I will start by saying that the strategy for using Twitter to generate business is not the same for everyone. Twitter, as a network, can be used a variety of ways. In my experience it can be used to:

-Generate business leads
-Support new leads
-Penetrate an existing client's already large base of needs.

Generate New Business

"If you post it, they shall come." This mantra could not be further from the truth. To generate new leads on Twitter you have to convince a potential customer in your network that your business values, service offerings, pricing and other factors, will add value to their needs. But let me back up a minute...what if this "potential customer" is not in your network already? Then you should start with the basics, and what really should be the main answer to this question... BUILD YOUR NETWORK FIRST.

I have had other colleagues ask me how Killswitch uses Twitter to increase the bottom-line, and my first answer is always the same: the bigger the network, the better the connections, the more likely you are to score a new deal.

In other words, don't just "build" your network. Build it on high value potential customers, as well as other businesses and individuals who you feel will at some point need your services. Once you have a network built, it will be much easier to generate leads from a potential customer, and there will be a better likelihood that that customer's needs are already aligned with your service offerings.

By keeping your twitter feed updated with information pertinent to your business, and by having the right network, leads will come in.

Support New Leads

This aspect of the strategy is rather simple. Use Twitter or what it is good for, to stay current. If a new lead, say someone who has called your office, or someone who is a referral comes to your doorstep and says, "I want to spend money with you," then use the brand you've created on Twitter to support the relationship you are about to enter into with this new client.

You can:

-Refer this client to Twitter posts that are relevant to the project you are about to embark on.
-Use a snapshot of your twitter posts to formulate a general stance on a subject and then insert this knowledge base into a proposal.
-Use Twitter as a reference hub, so that your new client can call on some of the people in your network to see how past jobs have worked out.

Granted, each of these works a little differently and are not immediately available to your client, but with the right finesse you can make it work for your needs.

Penetrate an Existing Client's other Business Needs

This category of "Twitterfulness" (Twitter + Usefulness), is probably the most powerful. Similar to establishing a relationship with a client and over time branching out into the client's other areas of business, you can use Twitter to set up similar goals.

If you have an active account, are posting regularly, and you have an existing relationship with a client who you enjoy working with, then bring the two together. This is one scenario below:

-Referring your existing client to posts that may serve a role in their needs (i.e. you just finished a campaign for Client X and you think that the knowledge from this would bode well for a similar transaction with your favorite client). By using Twitter, you can show this existing client (who should already be part of your network anyways) what you are doing for others. A relevant cross over will get their attention, and when they look for more information through the link or whatever the post provides, you have already successfully garnered their interest and aligned your services with something that they don't already use their spend on you for.

One Important Note: You should never rely on one form of networking to generate new business, as using multiple forms throughout the process of new business generation often brings you closer to closing the deal.

This was an answer to a question originally posted on LinkedIn.

You can see the entire thread HERE.