Oh, what to tweet about on Twitter!

In February, Twitter eclipsed the 50 million tweets-per-day-mark or a mind-numbing 600 tweets per second. Facebook's even higher at 700 posts per second. For those on the receiving end, that's a lot of network noise to filter through to find value. On the flip side, the job of reaching folks is even harder when you are on the disseminating end.

"Turn invitations into gifts. Each invitation sent by your members should have an immediate value attached in the payload of the message. The days of “Register or click here to see more” are long over."
~~ Ian Kennedy, Ever Was

That nugget of advice epitomizes the idea behind, "What's in it for me?" The question to follow is, "What are you offering to your Twitter followers?" Let's take a look at some ideas to help your tweets stand out with an offer that reaches, appeals to, and inspires action from your target audience.

Offer coupons, Two-fers, or Freebies

I bought three tickets to a local theater the other day when the venue posted a link to a 60% off coupon for tickets. Great deals are hard to pass up not only for your followers, but as in my purchase, the coupon scored extra value, as I plan to give the tickets as gifts.

It doesn't matter if you've never put together a formal campaign for marketing. Simply consider what your business can offer, add a time limit, then shout it out to your followers and measure the response. Tweak as needed until you find the perfect combination.

Knowledge is Power

In an increasingly tech savvy world, knowledge can be a powerful product. Companies like Hub Spot have built their businesses around providing valuable information, and in turn created new avenues for selling their software.

What information can you provide? Whether you're a golf instructor offering 140 character tips on proper grip strength, or you're a restaurant sharing a coveted recipe, when you share useful tidbits, you demonstrate authority and a belief in sharing what you know.

Provide Links to Valuable Resources

Obviously, if you link to resources within your own industry, that's best. But many times I've introduced someone to sites like Yelp (restaurant reviews), Kayak (aggregated flight pricing), or Good Reads (book reviews) and found a receptive and excited audience. Consider the sites you use in your daily business and share the wealth with others.

Be the First "In The Know"

For people in my field--the tech industry, there's some cachet in being the first-to-know and sharing links with colleagues. Any industry that is fast paced and in constant flux--news organizations fall into this group--finds value in tweeters that always seem to be the harbingers of what's up and coming.

Follow the Lead of Those You Follow

You have your own list of people you follow on Twitter. Why? What is it about their tweets that offers unique value? Look at what they're doing, and see if you can emulate their success for your business.

Mention, Retweet and Carbon Copy

Using tools like TweetDeck, it's easy to see when someone "mentions" you. Shout back a thanks, and make sure you use the @ sign followed by their Twitter account so they're sure to "hear" you.

Retweet information your audience will find value as a compliment to the original poster. Or carbon copy another tweeter with "/cc @twitter_name" appended to your tweet when you think someone will enjoy a particular message. Use direct messaging, "DM @twitter_name", when you want a tweet to remain private between you and another individual. Do remember that private message can be publicly responded to, so use care when sharing sensitive information.

Remember, your business is a unique one, and your voice and industry may have other innovative ways of interacting with your followers. Don't be afraid of making a mistake. Like riding a bike, once you get the hang of it, you'll get better with time.