You Are What You Tweet - The Do's and Don'ts of Corporate Tweeting

Posted Friday, 31 July 2009  |  Category:  All things web  |  Comments  | 

It's official – twitter is no longer optional! Companies large and small are using twitter to connect with
customers, strengthen relationships, humanize their brand and manage large-scale marketing campaigns. When used correctly, twitter can be an excellent addition to your social media toolbox.

In this article, we cover the do's and don'ts of corporate tweeting for those starting off with this tool.

First off:

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a free online micro-blogging platform that allows you to post public messages 140 characters at a time. The brevity of messages as well as the immediacy of information sharing makes it a very unique communication tool. Twitter reached new heights of popularity in April 2009, when it was hyped up by the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Oprah Winfrey, and later featured on the cover of Time. Over a short period, it reached an unprecedented growth rate, gaining the reputation as the fastest growing online community.

So let's begin...

1. Don’t let your twitter page become a running informercial on your business

Resist the temptation to treat twitter like any other advertising medium – it doesn’t work that way. Twitter is designed for relationship building. The most successful corporate accounts provide insights and value to the general listener. This involves tweeting about the industry at large, sharing links to useful articles, providing commentary on topical events and starting conversations with your followers.

Now and then, inject a marketing-based tweet about yourself – a link to a web update, information on upcoming promotions and additions to your service portfolio.

A well accepted ratio is one tweet about yourself for every 6 tweets about the industry:

2. Customize your twitter page

Show you’re serious about twitter by customizing your brand presence. This involves:
- customizing your avatar (thumbnail)
- developing a custom twitter background
- writing a short but effective bio
- adding your web link
- including contact details for more info

The jury's still out whether corporate accounts should have logo or photo avatars.

Logos are preferred for accounts that are updated by multiple employees:

… while photos are seen as more personal:

However, if your logo is short enough, you can go for a hybrid approach:

3. Get to know the system  

Get to know the ins and outs of twitter. It might take a while to catch up on the twitter lingo, however there are excellent resources to get you started, ranging from a twitter dictionary, to twitter’s very own business starter guide (more resources below).
 

4. Provide commentary, not just links

Whenever you share information, provide your own views on the matter. This humanizes the reader experience and gives others a glimpse into your corporate culture:

The dry version

The lively version

5. Make it personal, not just business 

Now and then, inject a non-business related tweet in your feed. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, is a great example of how twitter can be used to create positive brand equity. He has a fun and engaging twitter feed, often sharing personal information with a humorous spin:

To date, he has more than one million followers on twitter.

He shares on The Inquisitr:

Twitter is really just a great way for employees and customers to see that we are real people, and it makes the relationship a lot more personal, which is what we ultimately want people to feel about the Zappos brand.

Another way to personalize your brand is to share "behind the scenes" info on your company or twitpics of internal events.
 

6. Share the love

Twitter is all about reciprocating. Brands that don't reciprocate can be seen as snobby and elitist.

Compare Hillary Clinton's feed, who followed 0 people during her campaign, to Obama's account which follows back a large percentage of its readership:

Even though Obama's follow back is probably automated by an app like TweetLater, this gesture makes the fan feel very special.

You can share the love by:
- Following others back when they follow you
- Retweeting others when they say something interesting
- Recommending others within your community
- Thanking others publicly when they retweet you

7. Promote your feed

Gain followers by advertising your twitter page via existing marketing channels - embed a feed on your website or blog, link to it in your email signature, include it in your skype profile and even print it on your business cards. 

8. Ration your tweets  

Too much tweeting is seen as "spammy", especially if it is repetitive. Research shows that users appreciate 6 tweets or less a day – thereafter your readership becomes annoyed. To maximize your tweet exposure, communicate during peak business hours when your clients are online.

9. The bottom line

Once you follow the "rules" of twitter, the marketing possibilities are endless! You can use twitter to:

- post links to updates on your website and blog
- give away exclusive product coupons
- share information about upcoming promos and company events
- share photos (via twitpic) of product launches and newly arrived stock
- post interesting "outside of work" stories
- promote your project with a sneak peek or free download
- use twitter search and tweetbeep to find out what others are saying about your brand
- hold competitions and polls
- use twitter for instant customer support (as istockphoto does well)

There are many inspiring case studies on how brands are engaging with the medium. Dell, for example, attributes more than $3 million of their revenue to Twitter campaigns. Another study found that brands engaged with social media have a higher profitability rate (average annual increase of 18%) compared to brands that are least engaged in social media.

10. To summarize the key elements:

1. Sign up for twitter here.
2. Brand your page.
3. Tweet 5-6 times a day, but provide value.
4. Be authentic - offer opinions on matters and share non-business news from time to time
5. Promote your feed via existing marketing channels
6. Use twitter for unobtrusive marketing campaigns
7. Have fun with it

PS. Connect with us on twitter here.
 

Additional resources on twitter

• Read about twitter tips straight from the horse's mouth
• Then delve into mashable's twitter guide
• Become familiar with the lingo
• See who the top 100 twitterers are