Twitter is probably the most inexpensive and effective marketing tool for small businesses right now. However, to maximize Twitter’s potential, you need to know how to use it and how to use it properly. The keyword in social media is “social.” No one enjoys pre-scheduled spammy tweets that magically appear on your Twitter homepage every hour on the hour without fail. They can border on annoying and obnoxious and are a sure-fire way to become unfollowed. The goal is to engage your followers, not bombard them with useless information and sales pitches.
The best way to self promote without setting off your tweeps spam radars is to offer content that is interesting to them. They are following you for a reason, capitalize on that reason and give them something they want to read. For instance, if you are selling natural supplements, research the latest developments in that category and share them with your tweeps. Better yet, develop a blog about it and tweet those posts. Keep the content fresh and engage them in conversation about the topic via Twitter. There is a reason it’s called “social media” not “sales media.” By doing this, you become the person that they identify as being a natural supplement expert, thus keeping you connected to the products you sell.