With Twitter becoming a household name used around the world, it’s no wonder businesses are working double- time to develop there “Twitter Brand” and “Twitter Marketing Plan.” Twitter originally started out as a site seemingly created for friends to share what they were doing in short updates. It has now evolved into a huge marketing tool for companies to easily reach their consumers for free.
Because of this newfound freedom when reaching out to consumers, there are many ways companies can both build and break relationships.
Here is a list Twitter Best Practices when establishing your brand on Twitter:
1. Have a plan
You’ve created your Twitter account, filled out the profile information, chosen a picture and a background, maybe even picked up a few followers. Now what? Now, you’re stuck. It’s important to have a plan when configuring your Twitter account so it furthers your specific needs. Do some research. Look around at other Twitter accounts. Gather a few followers and see what kinds of tweets interest you. See what kinds of tweets drive you crazy. By doing this, you will be able to determine what kinds of tweets you should publish so you can successfully reach your target audience.
2. Interact with your followers
Every tweet counts. Make sure you are taking each one seriously and thinking before you click “send.” It is absolutely crucial to interact with your followers in order to build constructive relationships – and that’s what Twitter is all about. If someone asks you a question, make sure you answer it. If someone asks for your advice, give it to them honestly. If someone says something insightful about you, your product, or something you’re interested in, let them know. With all the capabilities of Twitter – @ reply, Direct Message and Re-Tweet – it is essential to communicate with your followers and potential consumers.
3. Keep it professional
It is important to maintain the difference between a personal Twitter account and a professional one. Especially when it comes to a specific brand, it is important not to cross and become too personal and unprofessional. Yes, your followers want to know you are a human being just interacting with another human being; however, hearing about what you ate for dinner isn’t going to entice them into buying your product.
There are also a few things that brands should not do on Twitter, including:
1. Do not spam
Spamming. Whether it’s in our inbox, via telephone or even in our personal mailbox, we all hate it. On Twitter, it’s the same concept. Don’t copy and paste the same tweets over and over again and don’t overload people with many tweets all at once. Instead, think of different, creative ways to get across the same message and then spread your tweets out so you can reach a wider audience and persuade more people to trust and use you for their needs.
2. Do not hard sell
Hard selling your product is a surefire way to get blocked and destroy the relationships you have been building with your community. Market yourself, but don’t sell yourself too much. Don’t make someone feel like you are selling something – let me explain – when you’re selling a product on Twitter, you want the consumer to feel like they are making the absolute best choice possible. This is done through conversations and advice, not through shoving a product down someone’s throat. Your followers should want to hear what kinds of products you offer because they trust you and your judgment and when you say that this product is the best, they will believe you.
3. Do not use only automated responses
Automated responses are equivalent to cutting corners and no one gets ahead by cutting corners. Yes, automated responses are useful in moderation. However, it is important to let your followers know there is a human being behind your tweets. Make them personable and make sure you are responding to what others are talking about. People know a phony when they see one.
Twitter is all about building relationships and creating a community around your specific product. There are many positive ways you can use Twitter in order to boost your sales and achieve a higher response to marketing techniques. It’s important to have proper Twitter etiquette when approaching your target audience.
All you have to do is determine your goals, how you want to accomplish them and then create a community centered around your brand.
