It is to your benefit and your business’ benefit to use Twitter to grow you business list for free. Well, with the way Twitter is set up, you can use it as a free list builder. You can build your own list of personalized leads simply by going over the profiles of existing Twitter users. Using this technique, you can get leads that are definitely within the parameters of your target audience. An even easier way of looking for leads is to find people who are actively talking about the business you are in. For example, you have an online traveling agency. You can make a search about who is tweeting about “traveling” and similar keywords and target those people first. In many ways Twitter is an even better free list builder because you know for sure what background and preferences your leads have, instead of just getting a bunch of people from normal lead-generation companies whose lists may not be as accurate as you would want. In Twitter, you get exactly who you want for free.
Twitter also gives free list building a different touch. Instead of just getting you a list of people, you get a platform where you get to interact and reach out to them, through the website itself. Traditionally, if you are going to buy a list of leads, it would be up to you to contact them – by email, phone or snail mail. So on top of the money that you pay for the leads, you will also be saddled with phone bills. With Twitter, once you’ve targeted your audience, you can just begin reaching out to them right there on the website. This system eliminates the need to spend more money just to get people to notice you and your business.
Now, with your free account and your followers in tow, you have to be careful how you pitch your business to followers. Remember that you should avoid a traditional sales approach when dealing with the people who choose to follow you on Twitter. It just doesn’t work like old school lead generation anymore. The key difference is that here you have to first build relationships with your customers rather than throw them a sales pitch from the get-go. If you want to convert these free leads to business deals, you have to introduce yourself not as a salesman, but as a fellow Twitter user. Chat with them and tweet about things that may seem interesting to them. Ask them questions about their interests and become their friend. Once you do get them to become customers, continue being their friend, follow up with them and maintain the relationship.
Twitter as a free list builder is awesome, especially for small businesses that have a niche market or are trying to make a business grow with a shoestring marketing budget. In many ways, this free list builder is much more effective and economical than relying on paid leads.
