing your business online--you need to ask yourself two questions:
Are you creating good content for your website?
How are you getting people to interact with that content?
If you're a master within your industry--and you most certainly are--you're likely invested in your content and your expertise is dripping off the web pages. Answering the second question, though, can be tough. How do you get people to read all the great content you've written?
Get your content out there with twitter!
Twitter is an often overlooked social media platform when it comes to online marketing for small businesses. To be honest, it doesn't garner that much search engine ranking weight, so why even use it? In 2014, post-Hummingbird, a higher value placed on quality content means that content marketing is definitely worth your time, and Twitter can be a great way to get your content out there. Here are 5 easy ways to use Twitter to market your business online:
Follow influencers within your industry
This is one of the easiest things you can do with your business or brand's Twitter account. It's simple. Find the movers and shakers within your industry on Twitter and follow them. This will do three things for you: it will keep you up to date on the latest happenings within your industry, encourage connections between your Twitter account and people interested in your industry, and give you the chance to weigh in on discussions within your industry. All of these things are good for your SEO efforts and your brand awareness online.
Got a blog?
Most business owners with a pulse know that blogs are important, but few actually know why. Blogs can be huge for your SEO efforts and often require only a few hours of your time each month for them to be effective. You need one on your website. One way to get your blog content out there is to tweet your links out to your followers. If you're investing your time in creating quality content, you'll also encourage...
Backlinks!
Without getting too complex here, in a post-Hummingbird world getting quality links to your site is going to be tough. Many link building tactics are being devalued with recent algorithm updates and that means you've got to get creative. Great content that goes out to your followers and those interested in your industry has a better chance of earning a link if you're tweeting links to the content you've worked so hard to create, and not just hoping they crawl the vast expanse of the Internet and wind up on your blog.
Join the conversation
If you're connecting to your industry effectively on Twitter, you're plugged into the latest industry news. Don't just sit back and read what everyone is saying; join the conversation! You're an expert in your industry, which is why you started your business anyway. Contribute your expertise, challenge the status quo, and start becoming part of the conversation. Social media is exactly that--social!
Use Twitter to work smarter
You may have enough money to hire an SEO company or an in-house online marketer, or you may be doing it all yourself. If you're posting to Facebook, did you know you can set it up to automatically blast your post out to Twitter? There is all kinds of interconnectivity between the most popular social media platforms that allow you to use them in a smart way that saves you time and increases your reach and audience engagement. Take time to work with your SEO professional to set these up in a way that works for you. If you're doing it yourself, jump into the settings and play around. You might be surprised at how easy the setup can be.
Use all your tools in 2014
Without a doubt, online marketing is going to be tough this year, but maybe it's time to start learning the tools at your disposal to make it a little easier. When you're investing in your content this year and writing blog posts that will shake the industry, Twitter can help you make sure your post doesn't collect dust on your website. Use it to get your content out there and to connect to your industry and let it do some of the heavy SEO lifting for you.
© Zawya BusinessPulse QATAR 2014
