So you've heard that Twitter is a great tool for connecting with customers in ways that haven't been previously possible. But you still don't get it, right?
As Steven Berlin Johnson wrote in his Time Magazine cover story on Twitter in June, "The one thing you can say for certain about Twitter is that it makes a terrible first impression." The service allows you to send 140-character updates to your "followers," he writes, "and you think, Why does the world need this, exactly?"
Not only doesn't it make obvious sense, but it's also marked by protocols and terms that can be perplexing to anyone new to Twitter. With a hat tip to Forrester's Jeremiah Owyang for inspiration, below is a comprehensive field guide to Twitter for business.
1. What is Twitter?
Twitter is a free social-messaging tool for staying connected in real-time. It is sometimes called a "micro-blogging service" that enables its users to send and read other users' short (140-character) updates, known as tweets.
2. I don't get it... What's the value?
Twitter by itself makes little sense. Its real value comes in following others and having them follow you. When you are connected to people you know or want to know, or with whom you have something in common, the platform can offer a rich experience.
3. Why does everyone talk about what they ate for lunch?
The flexibility and openness of Twitter sometimes makes for inane conversation and comment. But answering the Twitter question "What are you doing now?" isn't necessarily the most effective way to use the tool. Instead, answer the question, "What's important to me?" or (better yet) "What's important to my followers?" Also... engage in dialog, ask questions, and using the reply feature answer the questions of others.
4. Why is Twitter 140 Characters?
Twitter integrates well with mobile devices, and 140 characters is the size limit of mobile text messages using SMS.
5. So Twitter is just a communications tool?
Yes, Twitter is a communications tool. But sharing information on Twitter means engaging in dialogue, and from that perspective Twitter becomes a source for creating a unique online community for your organization. It's "unique" because as an organization you determine whom you follow on Twitter and who you want to follow you back.
6. How do I find people to follow that might like my product/service?
With Twitter's "Find People" function you can search by name, word (think about your SEO terms), location name, and more. Other great tools:
- Twellow: The Twitter Yellow Pages
- Mr. Tweet: Beware of the tweet they send, it's a bit spammy.
- #Hashtags: Great for following up on and keeping track of conversations.
7. What are retweets and hashtags? How can I use them?
A retweet (RT) is like forwarding an email. Because not everyone has the same community (followers) on Twitter, retweeting a tweet spreads that shared information across multiple communities. Hashtags are used to keep track of conversations that are happening within Twitter.
8. How do I reply to a Tweet?
When you see someone's tweet, there's a small "arrow" next to their tweet. If you feel like responding to them, click that arrow and it will automatically load their name into the text box. Type your answer in 140 characters and submit. Using the reply feature will make conversations easier to track and find.
9. What's a "DM"?
DM stands for "direct messages." One person can privately message another person by using the DM messaging system. You can DM only users who are following you. You may hear individuals say "DM me for details about [whatever]," suggesting the user wants to take the discussion private.
10. What does "RT" or "Retweet" mean?
One of the greatest aspects of Twitter is how quickly word-of-mouth spreads globally. If a user thinks another user's tweet is interesting, she or he may choose to repeat, or "retweet," or "RT," what that person says.
11. Do I need to respond to everyone who sends me a tweet?
If someone is speaking directly to you, not responding is akin to ignoring someone. If someone retweets your tweet, saying thank you is a nice thing to do. Again, there's no perfect answer here, but keep Emily Post in mind.
12. How can I tell whether someone is talking about my industry on Twitter?
One easy way is to use the search function within Twitter or use Twitter Search (search.twitter.com) to search on your company name, employee names, product names, and your SEO keywords. The search function within Twitter allows you to save your searches, and Twitter Search provides an RSS feature that allows you to save searches right your favorite reader.
13. Why aren't people following my Twitter account?
Well... ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I talking more than listening?
- Am I taking more than sharing?
- Have I given the community enough time to embrace my organization?
- Am I following a lot of people each day?
- Am I engaging people in conversation?
- Am I sharing valuable industry or educational information?
If you've answered "yes" to question 1 or 2, or "no" to any of the rest, you probably aren't engaging at a level the community expects.
14. Do I have to say anything? Can I just listen?
Yes. Engaging on Twitter doesn't mean just talking. It means listening, too, and monitoring Twitter for mentions of your brand or industry. A great tool for listening is Twitter Search.
