No Time to Tweet?
Leadamo Academy suggests why this is big mistake in contemporary business practice and why a company twitter policy is essential.
Leadamo Academy writes a lot about Twitter. For a social media platform that only allows 140 characters there is much to say.
All the social media advisers wax lyrical about the power of tweeting but for many businesses, especially small ones it’s difficult to harness its power. Most don’t even have a company twitter policy
Skilled tweeters can encapsulate a feeling
Why is this? What started out as a quick status update that had little relevance we thought, has morphed into soundbite city! Skilled tweeters can encapsulate a feeling, a breaking news event, a revolution, the essence of a company philosophy in 140 characters. Not only that they can sustain a Twitter campaign so it builds into something that epitomizes the way a company goes about its business. In fact Twitter is probably more powerful than a company brochure and requires a thoughtful company twitter policy.
If your company Tweets once in a blue moon it says something about your attitude
How did that happen did this happen? Well, customer engagement is now considered a mainstay of twenty first century business practice. If your company Tweets once in a blue moon it says something about your attitude. Inconsistent execution is the new SM sin! It goes further than this. If your content is all about you this egocentric approach also says much about your attitude to customers. Actually we are only interested in selling. Who wants to read: ‘Hey, we’re great and you’d better buy our product!’ The typical reaction is probably: ‘Says who?’
Your aim is to solve problems, offer solutions, please and improve someone’s life one way or another. Whatever brand, product or service you are selling isn’t that the bottom line? Isn’t that the reason a company twitter policy is vital?
If social media is definitely not your thing there is no shame in outsourcing. There are ways to do this. You can hire a social media manager; you can get trained. The latter is probably the most cost effective way as afterwards you can cascade your knowledge and even if you hire a social media manager you will know just what you are hoping they can achieve.
A Tweet may be only 140 characters but all those tedious English lessons practicing précis apply here.
You are filleting the very best bits that make your message clear, exciting, concise and clickable. Just like a product on a supermarket shelf has a split second to shout ‘Buy me’ a Tweet is the same. Except of course even with this analogy it’s not that simple.
Your tweets must engage. Next time you scroll through tweets make a note of which ones appeal to you and suggest why. Here are a few things to look out for:
Think Before You Tweet For Business
- The same niche (I am interested in what interest syou. That’s where the hash tag is helpful) Click
- It includes a pertinent truism that stops you and elicits a positive response (Oh, how true, I agree!) Click
- It’s news breaking (Oh I’d better check that out) Click
- It’s funny (That’s cheered me up I must RT)Click
- It talks directly to you and offers an answer to a need (I was just looking for one of those) Click
- It’s surprising (Really, well, I never knew that! I must investigate) Click
- It’s exciting ( Hey, must get one, read it, watch it, feel it, wear it!) Click
- It’s cute (Awww – hate these myself but there you go!) Click
We are sure there are many others you might want to add to the list. Just think before you tweet, is this the very best I can do? Do these 140 characters add to the company’s marketing campaign or are they just fluff?
Do you have a policy for company tweets? If you don’t have, then now it’s time. If you want to read about why a social media platform like Twitter is so seminal to business then read ‘WTF of business? Brian Solis