The question I often get asked is “Who even understands the why of Twitter for Business in Australia?”. It’s not surprising really, after all if you consider the fact that its active user base in Australia is considered to be only 2.8 million users versus Facebook’s 15 million, I can understand businesses being hesitant in throwing a lot of resources behind it.
That being said, it is another tool in your tool kit and has its place like any other. I mostly find Twitter is at its best when you are using it to actively network and start the conversation with interesting people on the platform. Which of course means you are not limited to Australia. I have personally found Twitter to be a valuable asset in a number of ways especially when travelling or attending conferences and event.
If you are going to embark on using Twitter for business. then there are 3 key elements to a successful Twitter strategy, and they almost always work best if adopted from a personal account.
1. Be selective about how you build your network.
Some years ago I had made it a habit to follow people doing interesting things in the world of Social Media and key persons of interest. In 2014 it turned out one of them Nick Kellet, Co-Founder at Listly, was in town from Canada, and so I set up a lunch with a bunch of local Social Media people from around Adelaide. It took all of 15 minutes to pull together 10 of us for an informal lunch, many of whom I hadn’t met face to face before, but who have become great resources since. More importantly the entire thing was done on Twitter.
2. Share content that has a purpose
Note here that the purpose can not always be marketing, because then your account becomes like any other account. That being said, it is useful and helpful to engage in the small talk (or Tweet!) of relationship building. Whether it is sharing an article that answers a Twitter friend’s query or simply letting us know where the best place is to get coffee on the weekend – it all adds to the rich tapestry that is the Twitterverse. In between that, if you spend time producing original content and blogs then by all means share them. Twitter is one of the best circulation mediums that there is.
All of the normal aspects of content marketing apply its just that it is likely to have greater impact if it is spiced up with some aspects of who you are and what you are about.
3. Be ready to help out wherever you can.
Twitter is best known for the many groundswell, grass roots campaigns that have been born out of diversity and have showcased some of the best that humanity has to offer. It can also be bloody horrible or wildly funny. In amongst all of this though, the most successful users of the platform seem to be motivated less about securing a sale (this is a happy by-product of strong relationships) and more about how they can help, There is a pretty well known quote by Ivan Misner founder of Business Networking International that says “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care“, and it is very true.
So, what is step one to start dominating Twitter? It certainly helps to have a following and some people to talk to, so here are 3 ways to get started:
1. Start by playing with the ‘Who to follow’ section.
Whilst not an exact science, the more active you are on Twitter and the more you Tweet, the better this will get at dishing up good accounts to follow.
2. Find your business associates and friends on Twitter.
You can do this the old fashioned way and just ask them what their Twitter handle is, or use the search function and track them down.
3. Use something like Twiends to find your tweeps.
This is a great platform allowing you to find people with similar interests to yours provided you fill in your own interests.
Most importantly like any platform it is really only going to work for you if you enjoy using it. It may even pay to check out our earlier blog on DISC Personality profiles and Social Media, because Twitter certainly isn’t for everyone, but it is definitely a valuable add-on for those prepared to put in the time to master it and use it regularly.
If you want to connect with me, head on over to @SimoneDoulasSM and don’t forget our company account @SocialMediaAOK – just make sure you tell us where your favourite coffee spots are wherever you may live, we’re highly caffeinated people!