15. Can anyone read my Tweets? Will Google index them?
Yes. Your tweets, if public, are published for anyone to see, including your family, your competitors, your boss—and Google. Think of Tweeting like any other kind of online publishing or blogging. If you're still concerned about privacy, make your tweets private, which means they will be visible only by those you follow. There are toggles on the Account page that allow you to select the "make my tweets private" option.
16. How many Twitter accounts can I have?
You can have as many as you want. Just know that each one will require the same level of engagement as the others. Unless, of course, your organization uses a Twitter account for broadcast messaging to share news, discounts, etc. (e.g., @DellChannel). Tools like TwitterFeed provide a way to auto-populate and send tweets.
17. How should I brand my company Twitter handle?
It depends on your objective. Make it clear in the profile what the objective is—customer support, news, questions, conversation, or a combination thereof. Some brands, such as Dell and Oracle, have employees who share the name of the brand (e.g., @richardatdell), which creates a unique hybrid brand. Some brands use the corporate handle and an "official spokesperson," such as @marketingprofs. Employees might create personal twitter accounts, and they may indicate their affiliation with their employer. In any case, set expectations and clarify the matter in the Twitter profile.
18. Why do I need to personalize my Twitter account? Can't I just have my brand?
Brands don't talk, people do. People want to know whom they are having a conversation with—knowing a person's name is always the first step in building a relationship.
19. Should I have business objectives for Twitter?
Yes! Twitter is a tool that could potentially be a part of your marketing or business plan. If you don't have objectives for using Twitter, how will you know whether you've been successful or might need to restructure your strategy?
20. How can a business use Twitter effectively?
There isn't a clear-cut answer for this one. Every organization will have unique needs and should determine what's best for it and its online community of customers, prospects, investors, employees, etc. before engaging on Twitter.
21. How can a business use Twitter efficiently?
There are a lot of tools to help organizations use Twitter efficiently, including TweetDeck, Twhirl, SocialToo, HootSuite, and CoTweet. Here are a couple of posts on most of the available tools:
22. What is "broadcasting?"
Broadcasting is when organizations share a lot of information (usually about themselves) without engaging in conversation.
23. What's wrong with using Twitter to broadcast?
There's nothing wrong with it, if it's effective. You might be wondering, then, "how do I know if it's effective." See Question No. 2. Also, your community will let you know if it's effective by either unfollowing or following your organization. For some organizations, like CNN and Dell, having a broadcasting channel on Twitter works just fine and fits within their marketing and social-media strategy.
24. I've heard about TwitterHawk and am considering it, any tips?
TwitterHawk is a tool that lets organizations monitor Twitter conversations by keyword. One of the drawbacks to TwitterHawk is that it can send an auto-Tweet based on keyword. That can feel a bit spammy and can freak people out.
25. What's the best way to use link shorteners like Ow.ly, TinyURL and Twurl?
Because Twitter is limited to 140-characters, you want to reduce those long links as much as possible. Tools like TinyURL and is.gd are great for that.
It's also a good idea to measure, monitor, and analyze your shared links. Tools like Ow.ly, Cligs, bit.ly, and Tweetburner let you do just that.
26. What is a Tweetup?
A Tweetup is an offline meet-up of people who engage on Twitter. Tweetups are a great way to meet people and get to know them better offline.
27. I've read that I should share personal information on Twitter. Why is that necessary as a professional?
Well, some people don't really care if you went to the gym or ate a donut... but getting a glimpse into who you are as a person helps to build business relationships. It works just like offline business development. If you know your customer likes golf, you might suggest a golf outing. If you know your customer is having a birthday, you might call and wish them a happy birthday. It works in reverse, too. Customers like to know whom they are dealing with and prefer to develop a relationship based on trust; sharing a bit about yourself is one way to do that.
28. What about mobile phone applications? Which one should I use?
A huge number of Twitter apps are available, but selecting the right one is really a matter of personal choice. A sizable selection of them is reviewed here, or you can just follow our lead and use Tweetie for the iPhone (Ann) or Twitterberry on the Blackberry (Beth).
29. WOW! This is a lot. Is there a way to manage Twitter easily?
There sure is! Seesmic Desktop, Tweetdeck, and Twhirl allow you to interface with Twitter in an easier manner. You can see all of your followers' tweets, get replies and direct messages, and follow or unfollow people. You can also create groups (for your favorite people) and searches (to keep an eye on keywords and mentions). They do a lot more, but that should be enough to get you heading in the right direction.
Other Twitter Resources
Follow Ann Handley (twitter.com/marketingprofs) and Beth Harte (twitter.com/bethharte) on Twitter.
Got more questions? Or answers? Please add them below via comments.
