If you follow me on social media, then you know that I was just at the Hubspot offices in Boston because I’m going to be included in a Hubspot Academy Twitter course which is set to launch in the fall. I’m so excited about this opportunity and I will share more details soon.
Because of this, I’ve decided to highlight Twitter in this post. I love the power of Twitter, and in this post I’ll be sharing three overlooked ways to maximize Twitter for your business.
First, let’s review some of the basics…
In my opinion, Twitter is the most social of all the social media networks.
You can do things like share images and videos, tag accounts, and go live – but the one thing you can do on Twitter more easily than other social media networks is that you can find and engage in conversations.
This makes Twitter a powerhouse for social listening, building relationships and finding your target audience. If you’re not sure what to do on Twitter, or need some guidance, here are key fundamentals that I recommend:
- Tweet every day – Aim for three times per day. These don’t have to all be original tweets. You can retweet others, and retweet others along with your own comments as well. There are so many subjects you can tweet about or create tweets from. Think about pulling quotes, industry statistics, quick tips etc.
- Respond to all your notifications – This is a fairly obvious one, but it’s still often overlooked.
- Engage with others – Do a search for topics related to your brand, and join in relevant conversations. Remember to search for your brand on Twitter to find anyone who’s mentioned you, but not tagged you.
- Pin important tweets to the top of your profile – This will help you generate maximum exposure for your key messages
Now for those of you who are using Twitter on a regular basis, but want to get a little more from your efforts, here are three ways to maximize Twitter for your brand or business:
1. Leverage Videos
Video has taken off on every social media network – and Twitter is no exception.
There’s huge opportunity to use videos to maximize Twitter for your business, because not everyone is creating videos on or for Twitter.
Creating video content can be easy – there’s now a huge range of apps which enable you to stitch together even basic images and words to create great looking video content. Remember that your videos don’t have to be super jazzy – our cell phones can create great videos. And don’t forget that there are also ways to repurpose your content from other networks on Twitter.
You can also go live from your Twitter account.
2. Participate in Twitter Chats
Twitter chats are some of the quickest and easiest ways to interact and engage with your target audience, and maximize Twitter for your business.
There are Twitter Chats on just about everything – and if there isn’t one in your niche, why not try starting one?
To utilize Twitter chats, first, get to know your audience, then figure out which chats they’re participating in. You can then head along and join in those chats.
Don’t sell or push your links using the chat hashtag – because that’s rude – but actually take the time to be a part of the conversation and add value.
3. Participate in real-time marketing opportunities/trending hashtags
A great way to maximize Twitter for business is to take advantage of real-time marketing opportunities.
What do I mean by that?
Here’s where trending topics and trending hashtags come into play. Keep an eye out for local happenings, TV shows, or hashtag trends on Twitter which relate to your brand. You can then tap into the rising conversation with thematic, related updates.
BONUS: Remember to get creative and show your personality. The better you know your own brand, and your customers, the more connections you can make between which parts of your personality you can show, and what will resonate. Remember, Twitter also has built-in GIFs, polls and other tools to help your account stand out.
A version of this post was first published on Dhariana Lozano’s blog.
