A lot of people fail to realize the true potential of Twitter. Twitter is not just for idle chat or reading celebrity updates. If you have a blog or website and are not using it in conjunction with Twitter you are missing out on a very powerful weapon. Read on to find out why you should be using this social networking monster and how you can utilize it to reap the benefits.

What Can Twitter Do For You?

First off, it is a fantastic tool for pre-selling your site or blog, and can be used as a simple announcing tool to inform people of any new posts you make or any recently added content. But more than that, Twitter is a great tool to get to know your readers and find out what they need.

In its simplest form, Twitter is a way to let other people know what you are doing. People may not visit your blog every day and see what has been added, especially if you only update once or twice a week. That means that for 6 days out of 7 you are not in contact with your readers. This is simply bad business. If you want to keep a reader hooked and interested you need to let them know what you are up to and what they can expect.

Twitter users will check their accounts far more often than they will come to your blog. For most users, checking and updating is a daily occurrence – especially since nearly all mobile phones now have the function to let you tweet via mobile.

Impress With a Two-Way Conversation

Do not just think of Twitter as just a way to update people. The people that use Twitter for promotional purposes come in two categories. The first bunch monotonously post boring statements and could not care what the readers think. The second set are creative thinkers who keep their posts interesting, fresh and interact with their readers, by using question based posts that get readers brains ticking. Which of the two do you think has the most success from Twitter?

Asking a question invites a reader to respond. Now you are interacting with your readers. Suddenly, you are not some faceless poster – now you are someone they tweet to. This is basic customer relations and by seeing you as a real person who shows interest, your readers will be far more interested in reading what else you have to say on your blog or site.

Interactive Research

There is another advantage to showing a real interest and asking questions – market research. Running out of ideas for a blog or site happens to everyone at some stage. If this happens to you then Twitter can be your greatest ally. Why not ask your reader what they want? Ask them what they would like to see on your blog and what, if anything, they think it is missing.

Twitter is the perfect place to find out what your readers think of your site and how it can be improved. This is free fresh input that market research companies would charge you a fortune for!

Another great technique to spark huge interest is to start a poll. You can do this by either posting one on your site and asking readers to vote via Twitter, or post one on Twitter itself (there is an application available that allows you to do this) and then get all your readers involved. A poll is a fantastic way to get almost instantaneous information and feedback from your followers.

Listen to the Crowd

Now you are interacting with your readers and having actual conversations on Twitter, rather than just posting boring facts, you should take close notice of what they post. Maybe one of your followers will mention something you had not thought of, something you may have missed? There is your next blog post, or article, right there and you did not have to spend hours on any research.

Do not forget to check out your readers tweets to their followers too. You will be amazed at the amount of information you can discover from other posts, even if they do not concern you directly. Listen in and see what makes your followers tick and then go away and utilize this. Twitter can provide a unique view into your reader’s psyche that can then allow you to adapt your business model and site.

Using these simple methods you can use Twitter to get to know your readers, find fresh dynamic ideas and stay ahead of your competition by discovering what your readers want right now. Using Twitter to improve customer relations and interact with readers is invaluable for blog and site owners.

Yes, your main site may be where you make the money but Twitter is where you will first make the sales.

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