Creating a Successful Social Media Strategy part 2: Twitter

How to create an explosive business Twitter presence.

Twitter is a well-established social network, but it might be one you don’t use for business. In fact, just 85% of businesses utilize Twitter in their social media strategy compared to the 91% who use Facebook. And of that 85%, roughly 60% are users who have an account but don’t know how to leverage Twitter for their business and are intimidated by the platform. Let’s look at the answers to a few common questions about Twitter.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is all about what’s happening right now. It has become, to many, their go-to source for the most current news. Status updates, called Tweets, are limited to 140 characters, which makes them very short bursts of information and gives you a small window to capture attention. Twitter is also updated more frequently than other platforms. The conversation is much more fast-paced than it is on Facebook. Think along the lines of how quickly a text message or IM conversation goes versus a conversation over email.

The emphasis of what to post on Twitter is on sharing relevant information and news. What that information is will largely depend on your industry and audience. Unlike Facebook, Twitter has not yet adopted an algorithm for a user’s homepage, meaning you still see any post by anyone you follow. This gives users access to large amounts of information.

Should Twitter be part of my strategy?

Answer this question by asking another one: Is your target market there? If yes, then yes your business needs to be on Twitter. If the answer is no, then it may be a social media platform you can skip. That said, be aware of two things. First, you should still secure a profile for your company using your business name and customizing it to your brand. It’s your intellectual property, and you want anyone who does search for you on Twitter to find a professional looking page that will direct them to your website or other social media where you do engage.

Second, there are 127 million active Twitter users. 33% of those users are 45+, and 25% are between the ages of 35-44. Twitter is continuing to grow, so chances are your target market is active on Twitter and you should be too.

How do I get started?

Creating a profile on Twitter is as easy as going to Twitter.com and signing up for a free account. You’ll need to select a username, and it’s important to choose something that accurately and professionally represents your business. Make it memorable and not too long or complicated.

Next, you’ll need to fill out your profile. You’re limited to 160 characters in the Bio section, so carefully wording it is important. Be sure you include a link to your website, and update the profile picture to a recognizable part of your logo. You can customize your profile further, but those are the important basics you’ll want to make sure are in place.

Finally, start adding followers. Search for people and businesses you know, as well as people and businesses who are in your industry and would be strategic for you to follow.

Rules of Engagement

Twitter is a social network, emphasis on social. Avoid just pushing content – interact with other users and share information from others. Create conversations by tagging other users (by using the @ symbol). Use hashtags (you can learn more about what hashtags are here) to categorize your tweets. Twitter can seem overwhelming because of the learning curve it has for first-time users. We found this two-part article explaining what the Twitter terms mean to be very helpful. You can read part 1 here and part 2 here.

For more information about maximizing your use of Twitter, check out the following resources:

• For additional articles and guides about how to use Twitter,
  Social Media Resource Guide

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  download our free Social Media Resource Guide and reference page 5.

• If you’re on Twitter but want to get more understanding about how to use it, we provide one-on-one, hands-on training to get you confidently using Twitter. Contact us for more information and to set up a training session.

• To be more consistent in posting on Twitter, a Social Media Activation Plan will give you an easy-to-follow guide for your tweets.