Twitter and most social media, for that matter, has experienced phenomenal growth in the past year. Most companies are now realizing the value of Twitter and are starting to make regular tweets to their customers. But, is there proper Twitter etiquette? Here are a few things you should consider when you start tweeting.
- Don’t use machinebots to post your tweets. If you do, you’re missing the point of social media. It’s all about interacting with people. You need to respond to your followers.
- Retweet or RT the people you’re following if you find something of interest for the people who are following you.
- When promoting your company, give it a personality. People want to talk to people not to company logos. So, put a photo of a person rather than a corporate image.
- Tweet about interesting topics. This one is a no-brainer. Provide links to your website or blog so people can get more information. After all, you only get 140 characters per tweet.
- Don’t use Twitter to SPAM people. This is a given.
- Don’t block your updates. If you do, what’s the point? It’s all about getting new people to follow you. This principal can also be used on LinkedIn. Many people block their contacts list. So, what’s the point of networking and finding new people if you’re not going to share your network?
- Don’t use overly promotional tweets. Yes, you can tell your customers about your products. But, do it in a way that is educational and not self-serving.
- It’s not about quantity…but quality followers. It’s not about “he who has the most tweets or the most followers wins”. Again, it’s about building relationships.
- Don’t post irrelevant tweets, that is, unrelated to your purpose or your social media goals.
- Don’t simply retweet (RT) everything. Be selective in what you retweet.
Social media is an effective tool to market your company’s products. Use it responsibly and you will be amazed at the results.
