The Benefits Of Twitter – From a Twitter Expert! November 14 2013 / Posted By: Melissa Priest
Twitter seems to be the social media platform that people either love or hate. It’s also the one that people find most confusing. They don’t get it and don’t understand why people use it. They hear words like ‘hashtag’ and ‘retweet’ and run for the hills.
Then you have others who totally get it, and to them Twitter is their social media platform of choice. One of those Twitter lovers is Twitter ‘super-user’ Corinne Paterson. I worked with Corinne Paterson (or CP as she was affectionately known :)) back when Twitter was really taking off in Australia, and she has always been a Twitter evangelist. I sat down with CP to try and pick her Twitter brain in order to shed some light for those non-believers………
How long have you been using Twitter and what made you get started?
I was working in the banking industry in 2009 and one banking journalist at the time wrote about how the major banks were using Twitter. I was already addicted to Facebook and didn’t want to join Twitter and become addicted to another social network. Suffice to say, I joined Twitter. I started using Twitter by creating a Twitter list of bankers. Being a parent and time poor, I use Twitter as my RSS feed to find out what was happening with the competition. For example, in 140 characters I can find out from the banking industry, whose internet banking system was down, what new products they were launching and see the responses they were giving to people who were asking questions on Twitter.
How often do you tweet and what are your tweets generally about?
Back in 2009 I watched what was being said and really didn’t tweet too much. I would recommend that to anyone new on Twitter. But after meeting IRL (in real life) Newcastle and Lake Macquarie tweeps over the past few years at #newcastlecoffee or #lakemaccoffee and other tweet-ups, I now tweet a few times a day. If I am going to a special event or conference I will tweet more and use the event’s hashtag.
A hashtag is a unique name for the event with the hash symbol at the beginning e.g. #SXSW. So anyone can tweet and add the hashtag to their tweet. It makes it easier to see what people are saying or understanding about the event. Be careful though, if the event is boring everyone to tears, they will probably tweet about being bored and include the hashtag. I once went to an event with a hashtag so long that a few of us in the audience made a unanimous vote to change it to something simpler.
On a lighter side about the tweets I do, I love sharing the funny stories about being a parent, but incase the kids want to sue me in later years, I won’t use their real names.
How would you explain what Twitter is to someone who knew nothing about it?
A SMS length message not sent to one person but to multiple people over social media.
I’ve heard people say ‘why would I need Twitter when I have Facebook’, what would you say to those people?
Set up a Twitter account for your business to safeguard your company or brand name. You don’t want someone to highjack your name and start tweeting nasty stuff using your brand. I am sure your friends are saying what they think about a company on Facebook now. Perhaps the retailer who provided bad service. You probably notice other of your friends adding their thoughts about that retailer too. The retailer may have lost one customer or perhaps a few that day. The retailer has no idea, no ability to respond.
But if this was being said on Twitter, the retailer can be alerted if they set up a Twitter brand mention search. The company responds and hopefully can diffuse before it escalates.
As a business owner create a private Twitter list and add all of your competition. Watch what they are tweeting. Are they responding to their company mentions? Are they having conversations with others? Learn what works.
Rotate the role of working on Twitter around your business if you have staff. Your whole team can learn about using Twitter. Don’t leave it to the 20 something in the office because you think they might like social media.
Send out tweets that are useful to your customers or potential customers. If you are a cake shop, post up images of new cakes you are baking. If you are a shoe retailer hint about the new range and give sneak previews. If you are handbag manufacturer and you have a new range of handbags, offer prizes to your customers who photograph themselves our with one of your purchased handbags. If people ask questions or have issues, be up front and answer. If you need to provide more details, ask them to direct message (DM) you with their contact details.
Can you talk us through some of the do’s and don’ts and etiquette associated with Twitter?
Don’t use Twitter to send out marketing spam for your company. You will loose credibility and people will unfollow you quickly. Don’t worry about how few people are following you in comparison to your competition.
Anyone who makes the effort to follow you, view their profile and follow back. Do a few checks of them first to make sure they are REAL.
Set up a few saved searches, like your company name and check them daily. There are monitoring services you can invest money in but initially, set up a Twitter search and Google alert. You might want to set up a few benchmark competitor searches too.
Customise your Twitter image, header image and background. Make your Twitter page feel like your company. Twitter has all of the instructions in its help section.
If your business is local make a note to listen to what is being said locally. Start following local businesses and people to see what they are saying. You might get leads or build up your network of people to know.
Can you tell us about any memorable stories associated with Twitter? Such as friendships made, funny tweets, brushes with celebrity etc?
I have found many people to share great recipes with, received heads about new local restaurants, shared photos and social issue chatter with local, national or international Tweeps. I have had Twitter discussions with quite a few book authors about their books. I have asked questions to celebrity chefs about their recipes and had replies. I have met a number of local members of Council and Government because of Twitter. I have had my voice heard. I have had tweets that were retweeted around the world on the topic of banking (of all things). One of my tweets about generic milk on the shelves in supermarkets had the supermarket contacting me. I have learned and had conversations with local radio media that I would have been way to apprehensive to approach if it not were for twitter. I ask questions and the Google that is Twitter answers. Well most of the time. I have built up my professional and social network and this will sound naff but I have found my tribe.
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THANKS CP!
If you really want to see how it’s done on Twitter, follow Corinne (@corinnepaterson) and watch and learn! While you’re there, follow us – @web_esc!