If You Blog, You Need Twitter
Twitter often comes under fire as the red-headed stepchild to Facebook. Its reach seems stagnant, and as newer platforms emerge, many people seem to think it's a lost cause.
But, if you're in certain industries, you already know this isn't true. It's just ignorance.
And, if you're a blogger, Twitter is likely your lifeline.
Just a few months ago, it was reported that Twitter has 310 million active users and that 500 million tweets are sent each day.
Recently, nearly 66% of American companies said they are currently using Twitter for marketing purposes.
What's more is that 74% of consumers follow SMB's for the purpose of getting product updates. This is permission-based marketing at its finest. People want the information, and with Twitter, 140 characters is completely non-intrusive. It's incredible what you can accomplish with so little space.
Today I wanted to take a look at how businesses can use Twitter, and why it's so important for people who are bloggers, work in the digital space, or are running a business.
Things Any Business Can Use Twitter For:
Branding.
While any business can pop their logo up on Twitter, it's more powerful and meaningful to use it on a more personal level. Selling yourself, and promoting yourself as an industry expert, is how you can create your own personal brand through Twitter.
Connect with customers.
Twitter is a great way to provide customer service and accept customer feedback. This is something that continues to grow in popularity, and consumers now expect immediate responses when they tweet a business. Larger companies often have a Twitter handle dedicated completely to customer support.
Marketing and advertising.
It's a great place to promote yourself and what you're doing. You can also send out coupons and promo codes for your followers.
Participate in trending conversations.
Trends and news are a huge point of interest on Twitter. When something major happens, you can bet there is a hashtag within minutes. You can easily jump in on these conversations to connect with like-minded people or take the opportunity to position yourself as an industry expert.
Pay it forward.
Twitter is great place to help each other out. Especially in the blogging world, everyone is happy to tweet other people's stuff for them. There are plenty of groups who focus is simply on pushing out other people's stuff, you just need to find them.
Monitor the competition. You can easily follow and see what your competitors are doing. If they are doing well, learn from them. You may even want to extend the olive branch and help support one another. Consumers love seeing businesses support each other.
Most businesses are doing it, and it makes you look legit.
These aren't necessarily the most solid reasons, but let's be honest. Optics are important and the last thing you want is for someone to think you're not a real, relevant business simply because you're not active on Twitter.
Twitter is a great networking tool.
Particularly in the digital marketing space, there are just so many people on there that would love to connect with you. Guest blogging, anyone?
Gain valuable insight on your customers.
When people publicly complain about you on Twitter, it's going to sting. But think about the learning opportunities. The chance to respond, and right a wrong publicly for everyone to see. You can be in control of the message and reputation you put out there by being proactive and engaged with your customers.
Connect with customers, both current and new.
Tweeting is a great way to keep your current customers engaged with your brand, and an excellent way to expose yourself to new customers who are interested in what you're tweeting about.
Why Do Bloggers Love Twitter So Much?
I think most bloggers have a love-hate relationship with Twitter. I know I do. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore Twitter. It's the only social media platform that gets me excited these days. I'm trying to get into Instagram, but it's just not the same. I have such a thirst for endless amount of content and industry specific news and updates. I think many people that live in the digital media space feel the same way about Twitter. It's really the only way that I get my blog posts out to the world, and every time I see a retweet of my own work, it brings a smile to my face.
But, being awesome and active on Twitter really takes a lot of work, time and effort. You can't tweet twice a day and expect to gain much of a following. I aim for at least 10 times/day, if not more. This is where automation comes in. My secret is to automate what I know I want shared, and that way I can spend my real-world time actually engaging and retweeting cool stuff I see other people share.
For automation, I use both Hootsuite and Tweet Juke Box, and I'm also now using SocialQuant to manage my growth. The costs is extremely minimal when you consider the time you save.
Tips For Tweeting:
-Keep it short and concise (not that you had a choice on this one).
-Always, always, ALWAYS include a visual. Twitter moves very fast and you need an image to get noticed.
-Use hashtags. Don't go Instagram hashtag crazy, but make sure you use at least one hashtag and 3 at the most. Hashtags are what open your searches up to the public. If you want your content to be searchable, you must include a relevant hashtag or two. For a complete lesson on hashtags, check out this guide.
-Share other people's tweets, if their content is something your fan base would enjoy.
-You should aim to send out 10-15 tweets per day, if you want to get noticed.
-Pay attention to what customers say about you. Monitor for mentions, and ensure you respond accordingly. Never ignore people, and be gracious when people share your content.
-Set time aside each day for engaging, sending thank you's and retweeting others. This isn't a one way street, and like any social platform, you must invest the time in engaging to grow your audience.
