The Tao of Twitter

I’m a big fan of Twitter.  

A few years ago, I traced 50% of my business to Twitter. The percentage was so high that I decided to put more effort into other channels in case Twitter went bust and I lost all my leads.  

However, I still spend a lot of time on Twitter connecting with others and sharing content. This is why I was pleased when McGraw-Hill asked me to review the revised and expanded version of The Tao of Twitter by Mark W. Schaefer.  

The Tao of Twitter is an excellent resource for both new and advanced tweeters. It explains everything from how to find followers to how to use Twitter’s advertising tools.  

For this review, I’d like to highlight some of the book’s tips that will help B2B marketers generate more leads through Twitter. Here are three things you can learn from The Tao of Twitter:

1. It’s P2P – not B2B.

Social media is about person-to-person communications. You are connecting with real people – not avatars or “users”. Your focus should be on helping your community, not driving sales. 

2. Twitter is a great way to find potential customers.

Schaefer states that the best social networks for B2B marketers to find leads are Twitter and LinkedIn. He recommends using Twitter’s advanced search features to identify potential customers whom you can connect with. You can also find out which hashtags your customers are using and follow people who use them.

3. Try Lead Generation Cards

Twitter now has a number of advertising tools that will help drive more people to your content and your website. With Twitter’s Lead Generation Cards, you can insert a call to action into your tweets that will allow you to add your followers to your list.  

When someone clicks your call to action, they can join your list without filling out a form or leaving Twitter. The person’s name, Twitter handle and email address are pre-filled and sent directly to you.  

Here’s an example of what a Lead Generation Card looks like:

Twitter Lead Generation Card example

4. Host a Twitter chat.

Another great way to generate leads on Twitter is to host chats. You can use your chats to answer your customers’ biggest questions or educate them about an important issue. After you chat, you can post a summary of the conversation on your blog and encourage more people to join you for your next chat.

 5. Be consistent.

You’ll have a hard time generating leads on Twitter if you send out a few tweets and then disappear until your next promotion. Use Twitter on a daily basis to have conversations, grow your following, share your content and help others.  

The book also contains a chapter on “Twitter Time Savers”, which outlines exactly what beginner, intermediate and advanced tweeters should do every day. If you follow this outline, you can accomplish quite a bit with just twenty minutes a day.

However, the book states that you’re a Twitter Pro if you have at least 400 followers. To me, this seems like a low number that you can hit without spending much time on Twitter. The “Twitter Time Savers” section contains a lot of great advice, but I’d ignore the suggested follower counts. Instead, read all the tips and decide which category is right for you.  

Happy tweeting!