Twitter Marketing

Monetize your Twitter account

Tips, methods and strategies to make money with Twitter

By Markus Allen, Publisher of Marketing-Ideas.Org

ake money with Twitter. Is it a dream or reality?

As you've probably heard, the micro-blogging service Twitter is the place to be online these days.

We're told making money with Twitter is taboo. I would agree as most try promoting a money-making product with Twitter... thus you're almost instantly tagged as a spammer.

Even worse, Twitter is a bit addictive. It's easy to spend day after day testing new Twitter applications and service.

The good news is I make money using Twitter AND I'm well respected at the same time (so I'm told anyway).

Are we selling out?
Most social media evangelists push the idea that making money is taboo with social Twitter.

This is quite Ironic since the vast of majority of social media sites are monetizing their efforts these days... selling everything from pay per click ads, banner ads and even t-shirts and mugs. And some are even talking about offering extra benefits at a premium price.

When you check Twitter's Terms of Service, I see no rules against monetizing our twitter posts.

Twitter is quite simple, actually.
You register with Twitter with a unique username (15 characters maximum) and password.

Your username doubles as part of your Twitter web address. For example, one of my Twitter usernames is IMSecretTips, so my website address is:
http://www.Twitter.com/IMSecretTips

The best way to name your Twitter account
Naming your Twitter account (just the right way) is crucial to getting noticed.

If you register your username as your name or a silly name (or even a bunch of seemingly random letters and numbers like most do), you're going to miss out on getting quality visitors to your Twitter page.

But submitting the right username is a surefire way to attract a steady flow of targeted visitors to your Twitter page.

The goal of naming your username is to get Twitter guests and registered users to become intrigued when they see your username.... ultimately clicking on your username and visiting your Twitter page to see what you're posting about.

Odds are you're not going to get your first choice as a Twitter username. Twitter is now mainstream. Thousands of people are registering every few moments. And all of the good names are getting snatched up.

But when you get a bit creative, registering a second-best name is a cinch.

I recommend combining these short, curiosity-seeking words with your theme to create a unique Twitter username:

• secrets
• tips
• methods
• strategies
• ideas
• chat


• deals
• find
• get
• bargains
• discounts
• cheap
• sources

So for example, if your theme is selling laptop computers, you might create a Twitter username like:

• LaptopDeals
• FindLaptops
• LaptopBargains

Maybe you're in the dating field... your username could be:

• DatingSecrets
• FindHusbands
• DateStrategies

If you're selling car replacement parts, you might create a Twitter username like:

• OldPartSources
• FindCarParts
• BargainAutoPart

Remember, your Twitter username is currently capped at 15 characters.

How to be a great Twitter poster
After registration, you're ready to post to Twitter.

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There are 4 ways to get your Twitter account suspended:

1. You've followed a large number of people in a short amount of time...

2. There is a small number of followers compared to number of people you're following...

3. The updates consist mainly of links and not personal updates...

4. You've got a large number of users blocking your profile and writing in with spam complaints.

No post is taboo, really. Some post about their favorite restaurants, others post about being delayed at the airport, while some even post being trapped in an earthquake.

Not all Twitter posts are acceptable.

Blatantly spamming Twitter isn't cool. So posting link and after link to money-making schemes is a surefire way to tagged as a spammer and even get your Twitter account suspended.

There's no need to spam Twitter to make extra money or promote your website. It's lazy. It's very short-term thinking. And you're not providing value.

Instead, I'm going to show you exactly how to help people with Twitter and promote a website at the very same time.

Armed with these Twitter methods and strategies I'm about to reveal, you're going to add Twitter as part of your internet marketing arsenal.

I like Twitter for the following reasons:

Twitter levels the playing field
It doesn't matter if you're Donald Trump or Donald Duck... everyone gets a one-page Twitter webpage to promote, 160 characters in your bio, a website to link to, and 140 characters per post.

Google loves Twitter
When you submit a post just the right way, Google, Yahoo and most other major search engines usually copies your post into their search results.

So if you post to Twitter about endangered orange monkeys, and someone searches Google for the same endangered orange monkeys, chances are good Google is going to feature your Twitter post in that search request. This is a fantastic lead generation method that takes less than 60 seconds to put into action per Twitter post.