-Pay attention to your Analytics. Twitter gives you a free dashboard that allows you to see basically everything that's happening.
But, if you're in certain industries, you already know this isn't true. It's just ignorance.
And, if you're a blogger, Twitter is likely your lifeline.
Just a few months ago, it was reported that Twitter has 310 million active users and that 500 million tweets are sent each day.
Recently, nearly 66% of American companies said they are currently using Twitter for marketing purposes.
What's more is that 74% of consumers follow SMB's for the purpose of getting product updates. This is permission-based marketing at its finest. People want the information, and with Twitter, 140 characters is completely non-intrusive. It's incredible what you can accomplish with so little space.
Today I wanted to take a look at how businesses can use Twitter, and why it's so important for people who are bloggers, work in the digital space, or are running a business.
Things Any Business Can Use Twitter For:
Branding.
While any business can pop their logo up on Twitter, it's more powerful and meaningful to use it on a more personal level. Selling yourself, and promoting yourself as an industry expert, is how you can create your own personal brand through Twitter.
Connect with customers.
Twitter is a great way to provide customer service and accept customer feedback. This is something that continues to grow in popularity, and consumers now expect immediate responses when they tweet a business. Larger companies often have a Twitter handle dedicated completely to customer support.
Marketing and advertising.
It's a great place to promote yourself and what you're doing. You can also send out coupons and promo codes for your followers.
Participate in trending conversations.
Trends and news are a huge point of interest on Twitter. When something major happens, you can bet there is a hashtag within minutes. You can easily jump in on these conversations to connect with like-minded people or take the opportunity to position yourself as an industry expert.
Pay it forward.
Twitter is great place to help each other out. Especially in the blogging world, everyone is happy to tweet other people's stuff for them. There are plenty of groups who focus is simply on pushing out other people's stuff, you just need to find them.
Monitor the competition. You can easily follow and see what your competitors are doing. If they are doing well, learn from them. You may even want to extend the olive branch and help support one another. Consumers love seeing businesses support each other.
Most businesses are doing it, and it makes you look legit.
These aren't necessarily the most solid reasons, but let's be honest. Optics are important and the last thing you want is for someone to think you're not a real, relevant business simply because you're not active on Twitter.
Twitter is a great networking tool.
Particularly in the digital marketing space, there are just so many people on there that would love to connect with you. Guest blogging, anyone?
Gain valuable insight on your customers.
When people publicly complain about you on Twitter, it's going to sting. But think about the learning opportunities. The chance to respond, and right a wrong publicly for everyone to see. You can be in control of the message and reputation you put out there by being proactive and engaged with your customers.
Connect with customers, both current and new.
Tweeting is a great way to keep your current customers engaged with your brand, and an excellent way to expose yourself to new customers who are interested in what you're tweeting about.
Why Do Bloggers Love Twitter So Much?
I think most bloggers have a love-hate relationship with Twitter. I know I do. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore Twitter. It's the only social media platform that gets me excited these days. I'm trying to get into Instagram, but it's just not the same. I have such a thirst for endless amount of content and industry specific news and updates. I think many people that live in the digital media space feel the same way about Twitter. It's really the only way that I get my blog posts out to the world, and every time I see a retweet of my own work, it brings a smile to my face.
But, being awesome and active on Twitter really takes a lot of work, time and effort. You can't tweet twice a day and expect to gain much of a following. I aim for at least 10 times/day, if not more. This is where automation comes in. My secret is to automate what I know I want shared, and that way I can spend my real-world time actually engaging and retweeting cool stuff I see other people share.
For automation, I use both Hootsuite and Tweet Juke Box, and I'm also now using SocialQuant to manage my growth. The costs is extremely minimal when you consider the time you save.
Tips For Tweeting:
-Keep it short and concise (not that you had a choice on this one).
-Always, always, ALWAYS include a visual. Twitter moves very fast and you need an image to get noticed.
-Use hashtags. Don't go Instagram hashtag crazy, but make sure you use at least one hashtag and 3 at the most. Hashtags are what open your searches up to the public. If you want your content to be searchable, you must include a relevant hashtag or two. For a complete lesson on hashtags, check out this guide.
-Share other people's tweets, if their content is something your fan base would enjoy.
-You should aim to send out 10-15 tweets per day, if you want to get noticed.
-Pay attention to what customers say about you. Monitor for mentions, and ensure you respond accordingly. Never ignore people, and be gracious when people share your content.
-Set time aside each day for engaging, sending thank you's and retweeting others. This isn't a one way street, and like any social platform, you must invest the time in engaging to grow your audience.
-Pay attention to your Analytics. Twitter gives you a free dashboard that allows you to see basically everything that's happening.