I am relatively new to Twitter so I realize from the outside, Twitter may look like a place where people you don’t want to know talk about things you couldn’t possibly be interested in; however, from the inside, it’s clear that Twitter is actually a place where people you just haven’t met yet point out cool things you didn’t know you were missing. That’s not to say there aren’t people who come online to vent about their lives or send sales SPAM; but, from what I’ve experienced so far, those people are in the Twitter minority. If you want to join in creating (and enjoying) this atmosphere, though, it’s important to remember that your tweets are not really about you.
Here are a few examples …
First, the status update (which asks “what are you doing?” or “what’s happening?”) doesn’t actually mean you should write that you’re eating a sandwich or that it’s raining outside. Instead, you’re supposed to tell the world why they should care about what you’re doing or how whatever is happening around you impacts them. For your company, this is also true. Especially for those using scheduled tweeting options, you aren’t supposed to repeatedly tweet that your company is selling products/services but instead you should remember to focus on your target audience’s interests and send tweets on behalf of your company that can add value to their lives.
Next, there are daily holidays like follow Friday, tout Tuesday, whatido Wednesday, and more. These holidays provide an opportunity to promote your friends (as well as yourself) but, again, the point is not really to say who you like, instead, you should say why other people need to know your friends too. Furthermore, when you do talk about yourself, don’t forget to ask about others (it’s just polite) and go a step further by promoting them too (by retweeting and commenting on their personal statements).
Finally, Twitter chats offer an opportunity for the Twitter community to come together at specific times to discuss specific topics (often in a Q+A format). The guest experts who inspire the most participation (and receive the most buzz as a result) are not necessarily the ones with the most interesting topics. Instead, the best guests are the ones with the most engaging questions that provoke audience members to discuss their own opinions as well. Whether you are the chat’s main guest or simply a participant, consider your thoughts before you tweet them and only do so if they will add value to progress the conversation.
Like I said, I just joined Twitter a few months ago but in that time I have learned a lot. Even though I wouldn’t consider myself a Twitter expert, I wanted to share one of the most important business principles this experience has reinforced. Whether you’re communicating with your target audience on Twitter, another social media site, or in your regular life, to fully maximize the opportunity, it’s important to note that it’s not really about you. I hope these examples from my time on Twitter will remind you to focus on your audience (instead of yourself) to improve your business communications.
Robyn Davis - Owner, When I Need Help (WINH)
Robyn helps exhibitors improve their results at conventions and trade shows by providing on-site sales and marketing support, pre-/post-event consulting services, and convenient products. Contact Robyn to discuss your situation today!
