Is Your Twitter Optimized for Success?

Twitter has fast become one of the leading online resources for finding, connecting and engaging with customers and prospects. Most organizations and salespeople have Twitter profiles, but only a few percent actually drive leads and generate a return on investment from Twitter. With so much potential, why are most Twitter profiles unsuccessful? Like most things online, the general consensus is that most users don’t know what to do or how to optimize their profile pages for success.

Without further adieu, here are 5 steps for twitter optimization:

1. Fill Out The “About You” Info (Http://Twitter.Com/Settings/Profile) Making Sure To Set a Location and Fill Out the Bio.

Great way to add credibility and promote trust on first impressions. Not only does having this information make you stand out from other Twitter users, it shows that you are not a controlled bot program. Additionally, if your Twitter page shows up in a search results page, your Name, UserName and Bio are displayed to the searcher.

2. Add a Custom Background With Contact Information

With Twitter’s restrictions on page customizations, it’s hard to fit everything you’d like to in the tiny amount of space they give you. This is why many users and business are using a customized background with detailed contact information. See some great examples from SEOmoz, Michael Gray and HubSpot.

3. Use a Custom Avatar

Another key factor in gaining trust and credibility is a professional avatar. Preferably of yourself or your company logo, your avatar will help familiarize you with your customers and visitors, and only helps to increase your brand awareness.

4. Be Consistent With Your Tweeting Activity

Think of tweeting as a weekly activity just like blogging (Note: it should be a daily activity, but set realistic goals and try to beat them). Think of how relevant a news site would be if it posted 30 stories one day and then did not post again until three weeks later. Try to post at least once a day or a few times a week. Outlining a content schedule with upcoming events is a great way to think of new tweets.

5. Be Attractive To Casual Visitors

Ask yourself this question: Would you read it if it was someone else’s Twitter? Make your content exciting, unique and follow-worthy. Tweet about interesting news stories in your industry – not just your product, give away freebies, have contests and ask questions. Do anything you can to stir up interest and conversation.