Twitter may not seem the obviously choice for a local business, without the localisation of Facebook it can feel like you are lost in the sheer volume of content. If you are based in one place and you don’t sell online making your mark and finding your audience can be a struggle. There is a place for local businesses on Twitter but you have to work a little smarter to connect with people.
Find Your Local Twitter Community
However small your town is you will find some fellow tweeters. Even if they aren’t proactively sharing and responding it doesn’t mean they aren’t listening. Many people join Twitter to keep up to date with local news and events but aren’t interested in kicking back and chatting with other tweeps. You can still follow them and start a conversation but bear in mind they don’t want to be sold too. Check out their bio and see if there are any nuggets of information you can chat to them about.
Start your hunt with Twitter Advanced Search, you can add your town and find fellow tweeters and people who are mentioning your location. Save this search and you can visit it regularly to see if there is any new arrivals to your local Twitterville that you can follow. Is there a local radio station or newspaper with a Twitter account? People who follow them are interested in your town, even if they don’t live there. They could have either moved away and want to keep in touch, have family in your town or are planning to come for a visit.
Help Other Local Businesses
All the businesses in your locality are in a similar position. You want to communicate with people who are going to buy from you and keep in touch with existing customers. A sense of bewilderment is not uncommon when you are new to Twitter. It can take time to find a voice and know how to interact. By chatting with other businesses who may or may not be new to Twitter will build your local Twitterville. The more local businesses and individuals that are tweeting the more valuable your time there becomes.
Getting likes and retweets gives validation to your fellow tweeters. Filled with a sense of reciprocity they are going to like and retweet you.
Set Up Local Resources Lists
Twitter lists are useful to help you manage all the accounts you follow. They can be used to provide a valuable resource for anyone who finds your account. These lists will not only help you manage your account but they can be subscribed to by other Twitter users. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Jersey Taxi Companies
- Jersey Tradesman
- Places To Eat With A Sea View In Jersey
- Buying A Home In Jersey? Local Estate Agents
- Jersey Social Media Experts
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Use Local Hashtags
Do you have any hashtags related to your town? Visit your local tourism Twitter account to see if they are using any. Visit Jersey are currently promoting two hashtags for the island #jerseyci, after all we don’t want to be confused with New Jersey, and #theislandbreak which is part of their promotional activity. The more people who use these hashtags the more useful they become. If there aren’t any specific hashtags that are being used try starting your own.
Get Involved In The Community
It doesn’t matter if you live an a town of 10,000 or a metropolis of millions if you are only tweeting about your business and what you’ve got to sell you aren’t going to make an impression. Show your love for your home town and get involved with the community. Share local events and news, take pictures and videos of your surroundings. Give shout outs to your favourite bar or pizza place. This generosity will get you noticed so when you do have something to say about your business there will be plenty of people who will listen!
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