Tweeting for business
The day I signed up for Twitter I had an experience that confirmed its popularity. The site kept freezing with the message: Twitter is over capacity: too many tweets.
In the set up process, I found a link to a series of pages called Twitter 101 all about how to use Twitter for business. That’s me, so I explored.
For starters, the first page was so wordy, the information was not very clear or direct. I found ‘Learn the Lingo’ to be useful, and so was ‘Case Studies.’
Here’s what I gleaned:
On Twitter, people either follow you or find you by searching. This makes Twitter “recipient controlled.” No wonder people like it: you only hear from people you choose, and they are automatically cut off at 140 characters. Your reply has the same limits – perhaps an aid to time management?
Eloquent brevity becomes a valued skillset! May we all become so accomplished.
Like any activity done for marketing purposes, you need a strategy to create specific results.
Step #1: learn the ropes. Start by listening to the conversation before joining in. Then keep it simple and go slow so you can explore and experiment. Try a few approaches and compare your results.
With a little practice, you’ll find your strategy for posting. Like any marketing communications, what you say and how you say it depends upon your goals and your audience.
Consider how Twitter can be integrated into your firm’s existing communication channels – with multiple accounts for multiple purposes, for example.
A benefit of Twitter: it gives a company of many an individual voice. Where could your firm benefit from having a voice of one?
Instead of one-way broadcasting of information, think of Twitter as a place to build relationships. Offer value, and be generous before promoting yourself. We all know what a drag it is to be around someone who only talks about themselves.
Ask questions, and approach it as a conversation. Think creatively about how to add value. You might even have fun too!
Follow my occasional tweets: @bluehorsetweets 