Is Your Business Effectively Tweeting?

I’ll be honest my personal pursuits don’t include a large passion for sports.  I don’t generally understand them or find value in multiple hours on the couch watching them.  I think a large part of my dislike with these team oriented activities is I don’t understand them.  How can I be a fan of something if I don’t know why and how it’s used or played?  Same goes for social media, specifically Twitter.  You must be a fan and user to really understand it. 

 Many people don’t have the stay power, stamina (read: uneventful personal life), or discipline to become an active Twitter user for their business.  If you’re on the verge of bailing on the Twitter world, please continue reading for a few tips on how to make the most of Tweeting in your business marketing plan.  If these still aren’t enough for you; check out an expert Tweeter at Twitip.com .

Bring Relevant Content to the Table.

So we live in a Tundra called Des Moines - don’t tweet about the 4 feet of snow in your driveway…unless you’re a plowing company.  If you’re a dry cleaner, don’t offer advice on which local salsa class to take.  Do however give quick tips for at home removal of those pesky red wine stains or pen explosions.  Remember to follow up the advice with a reminder that dry cleaning is still needed (I don’t want you losing all of your business!) or an offer to use on their next “not so easy” stain.   Offering a unique perspective will help gain trust with users and authentication in their eyes.

Give Shout Outs!

If a business recognizes your work with them in a tweet, make sure to reciprocate the favor at some point. Acknowledging fans and other businesses are important. Little updates like; “thanks @btsmiley for the SEO title optimization tip yesterday, we’ve seen great success with it today!” or “having a power lunch with “D&D Deli” to discuss Twitter and Facebook marketing strategies, hope I get dessert!” are fun ways to give others in the community a boost and make you seem more “real” as a user -  I ate at D&D today too…perhaps I saw the Blue Traffic team!

 Be Real.

Create a voice. In some businesses more than one person is doing the tweeting.  Blogging factual, stiff information one day and witty or inappropriate tweets the next day might confuse users.  Figure out what kind of user you are and stick to it. 

What’s your purpose for Tweeting?

Are you looking to expand your customer base?  Interact with fans of your business?  Attempting a new brand?  Once you clearly define this intention making purposely and unique Tweets will be MUCH easier.  This will help you decide if you’re the type of business to offer tips of the day, weekly discounts, funny store anticdotes and so on.  Setting expectations is the most important part of a successful advertising and marketing campaign.  Figure this out first. 

Tweet and Tweet often.

Daily is best.  Pick a time - I recommend morning.  Studies show most professionals spend the first hour of their day getting organized.  Checking Twitter is generally in this hour if they’re a faithful user.  Remember that you have to be committed to making a difference.  Does once a week or twice a month hurt you?  Probably not…but consistency is best.  Humans are creatures of habit.  Let the Twitter world know you’re there each day, on time.  If you aren’t logging into your Twitter account at least 3 times a week, you’re a passive user.  Maybe you’re more into social media than pigskin like I am - nonetheless, increase your knowledge and you’ll be a better user for it!