For many companies, the idea of social media spread like wild fire and due to the risk of getting burned, they simply jumped on board the ship a little unprepared. Don’t worry – we are here to help you navigate the rocky waters of Social Media and we are going to kick this party off with Twitter. So, you have a Twitter account and you’re executing daily and building a decent following – Hooray! Now…. not to be a party pooper, but you might be doing a few things wrong. And it’s okay, because most people who don’t have someone specializing in social media are in the same boat. So, let’s iron out the five things you’re doing wrong on Twitter, shall we?
1. You used the full URL
You’re already limited to 140 characters, so let’s not waste half of those with a long URL. There are free tools, such as Bitly, that will shorten your link and also allow you to track how many clicks each link gets. Many worry that Google won’t be able to read the condensed link, but I assure you they can and it looks much cleaner and more professional. Give it a whirl!
2. You limited your reach
So, you’re talking about someone specific and you want to use their handle. Great! You’re headed in the right direction. But, if you want your entire following to see it, put a period before the @ symbol if you use their handle to start your tweet. For example, you can see it done correctly in the screen shot featured to the right. Otherwise, Twitter thinks you are talking directly to @FSCInteractive as a mention and will only show it to people who follow you, as well as @FSCInteractive. (Side note, when using a handle within a tweet, this is not necessary.)
3. You auto-posted to Facebook
I know this seems like the easiest thing to do. It’s a quick and streamlined process, I get it. But, Twitter and Facebook are two very different platforms and require different messaging. To begin with, many users have different handles depending on the platform and you want to be sure to use the correct handle for each to increase your exposure and engagement. Secondly, hashtags, at this time, are not recognized by Facebook but should certainly be used on Twitter. Not to menton, 140 characters is a bit limiting and it’s nice to expand on an idea or story using Facebook.
4. You don’t use the # sign
Speaking of hashtags, you need to be whipping out the pound sign as often as you can, when it’s relevant. (No one likes a hashtag spammer. No one.) A hashtag on Twitter is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. This simple sign helps categorize messaging and also allows terms to become searchable. This also streamlines your research and monitoring by allowing you to follow conversations surrounding keywords on Twitter. Not sure which hashtags to use for your industry? Do a little research! Topsy, hashtag.org and GigaTweet are several social search tools that allows you to see the volume of tweets using specific hashtags. Oh, and don’t be scared to create your own hashtags for specific campaigns, events and initiatives. This is a great way to track feedback from users or attendees as well as engage with users who are interested in what you’re talking about.
5. All you do is Sell. Sell. Sell.
If you’re using Twitter as a means of advertisement, it’s easy to get caught up in selling your product or service but at some point, you have to come back to the basics. The primary purpose of Twitter is to connect with your consumer. If you don’t foster online relationships with your Followers, you’re not doing it right. Ted Rubin wrote an article on ROR, Return on Relationship, which he feels should replace ROI when looking into the success of Social Media. Do you want to know your investment is paying off? Well, yes. But Social Media builds relationships, and creates brand loyalty and last time I checked, neither of those were in the ROI equation. So remember, be engaging, helpful and genuine. It will pay off more than you think.
Have a question for the FSC Interactive team or want more information on Twitter? Leave us a note in our comments!