We look beyond the hype and offer tips to help you answer the question: to tweet, or not to tweet?
Twitter is a social tool, but it is increasingly being used by businesses as a quick and direct way to share information and communicate with consumers. Tweets (messages of less than 140 characters) are posted, which appear on the Twitter home pages of those who follow the publisher’s feed. Users can reply to tweets, or “re-tweet” to share tweets with friends. The point: to see and share information, and engage in conversations.
In our view, businesses must work to ‘fit’ their presence into the social context of Twitter. Get this right and businesses can find value in both promoting their brand and engaging in dialogue with customers.
Respect the social context
Twitter is a social tool, used by friends to share information and engage in dialogue. Businesses can and do fit into this world, but they must respect this social context. Dan Germain, of Innocent Drinks, suggests asking whether you would welcome customers to “drop in for a cup of tea”. If the answer is no, “don’t get involved”.
Be interesting
“The most important thing is to always be interesting”, says Amelia Torode of ad agency VCCP. Before you begin ‘tweeting’, consider the content you have to offer. Can you consistently create tweets that are interesting, informative, useful, conversational, or beneficial? When devising tweets, think twice about the social context; about why people use Twitter, and importantly, about the kind of people that use it.
Engage in conversations
“If you believe it’s important to get out there and have conversations with customers, then you should be using Twitter”, says Bob Pearson of Dell. Such interactions can provide businesses with qualitative information on customer opinions, insights and feedback on subjects such as existing or new products, services, or ideas. Importantly: be sure to listen; Penguin Books digital marketing director Anna Rafferty argues that showing you listen is “the only way to build true value into brands’ use of Twitter”.
Don’t be too ‘salesy’
“The last thing any brand should do is approach Twitter like a textbook marketing activity”, says Dan Germain of Innocent Drinks. A sentiment echoed by ad agency strategist Amelia Torode: “This isn’t a pipe down which to pump press releases”. This does not mean you cannot tweet promotional content, just keep a check on it, and be sure to find a balance between being ‘salesy’ and being social.
Balance frequency
Brands are sometimes criticised for tweeting too infrequently, reflecting a lack of commitment, content, or both. Conversely, brands that tweet too often could annoy followers who may feel bugged by tweets. This problem worsens the more promotional you get. Remember that Twitter is primarily a social tool, thus relentless promotional content may inspire users to delete you from their Twitter list. To strike a balance, always ask yourself: Is the reader going to find this tweet useful, relevant, and above all: interesting?
Find your voice
Companies tweet in different ways. Some take a personal tone, tweeting directly from directors or executives, while others tweet anonymously under their brand name. Some take an informal approach to content (perhaps tweeting about an employee’s recent personal achievement), while others prefer to keep things focussed on business. There are no set rules, but it helps to find an approach that is comfortable for you.
Take it easy
Innocent’s Dan Germain quips: “The key is to not try too hard. With only 140 characters, if you think for more than a minute about what you post, you’re taking too long”. This advice should not be taken too literally, but it helps to illustrate that Twitter is designed to be short, sweet and social. You want to avoid damaging your brand by being too casual, but also try to take things easy and embrace the relaxed tone of Twitter.
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