If you follow us on Twitter (@MumpreneurUK) you’ll already know that we have a weekly hashtag event on a Sunday evening. For those of you that aren’t aware of it, here’s a little outline: We reveal a new hashtag every Sunday evening, everybody who wants to get involved tweets using the hashtag and includes details of their business. They then find others using our hashtag and follow them. Basically, it’s a way to network online, discover new connections and increase your follower numbers.
In the last few weeks there have been a few people who have started complaining about our Twitter events using the reasoning that it’s the quality of followers that you have rather than the quantity that is important. I disagree.
The way I see it is the higher the number of followers you have, the higher your chance of finding a new customer or a potentially great connection.
Look at it this way; when a retail store considers potential new locations, one of the biggest factors they look at is the footfall. These companies don’t pay those extortionate overheads simply because they like the look of that particular high street or because they think they may become best friends with the store next door. Footfall is a major decision factor when it comes to making the final choice.
This is because, the higher the footfall, the more increased the possibility of hearing their till making that glorious beeping sound that’s only heard when money goes in. If only five people walk past during a trading day, the probability that what you’re selling is relevant or even required is extremely low but increase that number to two thousand individuals walking past your window display and the probability is increased tremendously.
In my humble opinion, Twitter is similar to any good high street. The more followers you have, the further your message travels and the higher the chance of someone seeing something they like and making a purchase.
When it comes to the quality of your followers, the high street principle remains. I’m yet to see a store with bouncers outside, ready to check your credentials when you attempt to cross the threshold. No store would allow a doorman to vet you, your credit limit or your worthiness before you enter because that would just reduce the number of potential customers making it through the door in the first place.
Your Twitter profile and your tweets are the equivalent to your high street shop window. By making your profile private or by being selective about the quality, geographic location or worthiness of your followers, you are reducing your businesses presence in an already overcrowded market place. When I see businesses criticizing others about the way in which they generate new followers it makes me realise that social media snobbery is not only out there but it’s growing by the day.
If it’s high quality, approved followers or connections that you so eagerly desire, stick to a platform such as LinkedIn, a wonderful tool to keep business relationships alive whilst also allowing you to be choosy when it comes to deciding who you associate with. LinkedIn is an invaluable tool when it comes to business and it also gives those social media snobs the perfect opportunity to raise their noses to the sky and walk right past you without taking a second glance.
Twitter is for broadening horizons, expanding your networking area and accidentally crossing paths with customers or business partner of the future. Don’t limit your followers or have strict, self-imposed regulations when it comes to selecting those to follow. It’s a fun, fast paced platform that can mean the difference between a well-known brand and an unknown brand.
