Twitter Tips for Businesses

Twitter is the platform where people go to connect with their passions and interests including small to mid-size businesses. It is a fast-paced platform that changes constantly. According to Twitter, 47% of people who follow brands are more likely to visit the company’s website. The strategy for using Twitter effectively is different than the strategy for other social media platforms. Let’s take a closer look at how to effectively use Twitter as a marketing tool for your business.

Understand the Basics

First, in order to effectively use Twitter, you have to understand the basic elements.

• Brevity is Key – While Twitter expanded its maximum character limit from 140 to 280 characters in late 2017, the platform is still centered on short bursts of information rather than long posts or complex discussions. Simple. Straightforward. Witty. These are key terms to think about when crafting a tweet.
• Hashtags Bring Focus – By far, the most popular way that people use Twitter is by following hashtags, often for only brief periods of time during a particular moment of popularity. Hashtags can be words or phrases, and they are marked with the ubiquitous # sign. You’ll often see “trending” hashtags, which indicates that these are particularly popular and getting a lot of activity.

• Interacting with Others – There are two main ways to interact with others on Twitter in your public tweets. You can either reply to a tweet that someone else has made, which means that their username will appear in your tweet, linking you to their followers as well as your own. Or you can also retweet someone else’s tweet, sharing it on your own page with your followers.

Marketing Strategies

Once you understand the basics of Twitter, it’s important to consider how to use them to create a meaningful marketing strategy.

• Consistent Branding – Make sure that your brand is consistent and clear on Twitter. Make your profile informative with a clear photo that represents who you are and what you do. Think about your Twitter name. You want it to be short and recognizable.
• Follow Others Judiciously – Twitter without any followers isn’t much fun for anyone, so think carefully about who to follow. Professional organizations, news sources in your industry, and educational facilities that report on your niche are all good choices. This will also give you an ongoing stream of potential retweets.
• Be Active – Most Twitter users aren’t constantly logged in and looking at their feeds, so you need to tweet regularly and often. You can use a social media management tool to schedule tweets in advance to go out at regular intervals, but if you want to really engage by retweeting and responding, you’ll likely need a social media manager who understands the brand’s goals and tone.
• Establish a Persona – Some of the best brands on Twitter have gotten their reputation by establishing a clear persona. Users respond well to humor—just make sure it doesn’t veer into the unprofessional territory. For some great examples of brands that have made a name for themselves, take a look at Arby’s or Netflix. These brands step outside of their corporate image to engage with users in funny, unique ways that make them memorable.
• Be In the Moment – If there is a trending hashtag or a major event (like, say, the Grammy Awards or the World Series) and you can find a meaningful and interesting way to use the tag in a tweet, do it. Don’t just tag typical marketing prompts with trending hashtags to try to be relevant, engage with what’s going on. It will make all the difference in how your tweet is received.
• Respond Promptly and Helpfully – By far the most important thing you can do on Twitter is responding to customers quickly in a friendly and helpful way. Often, people take to social media to voice complaints, and the way that companies handle those public issues is incredibly important. If you get questions about your products or complaints about an experience with your brand, use the moment to show your customers (all of them, not just the one tweeting) that you can handle it with grace.

Get Noticed
Twitter can be an excellent way to get your brand noticed and help it stand out from competitors. 85% of Twitter users feel more connected to an SMB after they begin following them. While it may seem intimidating to dive into the world of hundreds of millions of tweets a day, there’s a whole world of potential customers waiting to hear from you!

Still have questions about Twitter? We know you already have plenty to do while running your business, contact Blue Anchor Digital and we can show you more tips or discuss how social media management can work for you.