By the end of this post you will be able to make money via Twitter marketing.
First off, I am tried of people saying they can’t figure out how to make money by using Twitter. There are over 60 million people on the thing and you can’t figure out how to monetize Twitter off of that? Seriously?
I am not going to go over the wrongs or rights of the different Twitter marketing ideas presented here or how to play the Twitter game. To each their own.
I have been a part of these ideas at some point in order to bring you this list. I do not continue to use all of these Twitter marketing techniques. Some were purely for trial/error or experimentation.
Twitter is a communication tool
Twitter’s sole purpose is to help people communicate, period. If you are broadcasting on Twitter like an ad machine you’ll constantly need to add more and more Twitter followers to your list to sustain the click-thrus in order to make money. This is a waste of time and never ends.
Work on building relationships and stroking egos. A Twitter account with 200 loyal and dedicated followers will do more than an account with 100,000. I promise.
With Twitter’s open and easily accessible API there are a 1,000,001 programs enabling you to find people who would be interested in you, your product, site, business or whatever.
Gain Niche Traffic from Twitter
It used to be that you could create a Twitter account for the purpose of promoting your website and masses of people would flock to everything tweeted by everyone. This is not the case anymore.
People have begun to find a balance in the things they like to see and experience on Twitter and will drop over-promoting assholes in two seconds flat.
With that said, if you use Twitter and your account properly, you can find a goldmine of like-minded people for your niche site. As you establish relationships with these people they will in fact click-thru to your site.
Most of these click-thrus to your site will not click on ads, but they will click on affiliate links and reviews. If you are running a niche site about lawn and garden and promoting this site with Twitter, don’t expect to make any money from Adsense. If you are linking people to product review pages with some good bits of info and some Amazon affiliate links, you’ll do much better. If people click on the link in a Twitter stream, they are going there to read the content, not click on a Google ad.
Search.Twitter.com is a goldmine
The old fashioned way of searching for people on Twitter is still possible by running search queries through search.twitter.com and watch the stream. With the advent of Twitter programs, much of this can be done with many additional features allowing you to cover more ground at one time.
I use CoTweet a lot for my Twitter marketing and for managing my various Twitter accounts. Currently CoTweet is in beta and you’ll have to beg them to let you in. The best thing you can do with Twitter is find people who are like-minded for your website or community.
With websites like twellow.com/twellowhood and others you can find lists of people who have related interests. Tweepsearch.com will allow you to search people’s Twitter profiles/bios and so on. If you’re into lawn and gardening, search people’s Twitter bios for gardening and check them out. See if you have anything in common and begin a conversation.
Having your pulse on your Twitter community enables you to make decisions about topics, trending topics, possible products to review and much more. If you see some person talking about xyz widget very favorably and that widget has an affiliate program or is sold on amazon.com, imagine what you can write a review about…
Then go back to the thing you know best and rank that review in the serps for all the organic traffic for people to find and buy.
Review Products and Services
Information is key to determining what you can write about and make some money. If people who are not invested in a product or service are still interested and talking about it, that is a potentially good product to review.
Do your homework. Write a review of whatever and rank that for people to find. When you publish the article/review, it is natural to Tweet that out to your followers, and if you have the right followers, they will do the same to help promote you. This isn’t where the money is made, but it helps so don’t count it out.
The sure money is using the info gleamed from Twitter to determine what people want and have an appetite for.
Selling Ads on Twitter
There are dozens of ad companies that are jumping into the sponsored tweets game such as ad.ly, Sponsored Tweets and Twittad.  These companies are trying to help you make money from Twitter by tweeting ads to your followers. I prefer Sponsored Tweets and ad.ly as they seem the most legit and expanding their services super quickly in this new game. They also offer referral programs so as people below you make money, so do you without having to blast your own community with ads. It’s a wicked little circle.
Selling ads will make you money, but unless you have a high CTR from your followers your rates will drop fast. You might only make a few hundred before your good karma runs dry with your followers. So unless thousands of people can name you from Adam online this will be short lived. If you and your Twitter account are the go-to place online for a niche, you’d probably have better success selling ads.
Twitter Referral Programs
Most programs online made for making money have affiliate programs attached to them to help spread the word and love around. You can find tons of these programs made just for Twitter that help you find and follow masses of people closely related to your interests. Buy the program, use the program, write a review, rank, make money and rinse/repeat.
Just about every day a new program comes out, so opportunities are plentiful for making money with referral programs. Just take a look at the program/software and see if it looks useful and well put together, then give it a try. Not all are good, but you should be at least be able to break even from the crappy ones so you don’t really lose anything while trying.
I have made great residual income from this, and for the time invested it is a no brainer.
Buy Ads
If you’d like to find targeted Twitter users for your website or product you can do so using the same companies listed above for selling ads on Twitter. But another overlooked idea is buying ads for product reviews.
If there is interest in a product you see on Twitter, quickly write a review of that product. Then you can post some Google Adword search ads pointing to your review and scrap a lot of affiliate commissions way before you rank for the product. Then, as you rank you can determine whether or not to discontinue the ads.
