Struggling to attract new followers or engagement? Not getting enough clickthroughs or bookings for that all important event? Start tweeting! Social media has the power to harness relationships and build successful marketing campaigns in a matter of days. Whether you’re a business or consumer, Twitter offers an ocean of opportunities which are essential in modern day marketing.
But Twitter does have some very clear dos and don’ts, which begs the question… why isn’t there a Twitter bible? Seriously, there’s a lot to be aware of!
Until that happens we have to learn from each other. So I’ve put together my Top 10 DON’TS when using Twitter:
Don’t show off. No one likes a bragger so don’t retweet everything good someone has to say about you or your business. We get it, you’re great, just don’t bang on about it!
Don’t forget your spelling. If you don’t know the difference between ‘they’re’, ‘their’ and ‘there’, ask someone who does. Not being able to spell properly screams out ‘I’m not professional’ – so get your content checked and corrected.
Don’t be boring. Using colour and exciting imagery will help your post stand out on your feed! How many times have you expected high amounts of engagement and yet received the bare minimum? Make it look exciting and people will read it.
Don’t hashtag a hashtag. One or two hashtags per tweet can increase engagements by 21% but any more than that have the opposite effect, so choose wisely.
Don’t be overtly ‘salesy’. Heavy sales pitches are big turn-offs so don’t over promote. Keep it discreet and don’t nag!
Don’t cut and paste onto Facebook. Far too often you see the same content but on different platforms. Not only are they completely different in terms of audiences and limitations, but it gets boring for people who follow you on them all! No one likes a bore.
Don’t keep promoting yourself – it’s not always you you you. Only 10% of your tweets should be self promotional or sales orientated. Twitter is about engaging with people and establishing relations, so ask followers questions, share interesting content and even jokes your followers might enjoy.
Don’t just follow for the sake of it. You’re looking for quality not quantity! If someone follows you, before following them back, check how relevant they are to your business. Will you actually engage with them? If not, why do it? If you don’t think they’ll add value, don’t follow.
Don’t steal someone’s thunder. When you share a link that has helped you, thank the person you retweeted – they’ll think better of you as a result, and that kind of loyalty can lead to sales.
Don’t take yourself too seriously. People are more likely to buy products and services from people they like, so make sure your tweets help to bring out your personality!
Rory is our award-winning apprentice, though he’s now fully trained and our SEO Assistant. Out of work, he’s usually in the gym to counteract the effects of the number of crumpets he eats every week...
