It’s easy to see why a growing number of small businesses are coming to embrace Twitter. One of the world’s most popular social media platforms, Twitter is free, easy to use and boasts a truly impressive user base. If properly utilized, Twitter can help bring your enterprise to the attention of thousands of prospective patrons and bolster your business’s online presence. Of course, this isn’t to say that every small business is equally adept at using Twitter to its advantage. While some companies have seen massive success with their Twitter efforts, others haven’t been nearly as fortunate. To help keep your business out of the latter category, make a point of avoiding the following blunders.

Tweeting too Often or too Infrequently

When promoting your business via Twitter, the temptation to inundate followers with new posts can be strong. After all, the more frequently you post new content, the more likely people will be to see it, right? This approach stands to backfire on you in a big way, as people are likely to become annoyed by your posts and mute your account – assuming they don’t unfollow or block it outright. Conversely, tweeting too infrequently may cause followers to lose interest in your brand.

There are numerous factors that should determine how frequently you post new tweets, key among them the size of your following and the popularity of your brand. While larger brands can generally get away with tweeting around the clock, smaller ones are better off limiting themselves to between four and eight tweets per day. 

Arguing with Followers

Like other popular social platforms, Twitter provides users with a direct line to an enormous assortment of people and brands. Whenever someone has a query, comment or complaint about a company, they’re liable to reach out to them via social media. Needless to say, if the responses they receive are delayed, rude or outright combative, they won’t hesitate to voice their displeasure across social media and on various other consumer feedback platforms. So, if a company gets on the wrong side of someone with an enormous online following, the consequences can be fairly severe.

That being the case, it’s in your best interest to avoid arguing with people on Twitter – and every other social platform, for that matter. Even if the comment you’re responding to is dripping with nastiness or condescension, you’re better off being polite or simply not responding. Additionally, when providing responses to follower feedback, make an effort to be as timely as possible. This will show your followers that their opinions matter to you and illustrate your commitment to customer satisfaction.

Arguing with people on social media almost never bodes well for a business. Even if you’re clearly in the right, arguing with followers is liable to make you appear immature or poorly-tempered in the eyes of casual onlookers. Secondly, by engaging them in argument, you’re simply giving some people what they want. Social media platforms are rife with users who thrive on creating conflict and will go out of their way to get a reaction from their targets, and the last thing you want to do is take the bait. If you encounter someone like this, simply report them to site admins instead of engaging them yourself. 

Making PPC Ads too Generic

Twitter also provides businesses with a variety of convenient pay-per-click (PPC) advertising options. If you’re intrigued by the prospect of a successful PPC campaign, you’d be wise to avoid making your ads too generic, as this is likely to get them ignored. For best results, create ads that are squarely focused on your target audience instead of trying to be all things to all people. A web marketing expert with experience in PPC management can prove tremendously helpful in this endeavor.  

Brands of all sizes use Twitter to great effect on a daily basis. Given the platform’s immense popularity and ease of use, there’s little wonder as to why it’s such a hit among small businesses. However, while the platform itself provides you with an effective vehicle for reaching prospective patrons, all the grunt work will need to be taken care of on your end. With this in mind, take care to steer clear of the mistakes discussed above when using Twitter to promote your enterprise.