6 steps to building a strong brand identity on Twitter

Twitter is a powerful tool to build a brand identity and spread word about your business. Whether you're a freelancer looking for clients or a company sourcing customers, Twitter is a platform you just can't avoid. With over 300 million active users, it is not nearly as large as Facebook. However, unlike Facebook, Twitter is a place where it is relatively easier to establish valuable connections with market leaders, influencers, and credible personalities, not to mention prospective customers. Now that the importance of being on Twitter is established, here is how you should go about building your brand identity on the social media site:

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Follow industry leaders and influencers

Following established leaders of your niche gives you an accurate idea of how the pros operate on Twitter. Not only do you get to see how they engage with their followers along with when and what they post, you can also begin engaging with such influencers by mentioning them in your tweets. If they like what you have to say, they might follow you or, if you're really lucky, they might even mention you in their tweets. A mention by an influencer bolsters your brand's credibility to thousands of people in an instant and is often far more effective than an advertising campaign.

Stop selling, start interacting

Customers hate being sold to. Relentlessly pushing your services or products in the face of Twitter users is not going to get you anywhere. Instead, you should aim to be engaging and educating in a manner that makes users like your brand. Some of the most prominent brands on Twitter gained popularity on the social media site by posting entertaining information and graphics or making witty replies to random user comments; which is not something that is going to bolster sales but will definitely make them more memorable in the increasingly distracted minds of Twitter users. So, if any user tags you in a tweet or even messages you directly, always reply in a prompt manner.

Be active and consistent

Posting a tweet couple times a week and following one new person each day won't amount to much. Twitter is constantly inundated with new information every second, and it's easy to get lost in the crowd. That's why posting multiple times a day is highly recommended – changing the copy each time is a must if you're posting the same image, video, or outbound link. And consistency is critical to improving user engagement. Posting in spurts, say five times on Monday and just once for the rest of the week, is no good. Maintain a regular posting schedule and keep experimenting until you find the time slots during which your posts receive most interaction.

Stick to your niche

It's very tempting to retweet big events that are currently trending. You may feel that doing so is important to, and even expected by, your followers, but that's simply not true. For example, if your aim is to be a credible source on digital marketing practices, don't tweet about the latest politics or celebrity news trending on that day – your followers will undoubtedly get that information from other accounts. Instead, create and curate strong content that establishes you as a well-informed brand in your niche.

Make a good profile

Twitter users will form their first impressions about a brand based on the profile page. In the same way that no one trusts a website with a horrendous design, having an incomplete profile page makes you lose credibility. Make sure that the profile picture is your brand's logo and the cover image is relevant. Also be sure to complete the bio and add external links to your website or blog.

Learn to tweet right

When it comes to tweeting, there are a few rules that should be kept in mind. Always use hashtags to improve discoverability (don't overdo it though, a couple of hashtags is sufficient for one tweet) and try to incorporate images in your tweets as often as you can. And if you're sharing information you picked up elsewhere, be sure to tag the relevant source in your posts as well. Following these basics can do wonders for your engagement rates in no time.

It's important to remember one thing while using Twitter to establish your brand identity: what works for one person does not necessarily work for the other. You may be tempted to copy the strategies employed by credible leaders or your competitors but it is essential to develop your own. And since that is something you can only do after a lot of trial and error, you better get started right away.