A lot of the software being offered online has high payouts, even $60 per lead. If the ad costs $.10 per click to run because it is you and two other people doing it, then how many clicks can you afford per one sale? Following me here… There is money for the taking just need to keep your eyes open to the opportunities.
Make Money Managing Others’ Twitter accounts
This is where things change in approach big time for users, branding, interactions and so forth. Most companies that would want you to manage their Twitter account will want results that help their brand. This is a no nonsense, person to person interaction for the purpose of getting more people through the door.
This is not simply setting up a Twitter account and then proceeding to blast anyone following you with specials and ad-like tweets. You’ll quickly lose their interest and they will begin to ignore anything you do.
This becomes about building relationships and reinforcing why this particular brand/company is worth spending money at. I have had great success with this form of interaction including a steady 60 clicks per tweet out of 2,000 followers. This does not seem high, but for Twitter and the number of followers this is good given that maybe 300 people out of that 2,000 probably see one tweet at any given time.
With services like bit.ly you are able to easily track clicks, find the best time of day to tweet different specials or promotions and much more. Simply take any bit.ly url you see and add a + to the end of it to see the stats of that tweet. I love when my tweet and 2,000 followers gets twice the clicks of our trust agent Chris Borgan, LMAO.
Unless you know some businesses that need this service, it is a tough sell. In fact, if they cringe at the sound of social media or Twitter, just move on and save yourself the time. The best way to get in the door is to prove yourself online with Twitter and talk to local/regional business owners at any kind of public setting. Offer up a challenge to them and if they bite, you just might have a new client.
Know what your demographic is and hunt them down on Twitter. Use Twitter search, use Twellowhood for people in specific areas, Tweapsearch for interests, look at patrons’ websites and followers and approach them as well. Finding people is the easy part, taking time to interact with them is a different story.
The most important thing with this type of promotion is to be real, honest and interact with everyone, even if it has nothing to do with your product/service. We all love when people remember us and make us laugh. Use their name, create experiences people will remember and have a good time. This will work.
Making Money With Twitter Conclusion
Like everything in the world, there are a 1,000 ways to skin a cat (no offense, Beamer.. ) and the same holds true for Twitter. Find what you know best and use Twitter as a tool to assist you on that path. Not all people are into Internet Marketing, so they could manage a Twitter account vs. writing reviews and ranking webpages and visa versa.
Here’s a good rule of thumb to follow: If you don’t like seeing it on Twitter, don’t do it and you’ll be safe. If you love getting auto Direct Messages, then feel free to do that. If you don’t, then DON’T. If you wonder how people will react to what you do on Twitter, just look at how you reacted to the same thing a few days before (honestly).
If you treat your followers like gold and worth $100 each, you’ll have high CTR, referral purchases, interactions, people through the door and so on. If you treat them like a penny on the ground, you attract the same, which won’t help you a bit. Use your head and you’ll do great.
No related posts.
Tags: Advertising, Make money, Make Money Online, Marketing, Reviews, Twitter, Twitter Marketing
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Viddler
YouTube
Another epic post Josh. I am not a big Twitter dude, but for those who use it, this is probably the most detailed article I have read. IMHO, if you have a ton of followers on Twitter and you are not monetizing it in some way, I think you would be foolish. I would have people pay me upfront via PayPal and then I would give them a "tweet a week" for 4 weeks. I would make mo guarantees and I really wouldn't care who unfollowed me or their conversion rates. It would be all about the benjamins with me.
All about the Bennies huh.. Very soon there will be paid for twitter accounts. What I mean is I could set up an account and charge everyone $5/mo to see my tweets. This would work in many ways for popular people who are self absorbed along with people who have hot tips for stocks or something similar. I know a company in the far east developed the idea and technology and that Twitter purchased them. I suspect that it will start there and work its way to use after a few kinks are worked out. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Josh,I have never been big on Twitter and have a hard time with it because there aren't many verifiable metrics for ROI. The biggest problem I have with twitter is the fact that since tweets are "real time" you are pretty much stuck with battling two factors…1. Are your "followers" currently online at that moment?2. Can they find your "tweet" in the midst of all the static and noise?The retention rate is also a concern as for many twitter is nothing more than a novel idea. They check it out, are hooked for nanosecond and then don't bother to come back again. Phantom followers anyone?I will be more interested to see how much tweets factor into live search in the future. If that happens, your tweets can become wayyyy more valuable.However, all that said, this post really highlights the potential alternative to the same old same old advertising strategies that most of us internet marketers use.
You raise a couple of the biggest points, who'll see it and how to separate yourself. The number one way to do that is to be memorable. Like the time I snuck into the bar under age I made a point of befriending the bouncer. Then the next time it wasn't so hard to get in. The same mentality applies with Twitter. If you don't know the other people you have to befriend them. Once you have the retention and interaction shoots way up.
The biggest mistake people make with Twitter is to simply broadcast things vs interact with others. If you add the interaction piece a lot more happens a lot more frequently. The truth is, Twitter and Facebook aren't going away anytime soon and it seems like the Search Engines are trying harder and harder to add more real-time searched to the mix. I think it's only fitting to keep in mind whats going on and how to use the new tools.
