If You Tweet, Don’t Ever Do This…

May 13th, 2009 by Julie Napieralski

There’s no denying that corporate interest in Twitter has skyrocketed. Companies have identified opportunities to use Twitter as a way to reach customers. And, in public relations, we’re seeing more and more mentions of Twitter in print and online media outlets. In fact, Cision predicts that the number of Twitter mentions among media outlets will double in the first half of this year.

So, if the concept of jumping on the tweetwagon is fluttering around in your mind lately, you’re not alone. We counsel our clients to take a strategic approach to their marketing and public relations efforts, and that includes defining a strategic process for engaging in social media. If Twitter is a sound social media strategy for your business, then keep in mind the following tips when getting started:

• Don’t dismiss the research phase. Make sure you understand the Twitter landscape in your industry (we call this “listening”) before you jump in head first. See how your friends and especially your competitors are using the medium so you can differentiate. Define a purpose for your tweets and stick to it.
• Don’t fall off the wagon. Twitter can be an effective way to reach your customers, but you have to stick with it. Dedicate resources and make a commitment.
• Don’t forget the conversation. Twitter is one more way for you to engage your customers in a conversation (i.e., two-way communication). Ask questions. Respond to feedback. Don’t spam with brand messaging.
• Don’t lose sight of social media ethics. While loosely defined (who can keep up?), there are some tried and true ethical guidelines for engaging in social media. Transparency, respect, and value are just few. For a good summation, read this.
• Don’t keep your tweets a secret. An essential for using Twitter as a marketing tool is to build a good following so you can engage customers and build a community. Make sure you have a plan for promoting your Twitter presence, but keep those ethical guidelines in mind as you develop your plan.

This entry was posted by Julie Napieralski on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 and is filed under Blogging, MF, Public Relations, Social Media, Social Networking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.