This is what the marketing model looks like when applied to social sites like Twitter.

1. Target your customers quickly and easily through Twitter

You can find and follow potential clients online very quickly by using the Advanced Twitter search feature that lets you geo-target them within a certain radius and city. With it, you can get pretty specific quickly with Twitter when it comes to reaching out to potential clients. You can also use sites like Nearby Tweets to target in on future customers with their geo-targeting and industry specific search features.

2. Build Your Twitter Followers

Once you have located and followed them, tweet about content that is helpful and informative to your potential client, and they may return the “love” and follow you back. If you badger them with sales messages, you can expect a very poor follow rate.

3. Create a Blog

Include your link on Twitter in your profile that gives people the option to dig a little deeper into what your services and products are. You do not have to set up a blog but you will get the most benefit if you do and we will discuss why in the next step. You can also use a website or your Facebook page to provide more information about your products and services. Make it easy for visitors to find your services, products, and special offers once they arrive from Twitter onto your site.

4. Write Quality Blog Content

There are plug-ins available for Word Press that allow you to tweet the title of your blog posts automatically to Twitter. The tweet will include a link back to the blog article where people can read the full blog post. Once they are on your site, that is your chance to sell to them. These Twitter posts that include your links may get retweeted to their followers which will bring your blog more traffic.

5. Track the Traffic and Results

You should be tracking and taking a look at your traffic statistics to get a good understanding of where your traffic is coming from and how much traffic you are getting. Google offers the very popular free tool known as Google Analytics to help you do this. It is very easy to set up and only takes about 10 minutes to do so. By tracking your Twitter traffic, you will see what is getting you the best results and you will be able to adjust accordingly for better results.

With consumers taking on the broadcasting role on sites like Twitter, it only makes sense to turn these broadcasters into raving fans of your products and services. When this happens, your message can go viral throughout the web. These fans will help create warm, ready to buy referrals for you, and we all know that there is nothing like getting a good prequalified referral. Those truly are the best people to sell to because they are ready to buy and buyers are what we are in this for.

This is a very interesting marketing shift because now your customers are selling to future customers, and it costs us nothing in return. Now, that is some effective advertising at great prices! Companies no longer have to spend untold hours developing elaborate impressions of their online brand. Their brand image is now being created by everyday people as they write online about their experiences. They do this as they sit in their homes, at work, and at local cafes typing away to their heart’s content on their computers offering their latest opinions, news, tips, and reviews. Social sites like Twitter are now at the forefront of this revolution, and you should do your due diligence to get involved in the shaping of your brand’s image online.

By getting involved in social media conversations, you cannot control what is said, nor the end result, but you can help shape the direction that the conversations go in and help bring about a positive outcome. Disgruntled people are everywhere, and you will not please everyone, but you will have an opportunity  to correct inaccuracies and downright lies about your products and services, and if there are any misunderstandings, you can quickly resolve these.

One of the best ways to start building a following in Twitter is to start sharing news, stories, and tips within your industry. By doing this, you will become the go-to source for your prospective clients, and you can continue to nurture your relationship with existing clients. By sharing great content with the Twitter community, you can begin building and increasing consumer confidence in your brand. Of course, as you are sharing news, stories, and tips, you can also mix in links to your own content such as  press releases, articles, blog posts, book marks, new web site content, videos etc… Giving out great free content is one of the best ways to gain loyal followers on Twitter. Just make sure that you do not beat them over the head with your sales message when sharing your links and content.

In addition to posting news, stories, and tips within your industry, make sure you tell your brand’s story as well. Share insights into your company’s successes, challenges, pitfalls, and decisions. Also, do not forget to keep a human element to the posts. That way readers feel like they are dealing with people and not some impersonal corporation.

Being in business is all about having prospects to sell to, and if you do not want to sell then, you need to hire someone who does. It is your job as the owner to keep the cash register ringing whether you are directly responsible for closing the deal or not. Before you hire someone to create your first product or before you hire any staff to perform services for customers, hire someone whole sells well. Make sure that they are friendly, passionate, courteous, persistent, respectful, dedicated, and above all, marvelous closers. Think about it. When a new home builder begins developing homesites, the first thing that they do is get some salespeople on the property so that they can start selling some houses. They do not even have the model homes built yet, but they know that they have to sell to start  the construction workers building the homes and to keep the loan officers busy closing loans.

In reality, your entire staff needs to sell the customer in one form or another. Certainly your secretary will not be presenting prospects with proposals and quotes, but they will often be the first impression of your company to visitors of your brick and mortar business. Once the prospective client has walked in the door, they have already begun judging your company and deciding if this is who they want to do business with. The service and courtesy that your employees offer to prospects and customers goes a long way in the sales process.

One company that I have always been impressed with is Lexus. If you ever buy a  vehicle from them, it is a true experience in red carpet service and sales. Rudy, our salesman, was a pleasure to deal with and that’s saying something because I can’t stand most car salesmen and dealerships. Because he did such a great job working with us, I would certainly buy another vehicle from him and would have no problem referring him more customers. Good salesmen and service truly keep the register ringing.

So, after you find your first great salesman, don’t hesitate to get your second.

When it comes to running a small business, there will be no shortage of tasks to perform and things to buy. However, you must prioritize in order to be an effective and successful small business owner. Otherwise, you may find yourself working for someone else.

Here is an ordered list of priorities. We call it “The Small Business Priority Manifesto.”

1. Never let off the gas pedal when it comes to selling and marketing your products and services

2. Retain current customers

3. Increase the number of customers

4. Send estimates, bill clients and conduct collections

5. Maintain available cash or credit for expenditures

6. Meet payroll

7. Hire great people

8. Be sensitive to employees’ needs and ideas

9. Invest in your staff by training them

10. Offer an excellent product or service coupled with fantastic customer service

11. Know how your products and services differ from your competition

12. Set obtainable goals

13. Delegate tasks that someone else can do better

14. Treat trusted suppliers and lenders warmly

15. Review expenditures over $999.99 thoroughly

16. Complete tasks now that must be dealt with before they turn into a nightmare. In other words, do not procrastinate what’s important.