May 3, 2013
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Retweet If You Agree
Although Twitter first appeared on the web nearly 7 years ago, there are still many of us trying to figure out how we can use it. I have some simple ideas that once understood will help you and your business use Twitter to get results.
Twitter is an interest network, so you’ve got to keep your followers interested. Tweets that contain an image link have 2X the amount of interaction than those without. Shorter tweets hold attention better as well. Tweets that are 100 characters or less receive 17% higher interaction than longer tweets.
Timing during the week, or even the day, can increase your engagement with followers. Engagement with brand tweets increases 17% on the weekends, and 30% when tweeted between 8am and 7pm.
Only about a quarter of tweets use hashtags, yet tweets with hashtags receive 2X more engagement than those without hashtags. Additionally, tweets with only one or two hashtags receive 21% more engagement than those with three or more hashtags. Once tweeters use more than two hashtags engagement actually drops nearly 20%.
The retweet is an easy measurement of engagement, so tweet something people would want to share. When a tweet asks followers to retweet, they receive about 12X higher retweet rates. When you ask for followers to “Retweet” (by spelling it out) rather than “RT,” the retweet rate increases roughly 20X.
Even with the best of intentions, it is easy to make embarrassing and even costly mistakes on Twitter. Here are a few more do’s and do not’s that will keep you up to par with twitter style and etiquette. Here’s a simple list of ideas and Twitter Do’s and Don’ts list.
Twitter Do’s and Don’ts #welldone vs. #mybad
Do: Share interesting content such as a link to an interesting picture, or article that is pertinent to why you have a Twitter account. Don’t: Share pictures of food, or continuously post photos telling us what you have for lunch.
Do: Double check which account you are posting on, spelling, and grammar to ensure all content is sending the appropriate message. There is no blinding the eyes of your followers once you’ve tweeted. Don’t: Accidently post a personal comment on a company Twitter account that looks unprofessional, unrelated, or embarrassing.
Do: Post at a consistent pace, perhaps once a day or a few times a week, at a decent hour of the day. Don’t: Post a million posts all at one time, or at 3 am when no one is awake.
Do: Use a professional title and bio that is related to how you’re using Twitter. Don’t: Give yourself a dorky title that is a dead giveaway that you don’t know what you are doing i.e. ‘social media guru’ or ‘social media ninja.’
Do: Occasionally use keywords and phrases that will help people search for you and will link search results to your account. Don’t: Stuff every single tweet with the same overused keywords.
Do: Liven up your bio and tweets in a fun yet professional way. Don’t: Be résumé boring and formal.
This is Twitter! A fun, new, and fresh way to sell your ideas and interests to a new generation. Professional appearance can still be obtained in a fun, lighthearted, and interesting setting. Finding ways to be entertaining and fascinating is a creative challenge that is becoming increasingly necessary in the Internet world of today.
The Twitter mold has no real rules, but there are simple ways to get greater results. So explore the options of your account and improve your tweeting skills and influence.
How do you use Twitter?