Like I mention above. I definitely tried all of the above to better learn what the potential for Twitter is all about. I don't do a lot of it still because the half life on most of the stuff is pretty shortlived. I did make a few hundred from selling sponsored tweets from the companies listed above but at the cost of alienating my followers.I now only use Twitter for the original purpose. I also know that numbers don't matter what so ever. As mentioned before I get higher CRT than some of the "gurus – who wrote a twitter book" LMAO. I think the best value in making money from twitter is to build a rock solid community. Then hopefully that community will in turn visit your site and yadda yadda yadda.
Nice action Josh. I think it comes down to the time you are willing to invest into something. I think it's possible to make money marketing on Twitter, Facebook, myspace,etc. The issue is that I would prefer to spend my time building more niche sites rather than playing grab A$$ with people on Twitter in an effort to turn a buck.
(of course, your idea of selling Twitter ebooks/software through the SERPS is pretty intriguing)
Now that's not to say that I don't like Twitter. I actually do like it because of the real people I know on there, like you, and Steve and then a whole bunch of great people that Twitter from my own city. I enjoy meeting them in the real world and connecting on Twitter.
SO, long story short, I use Twitter as it was originally intended, as a social networking site, and don't have any desire to “make money from Twitter” per se.
There is my $.02.
AL
That's really interested, a Twitter subscription service.
Hmmmmm……
AL
Its in the works, would be interesting knowing that and then to build a product/service around the idea. Never know the first to jump on things can usually make some coin before the herds.
Precise action Josh. I believe it comes eat to the quantify you are consenting to vest into something. I cerebrate it's executable to play money marketing on Twitter, Facebook, myspace,etc. The bare is that I would favour to spend my instant business many niche sites rather than activity touching A$$ with people on Twitter in an try to transfer a writer.(of action, your tune of marketing Chirrup ebooks/software finished the SERPS is pretty intriguing)Now that's not to say that I don't like Twitter. I actually do equivalent it because of the sincere grouping I mate on there, equal you, and Steve and then a intact clustering of great fill that Twitter from my own city. I savour breakfast them in the true grouping and connecting on Twirp.SO, elongate tale parcel, I use Chirp as it was originally intentional, as a friendly networking tract, and don't know any want to "make money from Twirp" per se.There is my $.02.serra martin=====================================lawyer marketing
Nice, detailed post!I don't (yet) do any twitter marketing to speak of, but I can definitely attest to quality over quantity when it comes to followers. On one of my accounts, I barely have a handful of followers, but many of them click through when I post a link.I imagine using twitter as a marketing device is a question of finding the balance between how time-consuming it is and how much you can get out of it.Cheers,Shane
Like anything there are more than a few ways to approach things. As long as what you are doing sits well with yourself and is something that can be sustained I say what not try it.
People and by people I mean clients always get hung up on the number of people on their twitter, facebook or click thru but as long as those people are increasing in their participation or spending the number isn't as relevant.
I think that Twitter would be great if you had a product that you honestly believed in, one that you knew others would also like. But if you were to use it simply to market stuff left right and center it wouldn't take long before you would lose your followers. Once lost it would be hard to get them back.Sure you might be able to find a balance between the tweets you send out, but I just think it's worth the effort to make a few extra dollars.
I think that Twitter would be great if you had a product that you honestly believed in, one that you knew others would also like. But if you were to use it simply to market stuff left right and center it wouldn't take long before you would lose your followers. Once lost it would be hard to get them back.Sure you might be able to find a balance between the tweets you send out, but I just think it's worth the effort to make a few extra dollars.
I agree that people tire easy of constant promotion. I think there is a difference when people are intentionally looking for the information provided. As in marketing twitter products via reviews in the serps for people to find and purchase. That would be a little different than constantly tweeting that review out to your followers. One people are looking for and the other is just annoying. You touch on balance and that is key.
Yeah, that makes sense. How many people are on Twitter looking for products and services though? I reckon it would take some time to use the correct search term to find them and then if everyone was doing it you would have to be pretty good at using 140 characters to make the sale.
Soon people will be able to charge others to follow their twitter feeds. So that without paying x per month to hear what someone has to say you wont. Just a matter of time before twitter monetizes this method. Thanks for all of your input, greatly appreciate it.
I agree that people tire easy of constant promotion. I think there is a difference when people are intentionally looking for the information provided. As in marketing twitter products via reviews in the serps for people to find and purchase. That would be a little different than constantly tweeting that review out to your followers. One people are looking for and the other is just annoying. You touch on balance and that is key.
Yeah, that makes sense. How many people are on Twitter looking for products and services though? I reckon it would take some time to use the correct search term to find them and then if everyone was doing it you would have to be pretty good at using 140 characters to make the sale.
Soon people will be able to charge others to follow their twitter feeds. So that without paying x per month to hear what someone has to say you wont. Just a matter of time before twitter monetizes this method. Thanks for all of your input, greatly appreciate it.