| Twitter can be a gold mine for small businesses if you | | | | good things to say about your business! When you |
| just get creative with your marketing. We all know that | | | | announce the winner, also make an announcement of |
| Twitter is a big sensation with just about everyone | | | | your next contest. This will create a big buzz about |
| these days. How can you use that phenomenon to | | | | your business and people will flock to your list in |
| drive customers to your store? With a little creative | | | | droves because the winner of the contest will be |
| thinking, you can easily turn Twitter into an on-going | | | | singing your praises at the same time. |
| marketing campaign that costs you little or nothing to | | | | 2. Let your customers know that you have Twitter |
| implement. | | | | specials every month or every week. Plan to put one |
| Every customer who comes through your door most | | | | product per week at a seriously discounted price. |
| likely has hundreds of followers on Twitter. They are | | | | Once per week, at a set time, announce what product |
| all friends, family and like-minded people. For every one | | | | is on special this week. Give them a "code word" that |
| customer that you can get to follow you or promote | | | | they must mention to get the discount. The only place |
| you online, you are reaching hundreds of people. That | | | | they will get that code word is on Twitter. Make |
| being said, it only makes good business sense to make | | | | signage to announce in-store that you can only get the |
| the most of this opportunity. | | | | discount code by following you on Twitter. You will be |
| Here are just a few ideas that you can use in your | | | | surprised at the number of customers that will whip out |
| business that will increase the number of customers | | | | their phones and follow you right from the store. |
| through your doors every month. | | | | 3. Have a Tweet contest. The customer who posts |
| | | | the most Tweets about your store wins a big prize. |
| 1. Have a Twitter contest. Select a popular product | | | | This one can go crazy for driving traffic to your |
| from your store. Create a large, visible display in your | | | | business website and to add followers to your Twitter |
| store with signage to let people know that you will be | | | | list. Suppose you get 200 customers all competing on |
| drawing the name of one of your Twitter followers to | | | | Twitter to post the most number of Tweets about |
| win the product. Make that product a good one. You | | | | your business. Do you think this might bring you more |
| want to make it worth their while to follow you and | | | | business? You bet it will! It will also do wonders for |
| make the contest last at least a month. Let people | | | | your Google Live Search results too. |
| know that if they make a Tweet about your store, | | | | These are just a few social marketing ideas. Creative |
| they will get an extra entry into the contest. This will | | | | thinking and social media can open up all kinds of |
| not only grow your list of buying customers, it is free | | | | opportunities for your small business. Once you have |
| advertising that has the potential of going viral and | | | | all of those followers, you can announce in-store |
| bringing more and more followers to your Twitter | | | | specials or online sales to the masses which will result |
| account. When you do make the draw, announce it on | | | | in a serious increase in your sales. |
| Twitter. You can bet that the winner will have tons of | | | | |