From political tweets to pandemic pandemonium, it’s hard to ignore Twitter. You can’t argue that this social media medium is informative, entertaining,  and influential. But what do you really know about Twitter? Check out these Twitter by the numbers facts:

• Among US adults 24% of men use Twitter while 21% of women use the platform
• 65% of Twitter’s most active users are women
• 24% of those with some college education use Twitter
• 20% of those making $30k–74,999 use Twitter
• 31% of those making more than $75k use Twitter
• Twitter ranks only slightly behind Instagram when it comes to 65+ users in the U.S. (7% vs 8%)

If you’re a small business owner and you look at the numbers, it is clear that you should make Twitter part of your marketing mix. But how can you make Twitter work for your business?

Customer Insights

Twitter sees 6,000 Tweets every second. Clearly, people are using Twitter as a conversation platform. But, did you know that by monitoring Twitter you can gain valuable customer insights? Twitter can help you research trends and topics that are important to your customers.

Gathering this information isn’t as difficult as it may seem. The Twitter Explore page gives you an updated list of topics and hashtags trending in your region and relevant to your interests. The page can help you find Twitter hashtags and conversations that are important to you and your audience.

Build Brand Awareness

Using Twitter for your business lets you share information quickly and easily start conversations. When starting those conversations, make sure your tone reflects your brand and that your content is aligned with your brand – whether that is touting product benefits or sharing helpful tips with your followers – make sure your conversation matters.

If you’re searching for ways to start a conversation or need help with the tone of your tweet, Twitter recently launched an Organic Tweets starter kit worksheet to help you jump-start your conversations.

Connect, Connect, Connect

Engaging with your follower’s replies and mentions makes that all-important connection and improves your chances of showing up in non-followers’ feeds.

The Sprout #BrandsGetReal survey found that the top three behaviors that help brands connect with consumers are:

• Liking or responding to customers
• Showcasing brand personality
• Supporting a cause that consumers personally support

Twitter is the perfect platform to connect and build a community. To build and maintain a loyal following, use your tweets to join in relevant conversations, and engage audiences. The Sprout #BrandsGetReal survey found that 55 percent of consumers want brands to help them connect with likeminded people through social media, and 36 percent expect brands to build communities that consumers can belong to. One of the top benefits of Twitter for business is cultivating a brand community and bringing people together around a common interest or cause.

If you see the value in Twitter, but just don’t know how to get started, Deppe Communications can help move your business forward. Click here to learn more.