I know that
by now you’re all using Twitter as a means of branding and getting your
business’ messages heard, right? Good
for you! With Twitter now boasting a
whopping 700 million + users worldwide, you’d be remiss in not implementing
everyone’s favorite microblog site as an integral part of your social media
marketing strategy. So, how do you
ensure that people will actually see and share your posts? How do you garner a broad Twitter
audience? Read on!
First and Foremost, Always
Remember that Content is King
It’s been
said before, and I’ll say it again:
Engaging content is the single most important thing you will require to
garner and retain a loyal Twitter audience.
It has to be interesting, informative and even entertaining. It has to be unique, so be creative and keep
coming up with fresh, engaging content.
How do you do that in 140 characters or less, you ask? Make the short bursts (commonly known as
Tweets) your teasers lines and include links to your pertinent blog posts or
other interesting and relevant content that your readers will want to
devour. Why not make a game out of it –
challenge users with trivia questions and even consider rewarding users who
actively engage with recognition as some added incentive.
Post on a Regular Basis
If you want
to retain and grow your Twitter audience, people have to know that they’ll
always be able to count on you for fresh content. By fresh, I don’t just mean innovative, but
also regular and consistent. Tweet
often! And, by often I don’t mean 60
times a day. While you want to keep it
interesting, you don’t want to inundate.
Engage your Followers in
Conversation
Literally. A great way to do this is to ask
questions. People will respond and you
can take it from there. You can ask
questions about your services or products to gain insight into what’s working
and what’s not. Encouraging people to
talk (or tweet) favorably about your services and products creates brand
ambassadors! You can also sometimes ask
questions completely unrelated to your business, for example about a film
you’ve just seen or the NHL lockout – whatever interests you and whatever you
feel might be of interest to your Twitter followers. Encourage people to share their thoughts and
opinions – most of us love to get the opportunity to do that! Getting regular, intriguing conversations
going is a great way to keep your Twitter followers coming back for more and a
great way to garner more followers. And,
a very important thing to do: Always
respond to your followers when they ask you a question, or whenever they post
something that warrants a response.
Never ignore your followers!
Make Use of Directories
Did you
know that you can list your Twitter account in such directories as Twibes.com
and Twellow.com? Well, you can! Why not entertain the idea of building lists
on key communication streams, making it easier for prospective followers within
your industry or with shared interests to find you.
Make Good Use of Hashtags
Use Hashtags
(#) to allow your tweets to be searchable, further enabling them to be seen by
other users who share similar interests.
Just stick a Hashtag in front of any keywords within your tweet!
Follow to be Followed
It only
stands to reason that the more users you follow, the more users will follow
you. When you follow someone, they have the option to follow you. Not everyone that you follow will want to
follow you, but the more you follow, the more that will follow you!
Retweet Quality Content
Retweeting posts that are of
interest to you will increase your visibility on Twitter. People
following those that you retweet will view you as someone who shares common
interests. Ensure that you include the @name when you refer to other
users, as this will develop relationships. And, other users who monitor
themselves will be sure to notice your retweet!
Tweet at Optimal Times
Yes, there
are better times to tweet than others.
For the full scoop, here’s a link to a previous post: http://escomputers.blogspot.ca/2012/01/why-timing-your-tweets-can-pay-off.html
Be Personal and Personable
I mentioned
above that using Twitter for business doesn’t mean that all of your tweets have
to be business related. In fact, it’s
actually a great idea to sometimes include content that has nothing to do with
business. You want to come off as
personable and human, not as a goal-oriented machine. No one likes to read only industry stuff; everyone
likes to read entertaining content.
Don’t be afraid to crack a joke; don’t be afraid to post something
controversial and thought-provoking.
But, most importantly – never use automated tweets!! Oh, yes, people can tell when you do this and
it makes you sound impersonal.
The purpose
of social media is to be warm and engaging – social, in fact! So, be sure that your tweets come off this
way and people will want to follow
you.
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