Twitter is a social network and micro blog- service,  that enables its users to share short posts or send each other messages (as unedited text of 140 characters length).

The posts or “tweets” appear on the profile of the user but can instantly be seen by those who follow  the user. The users can set if their posts can be seen only by the circle of friends or everyone (by default). Twitter is a very effective tool for online sales. We can increase the turnover of our web shop with little time and effort invested.

The setting up of your Twitter account

Profile picture
Use your company logo as your Twitter profile picture. It is essential that your Twitter profile reflects the feel and vibe of your other online appearance.

Your bio (introduction)
This is the perfect place for introducing your company. Be brief and telling.

Web page
Always insert your Shoptsie web shop link into your Twitter bio.

Background picture
You can make use of the background picture in various ways. You can upload a picture showcasing one of your products or a picture with your contact details.

How to sell on Twitter

For salespeople, one of the most outstanding feature of Twitter is the real-time search.  By performing a  simple search you can see the users’ posts in real time and so you can increase your number of sales. For instance, if you are selling shoes, type in the “sport shoes” into the search and you will see who is currently speaking of sport shoes. With a little research you can find out who is looking to buy shoes.

You follow these users and start a conversation with them:

• Offer them discounts
• Send them the link to your products
• If they have already bought from you, ask for their feedback and opinion

Tweet on a regular basis

Being present on Twitter is truly effective only if you are an active user, meaning that you tweet  regularly. You can perform this by using your search engine with twitter.com or the Twitter mobile app. If you don’t have the time to post daily, you have other solution that will help you prepare numerous tweets in advance, that will be posted on given dates . such solutions are Buffer and Postify, for example.

What should you share

Share your products the same way you share them on Facebook. It is ok even if you share the same product multiple times, but what is important is to mention the Shoptsie link of you product every time. Besides you products you can also share news regarding your company or blog posts. Ask your Twitter followers questions concerning your products and observe their replies. If there was an article published in the newspaper about your business or an event you attended, share that as well.

Use #hashtags

Always use hashtag in your posts. The hashtag is a word or a phrase written together where the first letter is preceded by the # sign. The hashtag is non-intelligent, does not recognize the number of letters you wanted to use, therefore only the expressions written together with hashtag will be interpreted accordingly.  If you write “#sport shoe”, the search hashtag will only be “#sport”. If you want the entire phrase to appear in the hashtag then use the “#sportshoe” phrase. Using hashtag enables users to find your post faster as well as your products displayed in your post.

Do not spam!

Whatever you do, do not spam! Just because one user has mentioned your products in a post, does not  automatically mean you need to send them a message. The real-time search-based-selling should be used in moderation, only from time to time, otherwise Twitter might interpret it as spamming.