What exactly is Twitter?
Twitter is a free to use 'micro-blogging' website. Where a blog is an online version of a diary, Twitter is a more simplistic version of this. In fact, you are limited to writing just 140 characters. These messages are known as 'Tweets'.
Your Tweets are read by your 'followers', people with similar interests who have chosen to subscribe. Your Tweets then show up on their Twitter homepage. Likewise, you can choose to follow other people. Twitter will recommend similar people to you, or you can find people using a keyword-search.
Users are identified by an "@" sign in front of their username, such as @thebabofficial. You can aim a Tweet at someone by typing their username out like this, as it will then show the message on their homepage.
Why should I sign up?
Although famous for the many celebrities who use it, Twitter does make business-sense too. Unlike Facebook, which is dominated by young adults, Twitter's demographics show that it is used by older age groups. For example, users aged 35+ amount to 53% of Twitter's user base, compared to Facebook's 37%.
There is also a more distinct personal and business divide to Twitter. Users tend to be well-connected influencers who want to share opinions and be at the forefront of their industry. News spreads incredibly fast on Twitter, so you're likely to hear any main-stream and industry news there first.
It is of course important to justify the time put into a Twitter before starting, in addition to more traditional marketing and customer service channels already in place. For many, the motivation to be on Twitter is to converse with customers and monitor brand reputation. Others use it as a marketing megaphone, but the companies who simply push new deals or regurgitate press releases tend not to get much traction, and their time on Twitter is largely wasted as a result.
Getting started
Is that enough to convince you to get started? Fortunately, Twitter is very simple to join, and free too. You only need to provide basic information; your name, preferred username (such as your company name), a password and your email address.
Once signed up, you have the option to add a short 160 character biography to explain to followers who you are and what you will be 'Tweeting' about. You can also add a link to your website, ideally a related webpage.
You'll have the option to search for friends already on Twitter by allowing the website to search your email contacts. You can then choose to follow the people Twitter finds. You will also get some suggestions on who to follow on an ongoing basis, as Twitter adjusts its suggestions based on what you Tweet and what kind of people you follow.
What to Tweet
The most important thing to do when running a business-focused Twitter account is to stay on topic. Resist going off at a tangent, or worse still, start talking about your personal life! For ideas, take a look at what your competition is doing, as well as your followers. The accounts with lots of followers are clearly doing the right thing.
To help you stay on topic, you can always have different accounts. For example, as specialists in certification to quality, environmental, security, and health and safety standards, we have an account focused on each.
Twitter moves fast, so it's important to stay relevant and current. It's also wise to communicate quickly in a way that will grab attention. Don't forget, there are only 140 characters to work with!
If you can't get your message across in the space available, you can link to an expanded version on an external website. To save valuable characters, an URL shortener is essential. By creating an account with goo.gl, you can also track how many people click on the links you post too.
If you think someone you have followed has Tweeted something particularly useful or interesting, you can 'retweet' to your own followers. Don't get carried away, as it's important to be original, but popular retweets can result in you getting more followers.
Choosing who to follow
On Twitter, information flows to you, unlike a more traditional news website where you must seek information on your own. Having selected followers, information simply loads on your Twitter homepage.
First of all, try not to fall into the trap of following people you are interested in on a personal level. You can always set up a personal account for that; stick to following people related to your industry and Tweets.
It's good manners to follow someone who follows you. After all, if somebody walked into your shop, would you ignore them? So if they are Tweeting about similar topics, or they are an existing customer, follow back!
Generally though, don't get too excited with following. Following thousands of people will only create unnecessary 'noise' on your homepage, making it difficult to keep up with what everyone is saying. Ensure followers are of value to you, otherwise there is no point them being there.
It's worth reviewing who you follow once in a while. There is a third-party tool called 'Twittoria' for identifying no longer active accounts, so you can do some housekeeping. If you're only following people back to be polite, you can check they are still following you using the Friend or Follow tool.
Getting more followers
Naturally, the more followers you have, the better. This increases your exposure and influence, leading to surprising results, from fresh ideas, to new contacts, to lucrative new business deals.
The best way of getting more Twitter followers is through what you Tweet. Fresh news is likely to be retweeted by some of your followers, which can result in exposure to a much wider network of people. An opinion-dividing take on a news story may also get your followers interested. Engage with your followers by asking questions and direct Tweets at particular individuals if you think it is of interest to them.
Away from Twitter, make sure you are marketing your account. Include a link in your email signature, and existing Facebook or LinkedIn accounts, if you have them. There are also widgets available so that your latest tweets can be published on your website. You might also wish to have a 'Top Tweet' feature on your company e-newsletter.
Interested in further business advice? Then you can follow us on Twitter at our official account below.
The British Assessment Bureau's reputation was established in 1969 and we achieved pre-eminent status in 1997.
As well as providing certification to internationally recognised standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, we provide bespoke assessment services for people, services and organisations of all sizes.
For more information visit www.british-assessment.co.uk.
