Let’s start with the basics: your Twitter bio (which can be only 160 characters or less) should include your business’ city and a very brief description of what the company does. Like we’ve discussed before, include relevant keywords in your bio so that if a customer were to search “plumber Dallas family owned,” for example, your Twitter account would be produced in Google’s search results because you keyworded well.

Twitter is unique because you can get away with sending multiple messages in a day, or even in an hour, without overwhelming potential customers (like what might happen on Facebook). Tweeting shorts bits of information in real-time can be a highly effective way of keeping your followers in-the-know. If used properly, it is just another fantastic opportunity to stay top-of-mind and brand yourself online.

Here’s what you should do with your business’ Twitter:

Tweet (duh)

Tweet about everything. Tweet to introduce staff members to your followers (include their Twitter handles) to engage customers and make them feel like they know your leadership personally. Tweet blog posts from your company’s website. Tweet about your sales, specials and promotions, and consider tweeting a “Twitter users-only” secret code that followers can redeem. Tweet tips pertaining to your line of work (e.g. “How to Unclog a Showerhead” if you’re a plumbing company). (Re)Tweet articles and tweets from competitors and media sources that interest you and that are relevant to your business’ goods and services.

And remember: good Tweets are short but informative; memorable but simple. Your Twitter presence should display one identifiable, cohesive voice. Decide on your Twitter personality and stick with it.

Hint: Tweets are best received when conversational.

Tweet photos of your storefront, products, sales team and staff members, customers, etc. People LOVE visual content. Putting a face and/or an image to a name on Twitter helps people to remember you and what you do, and they’re likely to share images.

Lastly, RESPOND when people tweet to you or about you. Address your followers quickly by tweeting them back, retweeting, or favoriting their tweet. This shows that you care about your customers whether online or in person.

Use hashtags

Hashtagging can take a bit of practice, but if you remember to do it, it’s a great way to connect with potential customers. Try to avoid sending tweets without at least one hashtag. This allows people to congregate around certain topics and find what they want to talk or learn about.

Also, search for hashtags relevant to your industry and check up on your competitors. See what they’re tweeting about and how you can one-up them. It’s much quicker than driving down the street to spy on competing businesses (not that we’d ever suggest something like that).

Follow, follow, follow

Use Twitter’s search mechanism to find potential customers in your area, and simply follow them. Chances are, you’ll get a follow back. This is the simplest way to expand your reach and find your audience. You never know who you might be following – they might turn out to be one of your most valuable customers!

For more on using Twitter for your business, follow @TwitterSmallBiz and/or order Twitter’s Small Business Guide.