Many agency recruiters seem to struggle with how, or even if, they might be able to use Twitter. While there is plenty of advice for using Twitter to find candidates, there is not as much discussion about finding new clients. In some ways, Twitter can give you an easier “in” with a prospective client than other methods of business development. For starters, you don’t need ‘permission’ to follow anyone on Twitter. Simply search for the person, or company, and click the Follow button. With current data indicating that roughly half of the accounts you follow will automatically follow you back, you’ve got a pretty good chance they’ll reciprocate.
Once you’re following an account, think about ways you can add value to the relationship you are establishing. One easy and effective way to to Retweet (share) their Tweets (posts). Another way is to comment on their posts, even with something as simple as “I agree!” or “Great article.” Still another way is to ask them a question, such as: @ProspectiveClient, how is the latest #xyz news impacting business? You can also share interesting content with them, such as one of your own blog posts, another Tweet, or a link to an article that is relevant to their business. Resist the temptation to immediately launch into a sales pitch. Twitter doesn’t work that way. In fact, it’s helpful to use the Rule of Thirds when interacting on Twitter:
- 1/3 – Retweet (share) someone else’s content
- 1/3 – Comment on someone else’s content
- 1/3 – Tweet your own content
Here are 3 ways agency recruiters can use Twitter specifically to find new clients:
- Think about 5 new companies for whom you’d like to recruit, and follow them on Twitter.
- Visit www.hashtags.org and search for hashtags (topics that are preceded by #) that are relevant to your business. Then visit Twitter, do a search for your particular hashtag, say #energy, for example, and look for interesting accounts to follow. While you’re at it, make a list on Twitter called Energy. That way, you can easily group your accounts by topic, which will make it easier to find, share, and post content.
- Follow your existing clients on Twitter. Once you are following them, you can see who they follow (and who follows them). This can lead you to additional prospective clients or candidates.
For more ways that agency recruiters can use Twitter for business development, here are some additional resources:
What are some other ways agency recruiters can find business leads on Twitter?
