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How to Increase Your Twitter Following Organically

With a few small tweaks to your Twitter strategy, you can be well on your way to gaining loyal followers who will actively engage with your content.  Twitter has been an influential social networking for a long time now, but there are still marketers who don’t quite understand its power or how to use it.  This is especially true when it comes to growing a big list of followers.

Here are 5 Twitter management tips that can help you build a long list of followers organically.

  1. Make replying and retweeting a habit:  Twitter is all about having casual conversations with your followers, and being as personable as you can be. Some brands that don’t get the hang of how Twitter works often make the mistake of only talking about themselves, and posting. 
  1.  Deliver good content constantly:    Brands that publish informative content regularly have a higher chance of increasing their number of loyal followers. People love reading new information, and the more information you share, the more engagement you will get on your Twitter page.
  1. Monitor hashtags and trending topics:     Hashtags are used to categorize the endless stream of content on Twitter, and can also make your tweets easy to discover. Using the right hashtags in your post can be very beneficial as they help put your tweet on other users’ radars.  Also, look at trending topics and try to publish posts that acknowledge specific events that are happening in your vicinity. This way, your followers will know that you are also involved in what goes on around you.
  1. Engage with influencers on Twitter:   Find influencers in your industry and reach out to them via Twitter posts. Mention them in your posts, and engage them in conversations that relate to your brand. These thought leaders will in turn share your content, giving you more exposure to a larger network of users in the Twitter-verse. If you are not quite sure about how to find influencers, the ‘Who To Follow’ lists on Twitter are an amazing resource for all to use.  If you can get an influencer to endorse your products/services, or mention them in a Twitter post,
  1. Promote your Twitter handle:     One of the simplest ways to gain more followers is through the publicity of your Twitter handle. Create an eye-catching Twitter profile with an attractive header image, and a relevant profile picture. Put up your Twitter details wherever it is possible. The best places are of course your own company website. You can also include your Twitter handle at the end of your blog posts and also embed a live Twitter feed on your blog page.

Keep these 5 Twitter management tips in mind as you embark on your mission to gain more followers. Post engaging content, be courteous, and give back to the Twitter community, get involved in conversations and discussions with your followers and influencers, and watch your number of followers grow.

What is an Appropriate Marketing Budget for My Business?

One of the first steps to figuring out your marketing budget is to establish your total revenue. Talk to your CFO, financial department, or accountant and figure out your gross revenue or estimated revenue. What is Gross Revenue, it is revenue received before any deductions or allowances, as for rent, cost of goods sold, taxes, etc.

A good rule to follow for small businesses with revenues of less than $5 million is to spend 7 to 8% of revenues on marketing, with the budget split between. However, the 7 to 8% rule assumes that your business will have revenue margins of 10 to 12% after expenses, which will include your marketing budget.

For companies that have been in business for one to five years, it is suggested to use 12 to 20 percent of your gross revenue or projected revenue on marketing.  Companies less than a year old, tend to need to ramp up before spending marketing dollars.

Marketing Budgets prepares businesses to grow, but you also must prepare your marketing budget. It is best practice to have a process in place for handling unexpected costs. Whether you contribute a certain amount or percentage each month to grow an emergency fund or set aside one lump sum right off the jump start.

How to Plan a Marketing Budget

4 Important Keys to a Marketing Budget

1.         Start with a marketing strategy.  What is important and what are you wanting focus most on your company.

2.         Set your marketing budget.  How much do you want to spend on what you want to accomplish?

3.         Allocate your marketing budget dollars.  Set aside the amount of money that you want to spend on marketing each month.

4.         Implement a marketing budget plan.  Maximize Marketing through a strong strategic plan and spend competency.

How Important is a Marketing Budget

Many small-business owners think a marketing budget is a luxury — an unnecessary expense they can’t afford. But failure to appropriately market and advertise your business can have a significant impact on its ability to prosper. A carefully planned and budgeted marketing approach can help you effectively promote your business to its target demographic while staying within established financial parameters.

Marketing Strategy: A marketing strategy is much like a business plan. It helps your business identify its audience and build a plan around that audience.

Marketing Basics:  A marketing budget allows you to invest in the most basic small-business marketing necessities.  This helps that business grow.

Tracking Marketing: To ensure your marketing funds are being wisely invested and producing positive results.