So, we know why using social networks, such as Twitter, is important for your company.

We also know how to improve the design of your Twitter profile from Part 1.

Now it’s time to look at how to improve your profile through its content. By content I’m talking about the Tweets themselves – what you are actually posting onto your profile on a regular basis.

Obviously, content is a very important factor in determining the success of your profile.

It should engage your followers. Encourage them to respond via re-tweet or @mention comment.

Below outlines 3 areas to focus on in order to improve this content, following on from the 3 design tips in Part 1.

4. Tweet something useful

The first question you need to ask yourself is: What are you tweeting about? Is this what your followers want to hear about?

In its broadest form, this can be divided up into sales and non-sales tweets.

On Twitter, the last thing you want to do is drown your followers with promotional tweets. If you try the whole ‘Buy now from us… we’re the best’ tactic, you’re unlikely to have much success! In fact, you’re more likely to lose existing followers.

This is not to say that you should never post sales tweets. Just ensure they are more subtle and less regular.

Post more non-sales tweets. Being useful and informative will build you up a good online reputation which will have a much more positive impact. Your followers will see you as an expert in your field and are likely to turn to you if they ever need any services in your area. And better still… They may recommend!

What you tweet about should also, of course, be interesting, accurate and up-to-the-moment.

5. Think… Attention-grabbing headline

So, you’re tweeting great content that you know your followers will enjoy. But they’re not reading it! Why? Because your headline is bland – it doesn’t grab their attention!

With millions of tweets a day, it can be difficult to stand out. You only have one chance to grab peoples (your followers and other Twitter users) attention as they browse through their cluttered feed. So make sure you get this part right!

Think closely about the wording of your headlines. It could be make-or-break when it comes to people engaging with your Twitter profile.

Using wording such as ‘top tips’ and ‘secrets’ generally work well in drawing people in.

On the whole though, the best way to take this is through trial and error. You can monitor the click-through rate through Google Analytics and link-shortening sites such as Bitly. This can help you identify which sort of headlines work more successfully.

6. Respond to your followers

You’ve put a great deal of effort into relevant content and interesting headlines. People have responded – via re-tweet or @mention. It’s paid off – people are engaging with your profile wahooo!

So – now what? Well, it’s very important to respond.

If someone (be it a follower or another user) re-tweets you, that means they’re sharing your tweet with all of their followers. Thank them. And really, this should be made public and not be done by direct message. People will appreciate this more.

If someone @mentions you –whether the comment is good or bad – respond back to them via @mention.

This creates a dialogue between you and your followers. In turn, it will encourage them to engage with your profile in the future.

To sum up…

It’s simple really: concentrate on what you’re tweeting, how you’re tweeting it and last but not least, respond to any engagement with these tweets.

I hope you found this short series useful… Please feel free to leave any comments!