With so many options for social media engagement, who has the time to research every avenue and assess what these avenues could potentially provide in terms of marketing organization? I assembled this basic Twitter tutorial for you newbies looking for some more information on how it can possibly be a marketing aid for you.
Why Twitter?
In 140 characters or less: It’s a less formal way to build your brand by communicating with existing and potential customers.
Twitter’s constant stream of communication is the perfect way to keep your organization’s name in front of users while allowing you to personally interact with them regularly. In 2011, Twitter increased its user base to 95 MILLION (up from 75 million in 2010). Connecting with just a small portion of those users will exponentially increase your brand’s exposure.
People like to be the first to know about a current event and Twitter is an excellent medium to use to tout that knowledge. Engaging with your brand’s followers about news (related and unrelated to your industry) is an excellent way to increase brand recognition. It is a way to keep up with relevant industry news and monitor your competitors.
News and pertinent links are EXTREMELY easy to share via Twitter. When news about your organization arises, if it’s presented in an intriguing way, the chances of getting it “retweeted” rises, working to your advantage for exposure. Twitter also alerts you when your brand is mentioned. This makes it quite easy to manage your online reputation with potential and existing customers.
By using Twitter, you may be reaching a customer base that was previously untapped for your organization. Using promotions that require customer interaction via Twitter is a great way to get to know these customers better and learn what it is they are looking for from your brand. Participating in conversations with customers is also a great way to gain some street cred.
What the @#140RT!?
The symbols and “tweet-speak” can seem overwhelming at first. Below is a breakdown of the commonly-used terms and symbols to help you translate and navigate:
@ before a username is a reply to that user:
# (hashtag) before a topic or area of interest groups like conversations and makes them searchable. When typing the hashtag “#marketing” into the Twitter search bar, a list of tagged tweets will produce to help you find possible conversations in which you may be interested.:
RT or “Retweet” is used when one Twitter user reposts a tweet from another user because they would like to share that information with their followers:
D or DM “Direct Message” before a username sends a private tweet to the intended recipient:
“d @HomerGroup I would like to redesign my website. Can you provide me with a quote?”
To Tweet.
Why not give Twitter a try? Just remember to be smart about your tweets and have an open mind. If you have any questions or would like a second opinion, let us know! We would be happy to help!
If you have already tried Twitter, what advice do you have for the newbies? What has / hasn’t worked? Have you noticed any trends?
