Contrary to CNN, Twitter is not only for following the latest Trump tweets. Although entertaining and frightening with every update, Twitter can be more than a big brother outlet.

It's a lunch room to talk about last night's Bachelorette by the water cooler.

It's the TMZ bus when you want the latest celebrity gossip.

It's also a bulletin board of business opportunities.

I've snagged copywriting gigs on Twitter, been introduced to high profile people in the writing industry, and had Kofi Siriboe (from the movie Girls Trip & TV Show Queen Sugar) like my tweet. GAH.

Since 2013, I've been tweeting but I didn't hop on talking about business right away. I had to get into the flow of things. Okay, okay, to be honest, I didn't know what I was doing. I was just vomiting a bunch of words out into the internet.

Unlike Facebook, you rarely get a response. YOU ARE TALKING TO YOURSELF.

Until you're not.

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Secret #1: Threads

It's a string of conversation you're having with yourself.

I know what it sounds like..."talking to yourself again". It's more like having an opinion or practical knowledge you can share in one run on dialogue with Twitter.

Here's how it works: 

1) You open Twitter and make a post

2) You reply to your first post

3) Repeat on each previous post to keep the one-sided conversation in a stream (see picture below)

When someone clicks on the initial post they'll see the full thread and read it like a blog post. The purpose is to show your thought leadership on a subject but instead of writing an article or creating an Infographic --it's a thread. Takes much less time than those things anyway. Over time these threads get shared more often as it shows you're active and in real time on Twitter aka exposure. Twitter threads can be on what's trending, a hack, a rant or your opinion on something in your industry.

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Secret #2: Lists

Now, you can use list one of many ways but here are the two ways I use them for.

First, to house a list of tools I use for my business. This is considered a resource list for my followers and also aids in my thought leadership and a quick link to reference back to online.

Think about what your followers would love the inside scope on and create a list.

Second, this is where the business producing activities come in. Create a list of people you want to network or do business with. Return to this list-feed to interact with them on a weekly basis. If you follow 1000's of people on Twitter it's hard to keep in touch with who you really want to keep up with. Having a list puts those key people all in one place. No more overwhelm. How to Create a Twitter List. 

A list of Editors at publications I would like to write for fill my list, as well as, other writers. It also doesn't hurt to have a Twitter list of your email subscribers so you can interact and grow the love with them. Which by-the-way, can be set to private so only you have access to view it.

If you think about it, business is built on relationships. 

Interacting with your peers or "associates" on a regular and consistent basis develops a deeper relationship. One when the opportunity arrives to offer your service --they'll be more inclined to accept. I have met many people offline where I first started a relationship with them online.

Secret #3: Likes

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of a like on a tweet was for?

Aside from showing your approval or agreement with a message, it can also serve as your social buzz.

Here's what I mean...

If you've been socializing online, posting value or ever been a part of a Twitter chat, at some point, you've been also quoted or re-tweeted. Which can add to your online credibility...your buzz. People are not only liking what you're posting but sharing it too. Don't waste a like on a random like. Like only the things that show your value on the platform (i.e. a compliment, a retweet, a thank you etc.) . You want to show this social buzz on your website, like your portfolio or About page.

See Mine:

This requires a little code placement embeded into a web page but worth every tiny effort:

1. Go to Settings & Privacy

2. Widgets

3. Create New, Likes

4. Enter Your Twitter URL/ likes. Select Embedded Timeline. 

5. Grab The Code or Set Customization

It's simple. The easier you make it for people to see your worth online and the value you bring to the table, the easier it is, for people to hire you. Create more opportunities using Twitter.

The secrets out.

💡 related: Call or Tweet? The Not-So-New Rules of Marketing

How are you using Twitter for business?

Comment below