You may already know that Twitter is one of my favorite platform for generating high-quality, targeted leads for my business. But I always caution business owners that in order to generate leads, you have to go in with a plan. If you don’t, you are likely to spend tons of time on Twitter and have little to show for it.
Following are 9 simple strategies you can use to generate leads on Twitter.
These will help to ensure your connections are targeted, and will give you the best chance of moving your followers into your marketing funnel.
I would love to hear YOURÂ best Twitter lead-generation tips in the comments below!Â
1. Search for tweets that are requesting recommendations.
Searching for relevant hashtags and keywords will be one of the best ways you can find highly targeted tweets you can respond to. Using Twitter’s Advanced Search function, you can look for tweets containing industry keywords coupled with the word ‘recommendation’ or ‘looking for'. For instance, if you’re a web designer, you may want to search for ‘web design’ and ‘recommendation’ or ‘looking for web design'. If you are a local brick and mortar business, you will likely also want to specify a particular city, maybe even a zip code or a series of zip codes!
 2. Search for tweets that are asking industry-related questions.
Giving a helpful response to an industry-related question is a great way to get your name out there and to build trust. Using a tool like Hashtagify.me or Topsy, you can plug in keywords related to your business or industry to see what’s being asked. For instance, I could type in ‘bookkeeping’ and a question mark to find questions related to accounting. Now I can respond with helpful suggestions or ideas, and potentially gain a new, targeted follower.
 3. Search for tweets about your competitors.
Another great way to find relevant conversations to contribute to is to search for hashtags about your competitors. For instance, if someone tweeted that they were unhappy with a service being provided, you could respond that you are sorry about their experience, and you are happy to offer a free consultation. You don’t want to become known as someone who ‘poaches’ other people’s clients, but there’s nothing wrong with building connections by offering helpful advice and an opportunity for a better experience!
 4. Use relevant hashtags.
Remember that you are not the only one searching for relevant hashtags! Chances are your target market is also searching for industry-related hashtags, so make sure to use them in your tweets. Remember that tweets with 1-2 hashtags are most likely to be retweeted (and generate more leads) than those with 3 or more hashtags.
Image courtesy of Buffer
5. Create a landing page just for Twitter followers.
When you share your website URL with your Twitter followers, please don’t just send them to your homepage! Having a dedicated landing page for your Twitter followers helps ensure you get them into your marketing funnel; the goal of your landing page should be to get their email address so you can continue to connect with them outside of Twitter.
 6. Participate in Twitter chats.
Use a tool like Twubs to find live Twitter chats you can participate in. These chats can help you connect with your target market, and can help establish you as an industry expert. You may even want to host your own Twitter chat in order to build deeper connections with your current customer base. For added visibility, you may want to consider sponsoring an industry chat; for instance, having your logo and URL displayed on the chat page or having your business mentioned by the host.Â
 7. Use Twitter’s lead generation cards.Â
Are you already using Twitter’s lead generation cards? If not, you will want to look into doing so, PRONTO. Lead generation cards, like all Twitter cards, allow you to add richer and more detailed information to your tweets. With lead generation cards, when someone clicks to expand your tweets, they’ll not only see your offer (a product, e-book, webinar, etc.), but they’ll be able to respond to your call to action with one click of the button. Their name and contact info will automatically be submitted, increasing the chances that they’ll actually submit the form.
 Image courtesy of Twitter
 8. Take the conversation off Twitter.
If you’re engaged with a potential lead on Twitter, consider expanding the conversation by taking it off Twitter. Connecting with your leads via email or direct message makes the connection more personal, and prospects may be feel more comfortable asking questions in private. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to connect with them on Twitter though! This just gives you one additional way to nurture the relationship.
 9. Follow your prospects and continue to engage with them.Â
This is a fairly obvious one, but it needs to be said. In each of the 8 tips above, I have suggested ways to find and connect with your prospects on Twitter. But finding your prospects is only the first step: be sure to follow them and continue to engage with them. Most prospects will want to get to know you to see whether or not they can trust you. This process can take months, and may involve many interactions. In other words, don’t write someone off just because they don’t buy from you immediately!
Looking for more tips? Check out my post How to Use Social Media to Generate Leads.
What do you think of my 9 easy ways to generate Twitter leads? What’s YOUR best tip for generating leads on Twitter?
Share below!
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Hope you got some great value from the tips, Toni 🙂
Yes, I totally agree! Thanks for adding a great tip.
Glad you picked up some tips Kostas 🙂
Glad you keyed in on something specific to get stared with Elke 🙂
Blake, Darren over at copyblogger.com does a great job with his! Take a look when you get a minute.
Glad you picked up a few things to get started on Sherman 🙂
Hi Kim, thanks so much for mentioning Hashtagify.me again. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Glad to hear this Lindsay 🙂
Absolutely!
Really glad to see these were helpful to you, Char!
Excited that they were of help to you, Stacey 🙂
Great! This is what I’m looking for.
Great article on mastering Twitter, good tips. Thanks for sharing.