Twitter represents one of the most dynamic and powerful communication tools currently available to the masses. The service makes it easy for almost anyone to quickly share information with large numbers of people. It allows for a dialogue across continents, government censors (sometimes), and platforms (web, phone, app, etc). Updates are sent and received in real time, allowing for communication at a speed that, when you think about it, is really amazing. All of this said, Twitter remains a tool. And, like any tool, the user needs to take care not to misuse it.
This is especially true in marketing. Yes, when used correctly and intelligently, Twitter can represent a hugely powerful marketing communication tool. However, it’s easy to go the other way, as well, and really end up screwing yourself and your brand. In an effort to help you avoid this disastrous fate, here are some tips that should be followed to keep you and your brand from falling into common pitfalls.
- Don’t spam people. If you want your audience to quickly ignore and block you on Twitter, just send out endless amounts of links across Twitter. People don’t like that, they don’t fall for it, and they aren’t going to take you seriously if you do this. It’s better to not Tweet at all than use it as a mass spamming tool. Just don’t do it.
- Don’t blindly follow thousands of people hoping they follow you back. This little trick might get you a few dozen, maybe even a few hundred, followers. However, they aren’t going to be quality followers. Chances are, they’re either spambots or people trying to do exactly what you’re doing. Either way, these type of followers aren’t going to be paying attention to what you’re Tweeting and they’re just going to clog up your Twitter feed with useless jibber-jabber.
- Send Tweets that people can understand. Many people and brands, in an effort to stay within or under the 140 character limit, will shorten words by replacing them with symbols or think it would be smart to remove all the vowels from every word. And while this might result in a Tweet that meets the character limit, it also results in something that no one is capable of understanding. At least not easily. And people aren’t going to waste time trying to figure out what the hell you’re talking about. Again, you’ll be ignored.
- Don’t overuse hashtags (#). Yes, adding a hashtag to your Tweets can sometimes make it easier for other to stumble across them and make them available to a larger, ongoing conversation. However, adding more than two hashtags makes your Tweet look stupid, spammy, and mindless. If your Tweets are relevant, people will notice. Over-hashtagging just comes across as amateurish and annoying. Don’t do it.
- Don’t RT someone’s RT who is sending a RT from someone else. You know what this is? It’s the equivalent of getting an email that contains the subject line of “FW: FW; FW: FW: FW: Funny Picture!” I don’t open those emails because I know it’s probably not that funny and possibly a virus. I don’t put much value in tweets that contain multiple “RTs”, either.
These are just some simple rules that, if followed, will help ensure that people take your Tweets a little more seriously. They will also keep you from getting a reputation as being annoying or a spammer. As I said, the upside to Twitter is massive and if used correctly, it can add great value to your marketing efforts. You just have to think before you Tweet.
-Dan Cheek
LaserBurnMedia.com
dan@laserburnmedia.com
Twitter.com/LaserBurnMedia
(570)795-9467
