Increase Sales – How To Go Viral on Twitter

Many handmade sellers who sign up for Twitter may become confused about how exactly Twitter can help bring traffic to their shop.  HandmadeMarketing.org has previously outlined some simple tips to try to hit a “Twitter Home Run“, but what is the next step for handmade shop owners already incorporating these ideas?

The answer is simple:  Shoot for going viral on Twitter.

By “going viral”, our team is simply referring to utilizing marketing techniques which rely on pre-existing social networks (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc.) to produce an increase in your shop’s presence on the Internet.  Viral marketing takes place when you unload your information at a social network and users spread that information around the site for you.  Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Before we outline how to go viral on Twitter, Etsy sellers must understand why Twitter is a vital component of marketing handmade shops.  Twitter is changing the way we receive information on the Internet.  The site is using a new and innovative idea – “micro-blogging”.  Rather than linking to other web pages on a blog and waiting for readers to click, Twitter is allowing businesses to disseminate information in short (and frequent) bursts.

While some handmade shops are still relying on blog links and Google to attract potential buyers, others are catching on to this new marketing strategy.  Using Twitter enables sellers to spread content to potentially thousands of people with the click of a button.  Very few other websites off the same mass outreach.

So… how do you make the most of existing Twitter account?

Shooting for a viral type of appeal on Twitter should be the key for sellers.  Twitter allows users to spread “dropped off” information by “ReTweeting”.  By “ReTweet”, we simply mean to repeat or quote another user’s Tweet.  Often times, when a Twitter user come across and interesting Tweet, they will “ReTweet” the information as their own Tweet.  This causes the people who follow this user to see the Tweet as well.  Twitter users may come across a Tweet that begins with the abbreviation “RT” (or the word “ReTweet”), which is then  followed by the username of the person who tweeted it.  Then, the information is copied.

Here is an example:

Original Tweet: JaneA: “Comment on my item which is featured on Etsy Item of the Day http://etsyitemoftheday.com”

When Twitter user JoeB sees this Tweet, he wants to make sure those who follow him see this information.  He would “ReTweet” JaneA’s Tweet.  JoeB:  “RT @JaneA Comment on my item which is featured on Etsy Item of the Day http://etsyitemoftheday.com“

Now, followers of both JaneA and JoeB can see JaneA’s information!

If your online handmade shop pushes for content to be ReTweeted by other Twitter users, you can see a significant increase in traffic to your shop.  As we all know, more the more people that visit your shop, the more chances you have to make a sale.

Still stuck on whether or not to join Twitter?  Etsy seller Jamie, from Etsy’s jamieshelman shop, says, “Join Twitter! It is an incredible opportunity to get items in your shop seen and maybe even showcased! As soon as I re-list a work I mention it on Twitter and it immediately gets looks,” Jamie says.  “Twitter is also a great source of information. I’m always finding new blogs, new shops and potentially new venues to share my work!“

If you haven’t joined Twitter – now’s the time to increase shop traffic and handmade sales!

Here are three ideas to take your Twitter efforts to the next level:

1. Convince the Masses.  What makes you ReTweet what another user is writing?  Persuading other Twitter uses to ReTweeting your content is similar to asking someone to follow your blog.  If you put good information out there, the chances of someone taking the time to ReTweet your content becomes easier.  To find out the best way to convince others to ReTweet, our team looked to an expert.  Dan Zarrella is a social, search, and viral marketing scientist with a background in web development.   In an article, Dan wrote, “My research has shown that the word “please” occurs in ReTweets far more often than it occurs in other Tweets.”  Dan says other common calls to action that frequently occur in the most ReTweeted Tweets include variations of “Check out…”, “Follow this person”, “Please vote”, and “Help me”.  Questions also help your Tweet go viral – try asking “What do you think of…” or “Have you seen…”  Dan also found that once your content is ReTweeted, the chances of the information being ReTweeted again are higher.  He suggests persuading other uses to ReTweet your content for you will stimulate further organic ReTweeting.  “This can be especially powerful if you can get well known users to share your content, as they’ll then be lending their authority and reach to your message as well as your calls to action,” said Dan.
2. Perfect Timing. Dan Zarella’s research also shows that in order to convince others to ReTweet, you should consider posting your content when Twitter sharing occurs most often.  “The first few days of the business week, Monday through Wednesday, typically see more ReTweeting than Thursday, Friday and the weekend,” Dan writes.  In addition, ReTweets occur often between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. EST.  By timing your Tweets with the average user’s “Tweet Time”, you may have better luck getting your message out.
3. Link To Your Etsy Items. It may not come as a surprise to sellers on Twitter that almost 70% of all ReTweets contain a link.  Our team thinks this what makes Twitter and selling handmade online the perfect match!  “This information,” Dan says, “demonstrates that the mechanism of ReTweeting is an acceptable way to spread your off-Twitter content, and it tells us that a link is an important ingredient to ReTweetable Tweets.”

Have you had selling success because of your Twitter use?  Did you utilize viral marketing?  What ideas do you have for a new handmade shop owner regarding Twitter?