How to use the social networking site to win customers
It's the social-media-meets-blogging service that's currently taking the celebrity world by storm, but what does Twitter mean for business? You could be forgiven for thinking of it as a pointless time-wasting exercise or yet another forum for opinionated web-addicts, but millions of people around the world are now connecting to share ideas and information through Twitter, making it a unique and powerful networking tool.
Networking can take place on a one-to-one basis, but Twitter's newsfeed allows businesses to reach out to numerous potential and current customers in one message. But why bother with Twitter when your company already has a website or blog? Twitter allows you to connect and interact in a more direct and personal way than has previously been possible. Search and trend-spotting tools such as Twitscoop and Twitter Search help you identify and target relevant people and conversations and keep tabs on hot topics that are critical to your business. Just as LinkedIn offers a new approach to business networking, so Twitter has opened the way for companies to talk to clients and customers on a newly intimate level.
So how can businesses use Twitter more effectively? Once you've set up your account and started tracking down new contacts, here are five basic "Twittiquette" rules for successful engagement with Twitter:
1) Research. Do your research and make sure you are targeting people who are actually going to be interested in your business. Don't get a reputation for indiscriminately spamming users. Remember that other people are also using searches and alerts to identify contacts, so think about the keywords you can use to attract them.
2) Inspire. To keep people listening, you need to offer something engaging, meaningful and preferably thought-provoking. They will soon switch off if all you do is churn out promotional puff with no intrinsic value. Follow the example set by EConsultancy (twitter.com/econsultancy) which regularly "Tweets" valuable advice and insights for the digital marketing community.
3) Articulate. Don't let the 140 character limit lead to laziness, use it as a discipline for creating punchy, well-written copy.
4) Be Yourself. Help followers get a feel for what your business is about by injecting plenty of identity into your Tweets, just as you would with your blog. Perhaps the best example is Twitter itself, which consistently manages to inject a distinct personality into its most essential but humdrum service alerts.
5) Respond and Re-Tweet. Twitter should never be treated as a one-way promotional platform, but is most fruitful when employed as an interactive exchange. Answer questions, pass on interesting Tweets, help others to discover new resources and contribute to conversations. People will take note and return the favour.
Twitter is regularly abused by unscrupulous businesses looking for a quick hit. If you do decide to join the Twitterati, it's in your best interests to be intelligent and responsible about it—you might be surprised at how quickly your efforts pay off.
Rowan Stanfield is Online PR Director for online PR agency Content and Motion www.contentandmotion.co.uk
Posted 19 February 2009 : Director.co.uk
