Social networking is the latest rage. It has been a tool for old friends to reconnect and for new friends to get to know each other on a more personal level. What many people don’t know is that it is an excellent marketing tool that, many times, goes unutilized with business owners. In a time that small businesses are failing, it is important for these owners to know how to utilize any marketing technique that is available to them. Twitter is an excellent recourse that, when used correctly, can expand any company’s customer base.

There are a few easy steps to marketing using twitter. First, put a link to “follow me on Twitter” anywhere that you can. For example, put it at the bottom of all of your e-mails, print it on your business cards, and even post it on the business website. Another marketing tool is to start following Twitter users that are following similar businesses. If you start following them, chances are, they will follow you back. Another hint to marketing on Twitter is to use it’s RSS (really simple syndication) feed, which will notify you any time a tweet is made using a key word.

Using Twitter to market the appropriate way is the key to expanding business. An important tip is to not spam your followers about specials that are being run with the business. You also need to be sure to tweet and post comments about your follower’s tweets often. Don’t be afraid to make twitter personal. Post pictures of your dog or your kids, for example, and be willing to tweet about things that have nothing to do with your business. This will show the human side of your business and it will appeal to your followers more than hearing about sales or specials all of the time.

It is important to post only useful and relevant information about your business as it occurs and not to tweet too often. This becomes annoying and will lose followers very quickly. Another useful tip is to grow slowly. Starting to follow 300 people and having 10 people following you is a bad idea. A way to start out slow and to build quality business relationships, is to follow 60 people and wait for those people to follow you back. After this is accomplished, request 60 more people to follow. This is a more legitimate way to create and keep followers.

 Twitter has expanded thousands of businesses around the world. It can do the same for your business if you are willing to take your time building lasting business and personal relationships with your followers.