Make Every Tweet Count: Tips for Building a Twitter Following
By Joel Black on 02/18/2014
If a tweet lands in the middle of cyberspace and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? Twitter has become a vital part of Internet marketing plans, with followers disseminating news and updates at a speed unheard of in the pre-social media area. Building a strong base of followers, however, is the Catch-22.
Using the properties that make Twitter such an engaging medium is the key to adding and retaining followers. Here are suggestions for easy-to-implement tactics that can make a Twitter feed a more relevant and appealing piece of an Internet marketing strategy.
- Create a compelling, meaningful bio. The term “bio” usually conjures up visions of a dry, charmless piece that starts out, “I was born on …” Twitter bios are actually bite-sized nuggets of creative writing distilling the essence of why that person is worth following. A well-crafted bio can be considered a preview that sets the tone for the corresponding Twitter feed.
- Use hashtags to take the pulse of the Twitterverse. Hashtags provide a convenient way for Twitter users to find out what topics are trending and what’s being said about them. Searching for relevant hashtags and adding thoughtful, engaging content to the conversations can greatly boost a company’s Internet marketing visibility.
- Make Twitter chats a regular part of a virtual calendar. A corollary to the previous tip, joining a weekly Twitter chat can be an invaluable way to make connections and learn from other Internet marketing programs. These virtual round-tables are created around a specific hashtag and will usually include a moderator to facilitate the discussion.
- Show AND tell. There’s a reason behind the cliché, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Visual images can help overcome the impersonal nature of Internet marketing and make a product, service or concept more real in the minds of consumers. Including a photo with a tweet reinforces the message and creates a greater bond with followers.
- Build a chain of followers link by link. The easier a Twitter link is to find, the more likely it is to accumulate followers. A company’s Twitter link should be included on business cards, in email signatures, on its website and any place where it can be seen by customers and prospects.
- Don’t get distracted by online “noise”. With the volumes of data and information available via social media, tracking relevant postings is like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Social media monitoring tools can zero in on a company’s Internet marketing areas of focus. This frees them up to concentrate on responding to qualified inquiries and feedback, leading to a stronger Twitter presence.
Internet marketing efforts can take a while to show a payoff. Using these ideas can quicken the pace by creating traction with an ever-growing number of Twitter followers.
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