Melanie Lampro

A Simple Guide to Using X (Twitter) for Small Business Success with UK Gift Hour

Already comfortable posting on X (Twitter)? This is just the beginning — you can go further with our Companion Guide: Making the Most of X with UK Gift Hour. It covers advanced strategies, smarter workflows, and how AI can act as your assistant.

This guide is written in plain, friendly English. It is designed for people who are new to X (Twitter) and want to use it to grow their small business. The focus is on UK Gift Hour, but you can apply the same steps to any hashtag hour or community. The language is clear, the tips are practical, and everything has been kept simple on purpose.

1) Get Your Profile Ready

Think of your profile as your shop window. It should be clear and welcoming.

• Profile photo: your logo or a friendly headshot
• Header image: a photo of your products or a banner with your business name
• Name: keep it simple – usually your business name
• Handle: short, easy to read, ideally matches your business name
• Bio: one sentence saying what you do and who it is for
• Link: your shop or website
• Location: your town or city
• Pinned post: one strong post at the top, such as your best product or an intro

2) Know What You Want

Decide what you want to achieve on X (Twitter). Choose one clear goal at a time.

• Make more sales through your website
• Grow your email list
• Get noticed locally

Keep your goals small and realistic. For example: “Make 10 website sales in the next three months by posting weekly product videos.”

3) What to Post

Variety keeps people interested. Mix your posts across the week.

• Short videos (15–30 seconds) showing your product or how it is made
• Photos of your product with a simple benefit in the caption
• A behind-the-scenes look at your workspace
• A thank you post for a customer or a shared photo (with permission)
• A question or poll (for example: “Which colour would you choose?”)

Tip: Always add alt text to photos. This is a short description so people using screen readers know what is in the picture. Example: “Handmade silver necklace with a leaf design on a wooden background.”

4) Use Hashtags Wisely

• Use preferably 2 hashtags, but a maximum of 3
• Always use the main ones for our community: #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM (both are used on both days)
• Add one more that suits your product (for example #HandmadeUK)

5) Join UK Gift Hour

UK Gift Hour is like a regular online meet-up for small businesses.

• Saturdays: #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM, 9–10 am UK time
• Sundays: #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM, 10 am–12 noon UK time

How to take part:

• Prepare 3 posts before the hour (intro, product, community shout-out)
• During the hour: post, reply to 10 others, retweet 5, and quote 2 with a kind comment
• After: thank the hosts, follow a few new people, and pin your best post

These steps work for other hashtag hours too.

6) Ads (Optional)

You do not need ads to succeed, but if you do try them, keep it small.

• Choose a post that already did well
• Spend a small amount (£10–£20)
• Target people in your area or who like similar products
• Stop if you see no results after a few days

7) Getting Seen in Other Ways

• Add an “about” page on your website with photos and contact details
• Offer a helpful tip or comment to local news outlets
• Share your story, such as why you started your business

8) Using AI (Artificial Intelligence)

AI can help, but it should never replace you. Think of it as a personal assistant.

• Drafting posts or alt text (you review before posting)
• Summarising your analytics so you can see what works
• Reminding you when #UKGiftHour starts
• Shortening longer text into 280 characters
• Suggesting captions or video scripts

Important: If you share an image or video made with AI, always say so in the alt text. Example: “AI-generated image of a candle on a winter background.”

9) Keep Track

• Each week: note your top 3 posts, write down what worked, and try one small change
• Each month: check visits from X (Twitter) to your website, see which hashtags worked, refresh your pinned post

10) Two-Week Starter Plan

Week 1

• Mon: Short video of your product
• Tue: Behind-the-scenes photo
• Wed: Poll (ask a question)
• Thu: Share a customer comment
• Fri: Quick video of you packing an order
• Sat: Join #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM
• Sun: Join #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM

Week 2

• Mon: Before-and-after photo
• Tue: Thread (3–4 posts explaining how to care for your product)
• Wed: Share a new product drop
• Thu: Ask your followers a question
• Fri: Show your workspace or tools
• Sat: Join #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM
• Sun: Join #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM

11) Prompts for AI

• “Write me 3 posts for #UKGiftHour: an intro, a product post, and a community shout-out. Keep each under 280 characters. Add alt text suggestions.”
• “Make a search string for #UKGiftHour that excludes the words ‘Bot’ and ‘Bitcoin’.” (obviously those terms are examples – you can choose your own).
• “Remind me at 8:55 am that #UKGiftHour starts at 9. Give me my 3 draft posts and a checklist: post, reply, retweet, quote.”
• “Turn this longer text into a short X (Twitter) post and a 3-post thread.”
• “Create 14 posts for my business, with 2–3 hashtags each, and export in a CSV with columns for Date, Time, Text, and Alt Text.”

12) Stay Human

• Do not use bots to auto-like or auto-follow
• Do not spam people with messages
• Be yourself
• Use AI only to save time and stay organised; you should always be the one talking to people
• If you share AI media, say so in the alt text

13) Next Steps

• Update your profile (photo, bio, pinned post)
• Write 7 posts for next week using the simple plan
• Join #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM on both Saturday and Sunday

Where to Next?

If you’ve mastered the basics, step up a level with our Companion Guide: Making the Most of X with UK Gift Hour. It’s written in plain English, with practical tips for analytics, content planning, AI prompts, and staying consistent.

This guide has been kept short and straightforward on purpose. It is here to help you feel confident using X (Twitter). Start simple, be consistent, and you will learn as you go. While it is centred on UK Gift Hour, you can use the same approach with any hashtag hour or small business community.