7 Ways To Use Twitter To Boost Bridal Biz!
Posted: Tuesday, February 09, 2010
by Natalie Bradley
Natalie Bradley Events
Twitter is an invaluable tool to build your business network, resources, and bridal business, but many wedding professionals are overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. Plus, a way to think of twitter that us wedding professionals can all relate to is this :: A Facebook conversation is like going to a Buffet Dinner, whereas a Twitter conversation is like one at a Cocktail Party! : ) Keep this in mind as you Tweet short, to-the- point thoughts on Twitter! So having said that, this week's article gives you 7 easy ways to get started today on Twitter in your business!
Follow Key People on Twitter! It's important to follow people you can learn from, grow with, and get business from on Twitter. Here are a few examples
* Following important media outlets will enable you to know FIRST what's going on in the wedding world of media, what features they're working on, and build relationships with people to help showcase YOUR company in their publications (on and offline).
* Following bit hitters with large numbers of followers in your target market or other wedding vendors allows you to be seen quicker, build relationships more efficiently, and network in the way that social media was made to work for you!
2.
Complete Your Twitter Profile!
*Make sure that you include what you do, using easily searched words like wedding planner, wedding photographer, NYC wedding floral designer, and the like will educate people immediately on whether or not you're a good resource or relationship to foster on Twitter.
*It's also important to use a great picture of yourself, that's smiling and professional to build the know, like and trust factor with others.
Using a similar or the same picture that you do on other social media sites will help others recognize you much easier too!
*Your Twitter handle (that's the name on your account) should also be unique and make sense.
Using your name, like Natalie Bradley (@NatalieBradley), or your company name, like Bride Attraction (@BrideAttraction), makes sense.
This isn't the place to get creative, because people will have a difficult time finding you on twitter, or they'll get confused. Keep it simple!
*Registering your profile on other sites like Twellow will also help people find you easily if they do blanket searches for people in the industry or in your area!
3.
ReTweet (RT) Key People's Tweets! Many people either don't RT, or they don't understand the point of RTs, so let's get clear on this and how it will help you.
*The biggest reason why you need to RT is because when you do this, not only do your followers see your tweet, but also ALL of the followers of the person you're RT-ing see you and your tweet! Sounds confusing I know, but it's really quite easy.
*When you RT, you build your targeted followers very quickly, enhancing the possibility of finding the perfect people to partner with and brides you want to attract!
*Make sure that you RT (or ReTweet) the right way though or it won't work!! You must give that person credit for this to show up properly (and not anger someone for "stealing" their tweets). So, this is how you do it. Start your tweet with RT then follow it with the person you're crediting (with a space in between RT and the twitter handle), led by the @ sign, so it should look like this... RT @brideattraction Fast Ways to Boost Your Websites - http://bit.ly/18YeUB ...or even better comment on the RT! Like this - Great Advice! RT @brideattraction Fast Ways to Boost Your Websites - http://bit.ly/18YeUB .
*Just make SURE you put that space in between the RT and the handle, which is the profile, or it won't show up for all the followers properly!
*And when someone RT something YOU say, use good RT Twitter etiquette, and thank that person publicly on twitter by replying like this for instance - @nataliebradley Thanks for the RTs!!
4.
Use a Delicate Balance when Tweeting It's important to balance your tweets with valuable (non- promotional) information, RTs and some self- promotion.
*You want to provide quality information to your followers on Twitter, or they'll stop following you very quickly. Make sure that you're giving them information that they want to hear (hence the importance of having targeted followers).
*The best response seems to come from a result of using 80% information and RTs and 20% promotion (max). People get annoyed with too much promotion on Twitter just like everywhere else.
5.
So what in the world do you Tweet!? Most people seem to get stuck in figuring out what to say when getting started, but don't stress! This is easy too!
*Tweeting your own ideas is great, but you can also tweet a lot of other peoples' ideas and of course, give them credit for it. Now, this is not the RTs. I'm talking about making a quick statement about the info you have to share and then linking it to a blog, website or some URL like this that we tweeted earlier this week from @brideattraction ::
Some ideas for getting a great first dance wedding picture - http:// is.gd/3vuPH. We provided the interesting, valuable info, but we did not take credit for the idea, because it was not ours!
* Short, to-the-point, newsworthy, interesting information, thoughts and resources get the best response and more targeted followers!
6.
Consistent, constant interaction is Key! Making sure that you tweet consistently and stay out there constantly will grow your network quickly and get you the most referrals and business from Twitter. Now, I get emails all the time from people saying "When do you sleep? You're tweeting all the time! How do you get it all done?" So I'm sharing 2 incredible secrets for Twitter that I use.
(1) We schedule tweets in advance to go out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so that we're in people's thoughts ALL the time without being a pest!
(2) Get Help!! I have an awesome team to help me get it all done, one of which is our Social Media Intern Amanda Vance (@ahvance on Twitter), who is in charge of all our tweets for BOTH business profiles (@brideattraction - for Bride Attraction - and @nataliebradley - for our wedding planning business Natalie Bradley Events). All I do is add some personal Tweets and thank you's and she does the rest! We check in from time to time on what to add, what to take off, and what to tweak and the best part is that she's getting course credit at school for doing this with me! (P.S. Amanda ROCKS!!) 7. Be a mix of personal and professional! The more vulnerable and "you" you can be, the better results you have on Twitter. People want to feel like they know you, so make sure that you add that warm and fuzzy in addition to the info and bridal biz talk!
Your Bride Attraction Assignment: The more targeted you can be with your information and resources, the more of a quality network you'll build with Twitter. Many wedding professionals, including ourselves have built awesome virtual relationships that have also created valuable, profitable bridal biz! In our program, Your Wildly Successful Wedding Business...in a Box, we go into a lot more detail on how to use Twitter and other social media in your business. (link sentence to http://www.brideattraction.com/ successful.html )
2008-2010 Soire! Ltd.
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About Natalie Bradley In 2003, Natalie Keene Bradley launched Soire! Ltd., now Natalie Bradley Events, and it has become a very successful and prominent company. We have planned and designed hundreds of weddings and other social events, as well as consulted for many others. Natalie has discovered the keys to unlocking our clients' dreams for their special occasions and have uncovered the essential tools needed to create fabulous events.
Many of our events illustrating fantastic event design and well-orchestrated weddings have been published in reputable magazines including Inside Weddings, Modern Bride Atlanta, The Knot Georgia, Lake Oconee Living, Weddings with Style, Brides.com Blog and Southern Distinction. From 2003-2007, Natalie penned the entertaining column for Southern Distinction magazine and has been the "lifestyle expert" on Georgia Living TV and Holiday Home. In addition, Natalie has been a special guest on BB Webb's Living Life with Style TV show as well as being featured on Elizabeth Dalton's and Barbara Dooley's radio shows! Natalie has planned, designed and most recently chaired the very successful Girls and Guys' Night Out Hope Haven fundraiser for the last three years, and is the President Emeritus for Athens Wedding Professionals.
We have worked with dozens and dozens of brides, grooms, hosts and families to create their dream weddings and other extraordinary events. Now, let me help you become a fabulous wedding professional too!
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