If you’re a UK business and have not yet introduced Twitter into your business strategy you could be missing a trick.

Twitter has its focus on the UK market at the moment, and now is a prime opportunity to take advantage of all that Twitter offers.

Twitter Ads Due in the UK 2012

Twitter is currently in talks with major UK brands with regards to advertising on its platform via promoted Tweets. These messages will be targeted at Twitter users based on demographic and usage analysis. Whilst promoted Tweets are going to be a closed shop, only available to selected partners in the short term, they will be worth watching. There will be lots of insight to be gained from the best performers, that smaller companies can then use themselves.

Monitoring conversations for opportunities to engage is a fairly widespread practise amongst those businesses currently using Twitter. Intelligent and well placed advertising is likely to increase the effectiveness of that engagement if the opportunities they create are followed through on efficiently.

With 35% respondents in a recent survey showing that Twitter feeds had influenced their purchasing decisions, now really is the right time to get on board.

Twitter’s UK Blog

In a further move to spread it’s wings and get more relevant Twitter has launched a UK specific blog. Twitter aims to help us Brits understand Twitter better by putting it into context using examples of local Brands, Personalities, Politicians and even the Police already on the platform.

Twitter UK has started to compile lists around specific subjects to help us find interesting people to follow. This is likely to draw more consumers onto the platform as they start following key figures of interest. Exactly what is required if UK Promoted Tweets are going to be successful. Expect to see a big rise in Twitter usage by the UK general population in the coming months.

Introducing Twitter Web Analytics

This is probably the most exciting news for businesses, Twitter Analytics direct from the source. Analysis of Twitter usage and it’s effectiveness has been, up to now, only available through 3rd parties. Twitter are to shortly release their very own analytics tool, meaning that elusive Social Media ROI should be easier to measure at last.

Following the acquisition of a 3rd party monitoring company, BackType, earlier in the year Twitter will be providing insight into:

• How much your web site content is being shared on Twitter
• The amount of visits Twitter sends to your site
• How effective the Tweet button is on your web site

After the rollout to users over the next few weeks, an API will also be available for 3rd parties to integrate data into their tools. The same richness of data we are used to in Google Analytics shouldn’t be that far off coming to the Twitter platform.

If you need help taking those first steps into Social Media then follow my series on Practical Social Media to ensure you get the most from it for your business.