Twitter is such a great social media platform.
Twitter is short and still very relevant to your prospects and customers. It’s a great way to communicate.
But did you know there’s some guidelines on how to use Twitter properly?
While there’s not a right-size-fits-all strategy to social media, or Twitter, there’s definitely some things you ought not do, when it comes to Twitter for your business.
After all, using social media is hard enough, but it’s even harder when you’re using it wrong.
In light of this, I’ve developed a list of five items that will help you market your business and your solutions when it comes to Twitter and social media.
Here are five technically not wrong, but annoying things you can do on Twitter.
Don’t be annoying.
Twitter is such a great social media platform.
Assuming your audience and persona are on Twitter, it can be a great way to communicate, engage readers, share content, and generate leads.
However, there are many who are just plain annoying on Twitter. These are Twitter loyalists who post random things 50 times in a row. There’s nothing more uninspiring than having your Twitter feed hijacked by the same Twitter user, because they chose to post useless content 20 posts at a time.
When this happens, it sucks up the Twitter feeds from anything relevant and good, like posts from engaging industry experts.
If you’re perhaps the culprit that is guilty of this, (we all are from time to time) here’s the solution.
Be random and strategic. Don’t Tweet out 50 Tweets all at once. Get organized with some sort of calendar to help you find the best times to post throughout the day. You’ll gather more followers this way and you’ll get more engagement.
No food pics, please.
Unless you’re celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey or Robert Irvine, with food pics that are simply too amazing not to Tweet, then please restrain yourself.
Your followers may like to see your colleagues having a good time at some awesome restaurant, but they won’t get inspired by seeing how well done your burger or steak is.
Your audience will LOVE to see the cool ocean views of the location of your dining establishment, but they don’t want to view the tomato from the top of your salad.
We’re all guilty of it, and we’ve all been there. But limit this as much as possible. Remember: Twitter is a social media platform, so aspire to actually being social.
For example, you can be social by sharing a great review of an actual restaurant, instead of the food pic from your table. You can be social on Twitter by sharing how great the wine selection is, instead of an image from inside your wine glass. And you can rave about a dessert dish or coffee, without taking a selfie with your actual Crème brûlée.
Avoid the scandalous and salacious.
If you are a business leader, owner, or someone that wants to keep credibility, then avoid following or re-tweeting things that are subjective.
If a Twitter account or a Tweet looks slimy or naughty, then it probably is. And if you choose to share the Twitter content from this said account, you risk looking silly.
Not to mention, no one likes to get a call/email from the person who manages your social media asking, “did you know that you shared an inappropriate photo of Kim Kardashian…again?”
The same principle applies to Tweeting and sharing other types of slanderous content like stuff with f-bombs, alcohol images, and anything that flames a competitor.
Avoid those conversations. Keep what you do on Twitter high level, and stay away from gossip, scandal, and anything indecent or crude.
Political Tweets.
Americans’ love their politics.
And in America, our presidential election is upon us, which means we’re in full-on political-social-media-mode.
When it comes to politics and social media, we’ve learned one thing: there’s no such things as a civil political debate.
No one leaves happy when Tweeting about how awesome the platforms are between Republicans, Democrats, or Independents.
But if you must engage your brother-in-law’s conservative rants, be sure and be kind. And don’t complain. No one likes a Debbie-Downer. It’s easy to be a complainer, but the challenge is to find solutions. So be kind, be encouraging, and seek to inspire others rather than bring them down in a political Twitter battle.
Be relevant through transparency, vulnerability, and authenticity.
Boring doesn’t sell. Confusing doesn’t sell. Content and Tweets that are typical doesn’t engage or sell. So don’t post the same stuff all the time.
Instead, be creative.
Tweet about something unique, like a fantastic piece of scenery from a run or walk, or some great coffee shop meeting. Be original and engage people on Twitter with what you’re passionate about. Don’t Tweet the same stuff all the time.
We’ve found that the most transparent content is the stuff that gets people excited. It’s the stuff we Tweet that’s not perfect, and the stuff that tells the story of how we made mistakes or fell down, that’s ultimately sells and engages.
You build trust with your audience, with your channel, and your prospects by telling a story that forces you to get naked, metaphorically speaking.
Tweet things, and Tweet content, that’s inspiring and relevant. You’ll get followers, if you follow this mantra.
Not sure how to market via Twitter?
You’re not alone. It’s a struggle that many companies and business grapple with.
Reach out to me here if you’d like to learn more about how to effectively market your business on Twitter.