Twitter’s Role In Social Media Marketing
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010On the popular social network, microblogging and instant messaging platform, Twitter, users can post “tweets,” which are short, 140 character updates that other “Tweeters” can follow. Each tweet is prompted with “What’s happening?” but tweets have become active conversations rather than passive descriptions of day-to-day happenings. They consist of links to interesting web content, real-time news updates, music, videos and photos. For businesses looking to break into the world of social media marketing, Twitter can be an invaluable resource.
Businesses who use Twitter as a portion of their social media marketing campaign have to do more than post coupons and mindless announcements. Twitter has more than 50 million tweets a day, so unless a business works hard to stay involved, their tweets will be lost to the Twitterverse. Use Twitter’s search function to find your target audience–the people who are regularly talking about your company’s keywords. Make sure your tweets contain searchable terms so users can also find you. Once you have captured an audience, be engaging. Pay attention to what users are talking about and regularly post solid information that shows off your expertise. As its name suggests, social media marketing is all about being social.
The more interesting and relevant your post is, the more likely it is to be retweeted. Retweeting is crucial to social media marketing campaigns because it allows your tweet to reach an untapped base of followers. If someone in this new exposure zone retweets it again, your post has the chance of becoming viral. So make sure your tweets are more than just text– post links to interesting blogs, little known news, articles and relevant videos so you`ll reach a broader audience.
Tweetups, which are in-person gatherings of Twitter users, can easily bump your social media marketing plan to a higher level. You’ll have a chance to strengthen current relationships, make new ones and network with people who are just as passionate as you are. Afterward, participants will post followup tweets that contain valuable industry insight. Tweetups give your business a face and a name and close the gap between the virtual and physical worlds.
Twitter is a very handy resource for social media marketing, but to be successful as possible, it should be used along with other social media services, such as YouTube, Flikr and Facebook. When used properly, Twitter can help create a far-reaching, well-rounded social media marketing campaign.
Prior to commencing your social media marketing campaign, be sure to check out this informative article about Twitter’s role in social media marketing.