We all know by now that Twitter is a great marketing platform for entrepreneurs. If you are using Tw...

1. Avoid these Twitter marketing mistakes - Cleveland Business
Development
We all know by now that Twitter is a great marketing platform for entrepreneurs. If you are using
Twitter, then congratulations! You are taking a step in the right direction. Once people realize that
Twitter is more than just a way to stay in contact with friends and family, they start to see how
effective it can be for business success. Depending on how you earn income, that success could
include website or blog traffic and increased sales for products or services.
Twitter is great for branding yourself and your business online. With that being said, many
newcomers make costly mistakes. These five mistakes are ones you definitely want to avoid making:
Spam
Spam is defined as unsolicited bulk advertisements. To prevent your Twitter messages from
sounding spammy, limit the number you send. For example, five Tweets a week that direct readers
to your blog is not considered spam, but five hundred messages are.
It is okay to send updates to your followers asking them to view your website, blog, or see a product
you are selling, but also rely on replies. If someone asks a question that you can answer by directing
traffic to your website or blog do so. This is unsolicited, as an applicable question was asked.
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An easy way to avoid the spam factor is to make sure your Tweets do not appear as advertisements.
Yes, your goal is to advertise your website, blog, product, or service, but take a different approach.
Most of us use Twitter to communicate with friends and to network online. Nobody really wants to
spend hours reading and sifting through advertisements.
For example, if you provide services such as coaching or business consulting, you should have a
website. Direct people to your website through a Tweet, but don't be demanding and say "buy my
service," or "become a customer." Instead, ask for feedback. See if others think your rates are fair
and give a free consultation, or if you sell products, ask to have your samples reviewed. This still
drives people to your website and if they want your service, they will buy it.
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Too Many Tweets
Updates and Tweets will be sent to your followers, which is a good thing. You can send private
messages, otherwise they will automatically be sent to each of your followers. Unless your account is
private, your messages will also be searchable.
For private conversations between friends and family, keep your messages private. In fact, create a
separate Twitter account. For business use, do not send too many Tweets in an hour. Instead, space
them out. This is can be considered spam, especially if your updates are outright advertisements.

2. Not Taking Full Advantage of Twitter
This is the biggest mistake a business owner can do. First, if you have a Twitter account, make sure
you are using it for business, not just personal use. Not realizing Twitter's potential as an internet
marketing platform can have you leaving money on the table.
Next, rely on Twitter's tools. You can find contacts by searching for their email address, name, and
location. Perform a search on Search.Twitter.com. Look for those who need a product or service you
are selling. For example, you might sell beauty products online. Reply and follow those with Tweets
concerning beauty or skin care. You can advertise your product or website through @replies. You
can also track your productivity on Twitter by using some of these tools.
As you can see, Twitter is a great way to market your website, blog, products, or services online.
Always use your best judgment, search for contacts online, do not spam users, and be sure to use
your advertisements as helpful updates and replies.
http://www.examiner.com/article/avoid-these-twitter-marketing-mistakes