Does your small business tweet? Or is it a twit? We’re not sure what the appropriate vernacular is but we’re positive of one thing: if you’re not on Twitter, you’re missing out.
With 135,000 new tweeters signing up for the site every day, there’s no reason not to take advantage of this form of social media. Done right, Twitter is an ideal avenue for small business social media. Done wrong – well, let’s not even go there. Instead, here’s how to do it right.
1. Keep Tweets Short and Sweet
You’ve got a 140-character limit per tweet, but don’t use them all. Leaving some extra characters allows for re-tweets (RTs) to be seen by those who follow your followers.
2. Follow the Right People
Following everyone in the world on Twitter doesn’t work. Half of them won’t follow you back; another quarter will, but won’t care what you have to say. When deciding whom to follow, pay attention to their background, the people they follow and what they’re saying. Are the your company’s target audience? If so, click the Follow button. If not, move on.
3. Pay Attention to Pop Culture
Twitter has a feature called “trending topics.” This is what the Twittersphere is talking about right now. Try to work these trending topics into your tweets and use the appropriate hashtag (which is this thingy: #). They’ll help your tweets bee seen by more people, and the more people who see your tweets, the better.
4. Don’t Tweet Too Much
Nobody wants their feed clogged up with 200 tweets a day. In our experience, the sweet spot is between two and four tweets per day. After that, the RT factor begins to diminish and people stop paying attention. Less is more in social media.
5. Follow the Rules
Twitter exile is a very real place…a sad and lonely place for a small business. Your followers disappear, and you’re not allowed to tweet for a set amount of time. You have to grovel at the feet of the Twitter King to get reinstated. Ok, we’re not sure about that part, but our point is to play by the rules! Be sure to read Twitter’s Best Practices. These are not a suggestions; they’re Twitter law. Also, if you follow 20,000 people, you catch the eye of the Twitter police who will monitor you closely and make sure you’re not spam. Again, follow the rules and no one gets hurt…or banned.
Done properly, Twitter is a fantastic site for small businesses to promote their brand, products, services, events and promotions. However, we know Twitter can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the platform. So rather than let a little blue birdie drive you crazy – or fly by completely — give us a call or send us an email, and we’ll have you tweeting in no time!