3 Keys To Attracting New Clients On Twitter

I was recently participating in a discussion among freelancers in a Google Wave regarding finding new clients on Twitter. I was surprised to hear that all of the other participants had not found a single new client or made any money through their efforts on the social network. The reason I was surprised is because my experience has been quite the opposite. I came to realize I might be the exception to the rule and I could possibly help other freelancers by sharing what I am finding to be some proven successful keys to marketing my services and finding new clients on Twitter.

Before I explain how, take a quick look at some of the measurable results I have achieved directly from Twitter since I started using it in April 2009:

»   15 new clients – an average of over 2 per month!

»   20+ new projects of various sizes

»   Major increase in requests for proposals

»   Revenue in 5 digits

All of these have come directly from connecting with people on Twitter!

Now for the disclaimer: your results will most likely vary. In fact, I can’t guarantee that you will get any positive results at all. But it is my hope that if you take what I have learned and figure out the ways to best utilize these keys in a way that compliments your individual personality and approach, you will see an increase in your clientele and your business.

Key #1: STOP MARKETING

I have yet to meet someone who has much patience for salespeople (my apologies to salespeople everywhere.) If someone approaches me with even a hint of a sales pitch I immediately stop giving them the benefit of the doubt and my skepticism stands at alert. I tend to make purchases based on research, the product, and then the customer service – in that order. So if someone comes at me with an offer my first thought is, “What’s the catch?”

On the other hand, most people are very impressed by word of mouth. If someone recommends a product, a service or a person to me with no foreseeable personal gain on their part, it carries great weight.

On Twitter there is an ever-increasing backlash towards those who are obviously there trying to make a quick buck. As businesses and individuals jump on the bandwagon to try to find ways to monetize social media and measure ROI and turn it into the “next big thing” in marketing, the negative response appears to be exponentially growing. In my experience, one of the kisses of death on Twitter is to bombard your followers with self-promotion and attempts to market yourself, your product, your blog, or whatever you are trying to draw attention to. It’s the same reason we all fast-forward through the commercials on our DVRs. Become a commercial for yourself on Twitter and you will most likely be blocked, turned off and/or unfollowed. How in the world will you connect with potential clients if no one is paying any attention to you?

Key #2: START ENGAGING

Most people who are on Twitter for reasons other than selling something will tell you they are looking to connect and network with others. Many use Twitter to find information, others share their personal lives and interact with other people, and others use it as a platform. I am continuously working on determining a good balance of all of the above for me. I do what I can to provide useful information by sharing interesting and informative articles that I read, I listen to what others are saying and sharing that pertains to my own interests, and I spend some time getting to know other people on Twitter personally by interacting with their lives and sharing tidbits about my own. In short, I treat people the way I want to be treated. I don’t want anyone to blast me with constant requests to read their latest blog post or check out their newest product. But if someone shows interest in my life or what I have to share, I become their Twitter friend pretty quickly.

Pay attention to others. Take an interest in their lives, or at least their tweets. The more you engage as a real person with other real people, the more others will do the same with you.

But don’t engage so that you can start blasting them with your sales pitch once you’ve “won them over”! Engage because you truly care about other human beings. We all can see through the façade of anything less or interaction that is self-serving. I have found that others are drawn to me because I truly care about them, at least enough to take a moment to say hello and ask how they’re doing, rather than targeting them for my next sales conquest.

Key #3: CONTINUE GIVING

One of the main reasons I have had new clients come to me through Twitter is because someone else on Twitter told of how I had helped them out. Word of mouth is the best possible way to attract new clients, because they come to you with a foundational level of confidence in you and your services. If someone they trust has convinced them that they can trust you, you do good work and you’re a good person, you’re already well on your way to building a solid relationship.

Find ways to help others and you will have word of mouth recommendations for life on Twitter. I have cleaned up someone’s code, given a discounted service to someone in need, provided resources for a specific problem, and other things simply by paying attention to what others are tweeting and offering assistance where I can. Most people are floored that I would take the time to help them troubleshoot a problem without charging them! Some of those people are now my clients, while others have sent new clients my way.

Helping people out without any ulterior motives (like hoping they become a client) will ultimately provide its own reward. Whether you call it karma, or a religious belief system, or the universe, or whatever – you can never go wrong by giving selflessly to others. Even if it doesn’t generate one new client for you, the rewards of generosity will come.

I know there are plenty of other things you can do, and these are very general tips, but they have worked for me in ways far beyond my imagination. Even better than the business rewards, I am learning and growing and connecting with countless amazing and wonderful people on Twitter, whether they are clients or not. For me that has become the bottom line for my focus in social media. I am not a salesperson, nor do I ever aspire to be one. But I am a social being, and by sharing what I can, I have found ways that I think most of us can use to attract potential and new clients on Twitter.

What is your experience? Have you attracted new clients on Twitter? Please share your experience, insights and thoughts in the comments below. Hopefully we all can learn from each other and continue to grow our online communities in mutually beneficial ways together.