Best Practices for Twitter and Fast Opinion

Joe Weinlick
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Many companies turn to their communications and media teams to handle social media interactions as well as other PR duties. Your company's social media strategy can be just as important as its business and marketing plans when it comes to retaining and attracting customers. Twitter and other social media outlets have established a set of best practices for businesses on their platforms, and these Twitter tips can help ensure you get the most out of your social media strategy.

Content is king online, and Twitter reminds users to create compelling and engaging tweets. This doesn't mean that you need to be long-winded. According to a report by Buddy Media, tweets that contain less than 100 characters are 17 percent more likely to produce engagement with followers. Your social media strategy should include using tweets to convey information about your current and upcoming goods or services as well as interact with your company's followers. As a communications or media professional, it falls on you to present the face of the company online and through traditional channels.

Other Twitter tips include tweeting often and during times that your readers are likely to be paying attention. Twitter suggests tweeting three to five times per day and keeping your messages timely. Old news is less likely to encourage engagement, and news delivered while your followers are sleeping may not be seen. You should strive to understand the conventions of the Twitter social media platform. Tag users in posts and use hashtags to add to discussions of relevant events.

A solid social media strategy involves interaction as well as content creation. Address incoming messages as quickly as possible, especially when the tweeter has tagged your username. The ability to share fast opinions with others in real time is one of the great benefits of social media. Posts are often visible to the public, and what you say can dramatically affect the opinions of many of your followers. If you tweet for lawyers or other businesses with exceptional confidentiality agreements, take care to follow legal guidelines as well as Twitter etiquette. Work to ensure that cooler tempers prevail when you must face public criticism of your business, just as you would in offline media.

Using Twitter effectively should form a significant part of your social media strategy. By supplying followers with excellent content in a timely fashion and responding quickly to questions or concerns, you can turn it into a powerful marketing and promotional tool for your business. Remember that you are the face of the company when engaging in social media, and strive to ensure that you put your best foot forward at all times. Your tweets and other online communications should be part of a solid social media strategy aimed at interacting with consumers and building your brand image.

(Photo courtesy of MR LIGHTMAN / freedigitalphotos.net) 

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