How do you get the most from your 140-character message?  Make sure the right people see it.  In Twitter-talk, that’s called “promoting your tweet.”

Twitter offers small businesses the option to “advertise” their tweet. This paid service makes your message more visible among current and prospective customers. Promoted tweets have more visual prominence on the screen so people are more likely to see them.

Consider promoted tweets when launching a new product or service. They are also a great way to get the word out about an event your business is hosting. For example, an office supply store might promote a free shredding event as a safe way to dispose of confidential documents.

Three Things to Consider

Twitter’s business area describes three advantages to this service:

1. Keep your eye on the target – You have several options to target the people most likely to be interested in your message.  Select from geographic area (city, county, state), type of device (mobile or desktop), or interest/gender.
2. Pay as you go – You pay only when someone is interested (they click, favorite, retweet, or reply to your tweet). You select how much you want to spend (there’s no minimum). The price is based on a bidding system.
3. See how you’re doing – Track your results with real-time measurement. That gives you the ability to tweak your tweet by refining your message or changing your target.

Looking for some ideas?  Here are real-life case studies from Twitter of small businesses that have used promoted tweets.

Need more information? Twitter offers online assistance to get you started.