Twitter promotes you FREE
Every single word you post to Twitter is instantly submitted to Twitter's own search tool.

Including hot, trendy words and phrases into each of your Twitter posts is a surefire way to get those searching Twitter to stumble upon your postings (and ultimately click in your links).

Free link juice
Twitter encourages you to post your website URL in your Twitter profile. That's a great one-way link to your website and the most popular search engines like Google and Yahoo! rewards you for this by giving you free referral traffic to your site. I'm always amazed how many Twitter referrals I get to my website just from my Twitter profile.

Twitter spreads the word fast
Every single time you post to Twitter, there's a good chance your followers are going to "retweet" your post and let their followers know about it.

In fact it's entire possible to craft a single Twitter post and have thousands... even tens of thousands of people read it in days (maybe in just hours).

Become an expert (super fast)
Twitter offers an endless parade of amazing tips -- precisely categorized by the topic of your choice (if you know where to look, that is).

All you need is to search Twitter.

In just a few week's time, my Twitter page is stuffed with amazing internet marketing tips... making it super easy for me to build a growing following without investing a lot of time writing my own content. Just search, retweet great tips and repeat and watch the number of followers grow.

Partner with famous people
I've successfully contacted a few well-known people on Twitter and ultimately got them to not only respond to me (which might show up on their Twitter page), but also got a few to even follow me... usually within minutes of my first contact.

Hashtags
When you enter words into Twitter preceeded by the @ symbol or the pound sign (#), Twitter adds instant functionality to that word.

For example, the @ symbol preceeding a Twitter username (in a post) duplicates your post and sends a cloned copy of it to that user. Twitter (in addition) makes that username clickable... redirecting your visitor to the new Twitter page.

When you prepend a pound sign (#) before a word, it turns that word into a trackable theme. It too becomes clickable and redirects you to a search within Twitter.

Recruiting loyal followers
Followers are registered Twitter users who agree to get your Twitter posts sent to their account the instant you submit a post.

Whether it's fair or not, most people who follow you are merely looking for you to follow them back. Quite frankly these followers are worthless... especially when you notice them unfollow you if you don't reciprocate and follow them back.

The remaining followers (those who like what you have to say) are a loyal bunch. They've followed you to be among the first to see what you have to say. They've given up their space on their Twitter page to see what you're doing. That's huge. It's probably a good thing to reply to these followers when they reply to you with questions.

Here's the best part. Say just the right stuff in your Twitter posts and some of your followers are going to "retweet" your post... literally cloning your message and displaying it virally to their followers. Total cost to you... zero... nada... zilch.

There are many fast and free ways to build your list of followers. Most of these suggestions are FREE. Some are very low in cost:

Submit gold
The fastest and easiest way to grow your followers is to post great content to Twitter.

More than 95% of my Twitter posts are high-quality content. That separates me from most Twitter posters who submit useless, self-serving posts like, "My flight is being delayed" or "I'm sitting in class, and I'm bored."

Since my posts offer solutions to problems, I get a nice number of my followers to "retweet" my posts. And that instantly expands my lead generation efforts in just a click. Total cost to you? Again: zero... nada... zilch.

Spread the love
When someone in your industry (or hobby) makes a good Twitter post, employ the @TwitterUsername hashtag and let 'em know you liked it. When you do, all sorts of love comes back to you...

... First, the recipient of your compliment is going to be curious about you -- especially if you've got a curious Twitter username. Odds are you'll get a visit to your Twitter page.

But it actually gets way better because you're probably going to land a new follower at the same time.

Cross promote your Twitter webpage
In order to get people to follow you, they have to know you exist on Twitter.

So let them know. It's as simple as that.

If you've got business cards or brochures, simply add your Twitter address to it.

Do you send out emails? Great. Under your salutation you might want to add your Twitter webaddress.

If you've got a website, add your Twitter information in your "contact us" or "about us" webpage.

Or maybe you post to discussion boards or make comments on blogs. If you do, add your Twitter information to your sig file.

Add zeros to your bank account
When you're respected on Twitter, you're often rewarded with cash.