Savvy small business owners leverage the power of Twitter to engage with their audience and increase website traffic. Despite its simple interface and 280-character-per-tweet limit (previously only 140 character limit), Twitter’s unparalleled ability to boost brands, generate awareness, and launch content to a viral status makes it an essential piece of the marketing puzzle.

But for those who haven’t joined the social network, its benefits and modus operandi remain an enigma – one we’re here to decipher.

What’s the Point of Twitter?

With Facebook and Instagram holding down the fort, you may wonder if there’s any room left for the little blue bird. Admittedly, Twitter’s first year on the net was spent more as a pastime for most people, rather than as a powerful marketing tool. However, its unique niche soon became appreciated by people and organizations of all shapes and sizes. Rather than a limitation, Twitter’s bite-sized posts delivered information quickly and concisely to a society with an ever-shrinking attention span.

Businesses could quickly announce sales and events, connect with celebrities, and integrate their Twitter page seamlessly with their Facebook or website. The impact on traffic was tremendous, and now with an exponentially more mobile, visual, and connected web, Twitter’s traffic-driving power is a force to leverage. Here are six ways to spread your blue bird’s wings and increase website traffic like a pro.

Give Your Audience What They Want

Anyone can tweet, but it takes a bit of research to tweet successfully. Without knowing your audience, your tweets may be met with apathy, or worse, immense backlash that can tarnish your brand. Take some time to identify your audience. What do they want or need, and how do they like to receive it? Do they communicate formally or more casually? What are they thinking about right now, and what would grab their attention? Once you have this information, go explore conversations in your niche and add something valuable to the conversation.

Tweet Often and On Point

This is a habit that may take some time to get used to. Sending a tweet may seem similar to posting on Facebook or sending an email, but it is an entirely different animal. Whereas constant emails and Facebook posts come across as spam, frequent tweets keep your brand at the top of readers’ minds and position you as knowledgeable, responsive, and engaged. And in a sea of tweets from competitors, you’ll need to keep posting quality content regularly to stay in the game. The exact frequency you should tweet depends on the nature of your business. Experiment until you find what works for you.

Engage Your Followers

Novice businesses often mistake advertising for engagement. While Twitter is a powerful marketing medium, it runs on trust, not flashy banners and catchphrases. How would you talk to your followers if it were face-to-face? Obviously, you’d share valuable knowledge, ask engaging and relevant questions, hold meaningful conversations, and encourage feedback. Remember, your tweets can be seen by nearly the entire world – don’t drive people away, engage them with value, and they’ll want to know more.

Connect with Influencers

On Twitter, it’s not just the value you share, but the company you keep. And one of the best ways to get great people on your side is by re-tweeting their posts and mentioning them in yours. Show appreciation to your followers and connect with top influencers in your niche. Include their Twitter handle in your posts, and they may just return the favor and point their followers in your direction.

Share Visuals

If the 280 character limit has you down, remember that a picture is worth a thousand words – and possibly a nice chunk of traffic. While you shouldn’t include an image in every Tweet, adding a powerful infographic, inspirational quote, or even a relevant meme can get you exponentially higher returns on engagement and clickthrough to your website.

Change Up Your Formula

The world is always changing, and so should your Twitter strategy. Using more or less the same tactics will stagnate your results or even disconnect you from your followers. Keep up with your followers, seek advice from influencers, stay on top of trends, and never stop experimenting.

Applying these strategies to increase website traffic, and keeping on top of your Twitter game is a surefire approach to success!