Twitter isn’t just for announcing the news of the day or for telling friends where you’ll be on Friday night. When used well, Twitter can help you to engage sales leads and move through your sales process in ways you never could before. Social media has evolved over the last decade, and what started out as a way for college students to keep in touch with each other is now one of the most efficient and valuable business tools out there. Let’s look at how to engage sales leads on Twitter.

Share Valuable Content

People follow individuals on Twitter who have something to offer. On Twitter, content is what you can offer. The way to gain followers and keep them focused on your tweets is to give them ideas, tips, and food for thought that will improve their lives and keep them thinking. You can do this by tweeting links to important industry news, offering quotes from blog posts on your business blog, and pointing out interesting ideas. Think about what you would like to read, and generate content that fits the bill. You’ll soon find yourself with new followers and increased traffic to your website.

Start Conversations

Good sales people are good conversationalists, but starting conversations on Twitter is a little different from starting conversations in person. On Twitter, you’re limited to 140 characters per tweet, so you may need to learn to be more concise. When you see an interesting tweet, reply with a good question or an interesting comment. People are flattered when you respond to their tweets; Twitter conversations can lead to more personal and in-depth conversations.

Develop a Strategy

It’s easy to get lost on Twitter if you don’t have a strategy for engaging sales leads. First, decide what you want from Twitter. Are you most concerned about brand awareness? Making sales? Generating leads? Building a professional network?

After you’ve decided on your Twitter priorities, think about the following:

• Who is your target audience? These are the people you want to follow and connect with.
• What do these people want? The answer to this question will give you guidance about what to tweet.
• What are the problems these people face? They’re looking for solutions to these problems. Offer solutions.

Connect with Influencers

Some people are much more active on Twitter than others, and those active people are the ones you want to connect with. Why? Because they’re likely to retweet your posts, sending your messages and your influence far and wide. Do a search for a keyword in your industry, and look for the people who are most active in posting about those keywords. Follow them, comment on their posts, and soon you’ll find your own tweets flying through the Twittersphere.

Once you have connections with influencers and you have begun engaging in conversations with people who are active in your industry, you’ll be able to engage sales leads on Twitter with regularity. Your everyday Twitter conversations will further your reputation as a person in your industry who knows the ins and outs, keeps up with the times, leads discussions, and relays important industry news. Using Twitter to engage sales leads is one of the most cost effective ways you can get in touch with potential new customers and build existing relationships.