Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service, and while not necessary for every business, it can be very effective for companies/organizations that have a steady stream of information that they wish to disseminate to the public, and can be especially effective for creating a “buzz” about a topic, service, or product.
As a social network, Twitter is the 5th most popular. Statista.com notes that as of the first quarter of 2019, Twitter averaged 330 million monthly active users with over 500 million daily tweets.
If you’re new to Twitter view I would start with this link: https://help.twitter.com/ As you will see this overview page covers account creation, and the “how to” information needed to get started. I also encourage you to view Twitter’s business resource page at https://business.twitter.com/en/resources.html
To be successful with Twitter there are some best practices, which I’ve outlined next.
Using Twitter for Business:
Your Handle: It’s best if the handle (@yourbusinessname) is kept short and is identical to or closely relates to your business or brand name.
Cover Image and Photo: Utilize a good cover (background) image, preferably one that reinforces your business identity or message. The representative photo can be a business logo or of a person.
Your Bio: This is positioned directly below the cover image so is the first thing a visitor will see. This should be a short overview of the business purpose (Twitter allows 160 characters), and should include your URL and relevant #hashtags.
Hashtags: Each industry will have popular hashtags as well trending topics. You can locate the best hashtags by searching the top handles/tweets in your industry or use a hashtag generator to create a list of the better options. My recommendation is https://www.all-hashtag.com/hashtag-generator.php And as a rule it’s best not to use too many hashtags in your tweets, two is a good number. You can also use hashtags in your other social media.
Pinned Tweets: Twitter now allows for pinned tweets, which will stay on the top of your profile. This is recommended for engaging content, and when something is timely, so needs to remain highly visible.
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/pinned-tweet/
Explore: Twitter’s search area is where you can search specific topics, industries, or find what’s trending. It can be useful to join the conversation related to your industry or identify mentions about your product, services, or company.
Tweeting Basics:
Use keywords: Think like a SEO professional. Research keywords and use them in your updates.
Be witty: Keywords are necessary. But you must also entertain, from time to time. Clever tweets have a way of being re-tweeted. Also, consider using teasers to encourage clicks on links.
Use descriptive short URLs: When possible, edit short URLs to include content keywords. Not only will they stand out from the rest, but users will be inclined to use that URL rather than re-shrinking it on their own – resulting in better, more accurate click and share data.
Tweet content that inspires: I frequently suggest to clients to include inspiration quotes on the pages, newsletters, and in their email footer. Inspiration content is often re-tweeted.
Include images and video: People like to be engaged, and clever videos and images are two of the best ways to provide for this.
Tweet what you know: As with all social media, it’s always good to Tweet about your industry and important events that relate to your business.
Vary content types and providers: If users wanted to only read about your company, all the time, they would subscribe to your RSS feed or bookmark your blog. Mix it up with content from other sources and by type (video, audio, photos). Remember that we are focused on search, and multimedia is increasingly important for search engines and users.
Ask relevant questions and run polls: People like to be asked questions, which is another form of engagement. Questions can be an effective way to gain insight on what users think of your products, services, and industry.
Post contests, giveaways and promotions: People love a good deal and Twitter users are no exception. Running promotions will attract followers. And the number of followers is undoubtedly part of the search formula at Twitter and on standard search engines, where tweets are increasingly displayed.
Re-tweet and follow: By re-tweeting others and following other accounts, you will earn more followers and encourage interaction – another factor that Twitter will take into account when assigning “status” to information providers.
Recommend followers: When you recommend a follower there is a high probability that others will recommend you in turn.
Listen: Many people use Twitter to contact businesses, air grievances and seek support. Listen up, and reply promptly and fairly. It shows that you respect your followers, can foster any number of opportunities for cross-promotion and branding, and can prevent a bad experience from “going viral.” Solicit feedback, too. People like to feel that they are making a difference.
Twitter Marketing:
Cross promote: It’s always recommended to cross-promote on other platforms, such as your website, Facebook, Instagram, email, and newsletters.
Tweet regularly and promptly: You don’t want to be a nuisance but be sure to post quality updates on a regular basis. It ensures you stay top-of-mind with consumers and provides more content available to index and search. Tweet the best of the content you produce. Twitter is used by many to find breaking news. Provide it.
Participate in Twitter Chats: Twitter chats can be a useful method of networking, gain insights and business strategies from peers, and generally engaging in meaningful conversations .
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/twitter-chats/
Track with Twitter Analytics: Analyze your Tweet data to understand your followers. This will show you what your audience is responding to.
https://business.twitter.com/en/analytics.html
