10 easy ways to increase Twitter engagement as a small business - with examples
Size doesn’t matter.
At least it doesn’t matter if it’s the wrong fit.
Having hundreds or even thousands of Twitter (or X) followers but only a few likes, shares and comments means something isn’t working. It’s time to reconsider your priorities. Because your business social media isn’t just for fun, it has a function: to help you sell.
Increased engagement means an increased chance of sales.
Finding your ideal audience
A social media account created to promote your business should attract and entertain your ideal audience. And your ideal audience should be potential:
customers - people who want to buy what you are selling
collaborators - other businesses and people in the same industry
community - pre-existing groups that might be interested in your business
If you’re not sure exactly who your ideal audience is meant to be, look at your current Business Plan. Who did you consider as potential customers and collaborators for your business?
Those are the people you are trying to attract online.
Content that builds connections
You need to focus on creating content that keeps your core ideal audience interested and engaged. Over time your continued presence will mean followers think of you first when they’re in the market to buy what you’re selling.
Part of that engagement will include amplifying your business tone of voice. That means your style of communicating with your audience.
Are you witty and irreverent or dry and matter-of-fact? Are there certain words you use regularly and others you’d avoid?
Here’s an example:
“Hey squad, it’s your boy, Poe”
“Greetings, ‘tis I, Mr Edgar Allan Poe”
“Hi, Edgar here”
Each of these lines delivers the same message but in a different tone of voice.
Once you know your tone of voice, it’s time to make those Tweets happen.
10 easy ways to increase Twitter engagement for a small business
It doesn’t have to be too complicated. You just need to understand who you are talking to, how you talk to them and what you want to say.
Here are ten ways a small business can increase Twitter engagement, help build a mini-community of potential customers and have fun.
1. Use relevant hashtags
Share relevant content directly with your wider community by using relevant hashtags.
It will take research to find the best ones for your business, but it’s a good time investment as it opens doors to potential customers.
Over time you’ll be able to spot which trending hashtags would be ideal to use too.
A Black Cat Books tweet about a spooky sale using hashtags that link to the relevant communities
2. Share visual content
When people are scrolling through social media, an image will grab attention faster than a few lines of text. Make the image you share relevant to your business and your niche.
Luci of Black Cat Books is claiming their territory
3. Share a story
Your business is personal, so sharing personal stories can be beneficial. But you absolutely do not have to overshare.
Keep the stories relevant by sticking to what might interest your followers, like behind-the-scenes stories.
A behind-the-scenes post is an opportunity to let your community peek behind the curtain of your business. (Don’t use #BTS - that’s very different content)
4. Answer FAQs
People will reach out and ask questions about your business but also about you.
Pick a few you feel comfortable answering and answer them.
Or answer a question that only one person has asked. Who’s going to know it’s not a Frequently Asked Question?
Luci shares their favourite short story. Have you read it?
5. Show your niche knowledge
You’re an expert in your business. Share your niche knowledge in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Ideally in a way that also directs people to what you’re selling.
Referencing the inspiration behind a piece of pop culture shows expert knowledge.
6. Share the love
Sending a warm message to another account is just a nice thing to do.
It’s also one way to reach a wider community while also introducing content your audience may find interesting.
Your contact doesn’t even have to be strictly in your niche. It’s ok to have fun.
Luci wishes a Happy Birthday to another Twitter account run by a cat from political circles.
7. Post a photo
Sharing a selfie is still a good way to grab attention. No one knows why.
Just make sure you have the permission of those in the photo before you post them online.
A tweet from someone who is not Luci…I wonder what Luci thinks about this.
8. Comment on Tweets
Add context (and improve the algorithm) by adding comments to your own posts.
On Twitter, you can make a thread about a subject of interest. You could even Pin a thread you plan to grow over time, so it’s the first post people see if they visit your profile.
Don’t forget to take part in conversations happening on other accounts too. It’s called SOCIAL media, after all. Be sociable in a way that matches your business tone of voice.
People will see you. Some may want to follow you.
Luci does not seem too happy about their photo being shared.
9. Quote Tweet your community
Give back to your followers and community by sharing their content.
But don’t just Retweet. Although retweeting is faster, Quote Tweeting allows you to add more to the post and earn your own likes and shares.
Quote Tweets are also better for your algorithm. Feed it.
Luci at Black Cat Books has Quote Tweeted a post sharing Poe short stories. Timely and book-related content from the community.
10. Share news and updates
Not everyone is going to visit your website news page every day.
If you have news worth sharing, share it on social media too. And not just once.
Repeat the same message in different ways to improve the chances of the information being received and acted on.
A job opportunity and a chance to worship Luci in person. Who could resist?
Writing the right content for your business
The key is to create content that attracts and keeps the interest of your ideal followers while being sociable.
In the case of Black Cat Books, if your business personality is a powerful and intelligent black cat called Luci, make sure the cat in question has opposable thumbs. It’s harder to type on a smartphone without them.
Or you can hire a fellow human to do it all for you.
A social media manager will take the stress out of not knowing what to post by creating regular, optimised content in your tone of voice.
If you’re finding social media to be a time-sink that takes you away from your business for too long, a social media manager can step in and interact with followers for you.
Mary Wyrd: Virtual Assistant and Copywriter for creative businesses, including social media management