A challenge facing any business, especially if they’re doing business on the Internet, is closing the emotional gap between them and their customers. This is critical for your business. It is critical for your bottom line. So watch how businesses use Twitter to achieve this and cement customer loyalty.
From large companies, like Dell Computer and Levis Jeans, to small boutique wineries and restaurants, businesses are making good use of this social network to build a connection with prospects and customers. Twitter’s mini-blog model makes it a good platform for quick and easy public communication, allowing these businesses to give quick answers to their customers, and provide good information to all their followers at the same time.
You can use Twitter for your business. The beauty of this social network is that any business – big or small – can make good use of Twitter. For small businesses, here is an extremely low cost way to close that emotional gap – speaking directly to prospects and customers, providing quick customer service in 140-character communication, and keeping customers up to date with company developments and new products or services.
Using Twitter for businesses is not that different from using it for private individuals. A Twitter account created by Starbucks is no different from one created by a high school student who uses it to communicate with his pals. The only difference lies in how you use it.
To establish a good image and reputation with your business’ Twitter account, start with a name that portrays you as a business. Consider your niche, your target prospects, your existing customers, and what they expect. Design a Twitter background that adds to this image, one that shows your business’ relationship to your target market and provides a promise of benefit to that market. This background can set your Twitter account apart from the casual user, by giving your account a professional look and feel.
Then, use your Twitter account to establish communication with your prospects and customers. Not just a string of promotional tweets, but a mixture of interesting, useful, and even some slightly intimate tweets. Build that emotional connection that will cement loyal relationships. This is how businesses use Twitter to close the emotional gap. This is how businesses like Dell, Levis, and many others are building customer loyalty 140 characters at a time.