These days, it’s common for large companies to have a department devoted to social media. A lot of the time, though, a social media department isn’t within the budget for a small business, and it’s up to you to take care of this ever-changing aspect of the game.

Twitter is a great way to put information forward, interact with clients, and reach out to new people. As a result, it is greatly important to employ these sound strategies to ensure you’re getting the most out of the platform.

Follow the 80/20 rule.

Used across the world of social media, this rule simply states that 80 percent of your posts should be directly providing value to your audience, while 20 percent of your posts should be something promotional. Twitter is no exception to this rule. The best way to gain a presence on social media is to offer value to others first, and consider your own interest second.

Make the account you.

Don’t fret too much about being overly formal on Twitter. Giving your tweets a personal touch will differentiate your account with a recognizable voice for your followers to enjoy.

Post often, but don’t spam.

It’s good to stay engaged with your followers daily, but avoid flooding their timeline with tweets. People are on Twitter to get a variety of information in one place. If they are overwhelmed with posts from your account, they may end up unfollowing altogether.

Get into the conversation.

There is always something new trending on Twitter. Oftentimes, this can be a good opportunity to involve yourself and make a light-hearted remark. You might even choose to incorporate a popular meme. Most importantly, know that it is a trend your demographic is in tune with. If it’s something you know about based on people who you follow, odds are they’ll be familiar with it.

Mix it up.

Something that often goes overlooked is differentiating what you Tweet from what you post on other platforms. If a client is following you on Instagram and all your Twitter account does is tell them when you’ve posted to your other accounts, then what’s the point of following your Twitter? It’s essential to avoid this mistake, and to give your audience reason to stay updated with you across the board.

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Respond frequently.

On Twitter, people will often reach out to you on their own or in response to something you tweeted. A lot of times, these can be subtle testimonials or referrals that can boost your business as well as your social media presence. Giving a response can make your client feel good and also encourage others to reach out in the future. Similarly, don’t hesitate to block and report accounts which are engaging with you in a harassing manner.

Of course, there are many different approaches that work well on Twitter, depending on what your goals are and who your audience is. At the end of the day, you should keep track of what works well and do more of that, with the goal of expanding your audience and growing your business.