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How to Twitter your way to marketing success

Top five Twitter techniques to promote your business and products

As Twitter grows in popularity, companies worldwide are discovering new and useful business functions for the micro-blog.   

One less obvious, but potentially effective use of Twitter is for recruitment – a particularly handy way of using the tool in these tough times.

Massive layoffs across several sectors have increased the number of job hunters. Despite this numerical increase, however, the hiring manager's job hasn't become any easier.

Quite the contrary.

Hiring managers note that very few of the résumés that inundate their Inboxes these days are from qualified candidates.

The need of the hour is a tool that helps recruiters quickly identify the right talent – and Twitter fits the bill.

Using social media tools, such as Twitter, for recruitment may no longer be an optional extra. Businesses may have to do it just to stay in the game, notes Jessica Meher, marketing and communications manager at Nashua, NH-based Akken Inc. that offers hosted software focused on the staffing and recruiting market.

Meher said while newspapers and job boards are a good way to source candidates, social media provides a new way to engage with potential employees – and it's free.

For starters, she said, hiring managers and employment agencies need to build a brand-related Twitter profile. "Follow key players in your industry, who are interested in your company's news."

A Tweet way to begin

Start Tweeting about your company and slowly aggregate followers in your industry interested in what your company has to say, Meher said.

"The only successful way to use Twitter is to allow your profile to build up over time – you have to be an active Tweeter and update your profile continuously."

There are currently three million users on Twitter and that number is growing daily, she said.

By sharing company news – such as internal promotions, new products or industry best practices – you will naturally make both passive and active candidates aware of reasons why they might like to work at your firm.

"Use Twitter to market your brand to potential candidates," said Meher. Brand is communicated through the messages you broadcast, she said.

Everyone on your "followers" list had opted to be there, the Akken exec noted.  So anything you post about jobs is seen by active, social people in your industry who may directly respond or share that message with other well-connected users.

Many Twitterers are actively engaged in the micro-blogging forum and aren't afraid to 'retweet' or 'RT' an important message on their own page – if they feel their followers may benefit.

The only drawback to the Twitter strategy is it is a long process, Meher said. You will need to find the time to develop your online brand, identify followers and understand how to integrate Twitter in your social media marketing mix.

The process can be overwhelming and placing a skilled person in charge of the company's Twitter account can be a useful way to manage messages and relationships with followers, Meher said.

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