How to use Twitter to engage with clients
Want to make the most of your interactions on Twitter? Read these top tips on how to actively engage your followers.
While not yet having the mass appeal of Facebook, with about 80 million worldwide users compared to Facebook’s 500 million, Twitter has been the social media success story of recent years, helped by the enthusiastic endorsement of journalists and celebrities.
Twitter’s success lies in its openness. Whereas Facebook requires users to ‘friend’ someone before viewing their profile, Twitter updates are (mainly) open for all to see, making it very appealing for brands looking to promote themselves.
- Don’t be cryptic
With only 140 characters at your disposal, it’s often tricky to get ideas across, but being clear and concise is crucial in keeping your followers engaged.
- Give followers a reason to click your link
Include a link in your tweets whenever possible and keep your tweets interesting to encourage click-throughs.
- Convey your personality through your tweets
Don’t be afraid to use a lighter tone on Twitter. The more approachable you are, the more likely you are to build relationships with your followers.
- Create lists of key people in your industry or useful contacts
Use Twitter Lists to put together useful groups of relevant people. This will help you build links with these influencers and will also act as a useful resource for your followers.
- Respond to replies quickly
If someone directs a message at you on Twitter, do your best to respond as quickly as possible. Even you don’t know the answer or need to find more information, you can still set expectations. - Link Twitter to your web analytics service
Use web analytics to identify what drives traffic and how effective or likely this traffic is to convert.
- Retweet interesting content
Embrace your community and if one of your followers tweets something interesting, retweet it to your followers. Add a comment for extra points!
- Ask questions
One of the best ways to encourage engagement with your followers is by asking questions. Why not get feedback on your latest product/service or ask for content ideas for your blog?
- Be flexible
Don’t just tweet about the same thing – the best brands on Twitter provide a good balance of different tweets – some serious and some promotional, but others that are lighter in tone and give a more human side to the company.
- Pimp your profile
Use your company colours and putting together a bespoke background – keep your Twitter profile consistent with your company branding to make it feel more credible.
This article is an extract from 'Putting the 'social' into social media', a guide to how companies can use social media marketing, compiled by Wildfire PR.
- If you enjoyed this article, you might also be interested in Social Media for Accountants - Creating your Online Professional Network, a half day CPD workshop hosted by our sister site, PracticeWEB. The event takes place on 22 September in London. Click here for more information and to buy tickets.
