Part Four - A Conversation About Twitter

A Conversation about Twitter in 140 characters or less to tweet or not to tweet Part Four: Seven strategies and tactics

Does this Twitter thing come with a handbook? Meet Twitter Tom

Sorry there’s no handbook, but there are 7 key strategies and tactics you can follow Meet Twitter Tina

1) Develop your Twitter strategy by evaluating what are you trying to accomplish? Why are you using Twitter?

A strategy? Why am I using Twitter?! Didn’t you just explain how Twitter could be used for everything?

Yes, but “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat” see source

So, think about what conversations you want to have? And what do you want to happen as a result of those conversations?

Well, I could potentially use it for PR, customer service, recruiting, research...but what if I don’t know yet?

You can monitor other similar companies or other successful people and brands on Twitter to get a ﬂavor for what you want to do

For business, I would recommend an initial plan that covers things like content, guidelines, who’s responsible .. oh, & synchronization

Synchronization of what?

2) That’s my second point. Synchronize Twitter to compliment or amplify your online presence, marketing efforts, or current initiatives

So my tweets can be an extension of what I am already doing with a campaign or project?

Yes, for example Nike tweeted about its Human Race read more

OK... but can you be more speciﬁc about what to synchronize?

It’s simple, tweet about content that’s posted elsewhere; updates to your website, new product launches, events that you are promoting, etc.

Twitter should also be integrated with your other social media channels, websites, or emails to make your messages connected & consistent

That sounds good, but can you give me some examples?

Sure, you can show your Twitter feed on your blog, you can have your Twitter feed update your Facebook fan page or LinkedIn group, & more...

So it’s like another prominent channel to share meaningful marketing messages?

Yes, it can be used by marketing but it’s a 2-way marketing communication effort since there is someone to connect and converse with

3) So, be human! Your company is made up of people, real people. Let your tweeters be real people

What if I want to keep business separate from personal?

Twitter often tends to be a blend of both, but you can still have separate channels for your company and your personal use read more

However, your company Twitter account should still include a personal touch read more

Other people will respond and embrace you if you are REAL and not some business robot

@Tina @Tom That is so true! #sweetpresentation

So who should tweet for my company? Me?

Anyone you trust to accurately represent your company voice

If you want people to actually tweet make sure your guidelines include what to do, not just what not to do read more

4) Really listen to customer conversations

Your company is likely being discussed. Find your customers talking about you and hear them out!

Is there a way I can automatically address tweets about my company or a topic?

Yes, but with Twitter, like I said earlier, the personal responses and the real conversations are what make it so valuable

Although it’s tempting to use automated responses to save time, listening & responding helps create true customer relationships

Customers are stunned when they ﬁnd out a company listens, which takes me to my next point ... see example

5) Reciprocate by responding, asking questions, and having dialogue, with your customers...to start the conversation!

Should I be responding to both positive and negative tweets about my company?

Yes, you can re-tweet and show you appreciate a twitterer’s praise or inquire and discuss issues from negative tweets

Why would I want to address complaints or negative feedback?

By addressing complaints you show that you actually care and you may ﬁnd problems you didn’t even know you had!

Conversations online are already happening. People are talking about you or your company, so be proactive; let people know you care! read more

I worry about losing control

The only way you can inﬂuence these conversations is by participating in them and a quick response can mitigate viral negativity read more

One comment can be the start of a positive, fruitful conversation. One conversation can be the start of a fruitful relationship

Actually doing something with feedback & using it to improve your business tells people you are serious about your relationship with them

6) Connect online with inﬂuencers and powerful voices relevant to your industry to leverage the power of WOM see popular twitterers

WOM? What’s WOM?

WOM is word of mouth. With all the noise around us, we tend to trust WOM much more than company advertising read more

Well, how do I ﬁnd these inﬂuencers to share my “WOM” messages?

You can find influencers by typing keywords that are related to your business directly into the Twitter search box find more

And you can determine how inﬂuential they are by evaluating the quantity and quality of their followers

7) Finally, connect ofﬂine by turning a Twitter conversation into a strong friendship or business relationship by meeting in person!

Oh Boy! What have I gotten myself into?

Twitter is a social platform, but it’s up to you to ensure your relationships go beyond just a few tweets

Do I have to “meetup” or “tweetup” with anyone?

No, but turning online conversations into ofﬂine meetings can strengthen your relationships with tweeple! read more

This sounds like a lot of time and a lot of work!

You can spend as much, or as little time as you want. One connection or one meeting could change your career or business

All in all, it seems like Twitter requires a lot of giving: giving insights, useful links, wisdom, and even personal time

Yes, but the more quality and quantity you give, the more you get in return...return in followers instantly and new relationships later

Because it can require some time, Twitter is best when used with other handy tools that simplify and enhance your experience

Twitter Tools? There’s more tools to use? Like what?

There are hundreds of helpful Twitter tools that help you manage and do more with all this; let’s discuss this at our next tweet-up!

@Tina @Tom Sweet, I’ll be there too!

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Part Four - A Conversation About Twitter

by Fresh Consulting on Aug 17, 2009

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Part Four - A Conversation About Twitter — Presentation Transcript