Laurie Neumann of Christian Home Business Connection asks:
I recently joined Twitter, but I am not seeing any benefit from it. Can you give some strategies of how to use Twitter effectively to grow your business? Also - how do you get involved in conversations that are going on? I see people answering each other and having an ongoing conversation, and I”m not sure how to make that happen…

Hi Laurie,

Great question! I have heard similar thoughts about Twitter from others, so you’re not alone. In fact, I was hesitant to join Twitter myself. But once I did, I quickly saw the tremendous value in it. I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned so far. You’ll want to start with these two posts:

5 Ways To Build Your Twitter Following
Quick tutorial to help you build a loyal following on Twitter. Not just visitor count mind you, but real people with specific interests who are genuinely interested in what you have to say on your topic.

Tweeting Outside The IM Niche
This post contains a blueprint for using Twitter to gain exposure with your target market, network and build valuable business relationships - regardless of your niche.

Before you get started, know your objective. I would assume that you want to connect with other christian business owners, and christian women who are interested in working from home since that is the topic of your website.

Set up your Twitter account using your name, and include your website address and bio in the Settings tab. The bio is your brief opportunity to interest people in who you are and what you have to offer, so put some consideration into the wording.

Start by searching for people you already know online, such as people you have connected with on other sites or publishers in your niche. Follow the people you find. Next do a keyword search and look for other interesting people to follow. (You might try: christian, home business, wahm, bible study, etc.)

When you follow someone, all of their ‘tweets’ will show up in your timeline (the “home” tab). Listen in to the ‘tweets’ and conversations that show up in your timeline each day, and get a feel for the people you are following and their specific interests.

To reply, click the small arrow to the right of any tweet. This will put the @ symbol and their name in your text box - type your reply after it, and it will show up as a direct reply to that person. It will show up in the timeline of anyone following you, and it will show up in the Replies tab of the person you replied to (even if they are not following you). This is a great way to meet new people and start a dialogue with someone you’d like to network with.

You also want to be a conversation starter. You can do this by asking questions, requesting feedback, tweeting useful resources and announcements, etc.

See this quick video for a visual example: