Twitter: a waste of time?

No doubt you have by now already been swarmed by people who want to give you advice on whether you –as a business- should use Twitter or not. Some say Twitter is indispensable to companies; others say Twitter is literally a waste of time.

Whether you feel the Twitter vibe or not, you should at least consider using Twitter to enhance your business. To help you -my dear readers- out, I’ll point out some absolute dos and don’ts.

Watch. Read. Act.
DON’T rush into things. Watch and learn and ask questions. It doesn’t make your look like and idiot; on the contrary people will be happily surprised you are human too.

Even the smallest twit deserves a plan
DO make a plan, be strategic. Begin small and keep the amount of friends equal to your amount off followers. When you feel you are getting the hang of it, evolve as you see fit.

Personal or business?
Off course you can use Twitter to encourage people to follow your blog or tell all your followers about new developments. Subtlety is, however, the key. DON’T just brag or put yourself in the spotlights all the time. Some people will easily be put off by that kind of childish behaviour. Lead people to your blog, your website, … as it is your territory, but keep business and pleasure well balanced. DO post interesting content, whether it has to do something with your company or not. Choose wisely and be strategic. Richard Branson (Virgin) is one of the guys that really gets it.

Surprise! Interaction comes both ways
Twitter is all about social interaction, so interact! If someone asks a question and you know the answer, DON’T hesitate and tweet. It flatters people to know that you actually care enough to answer. Please DO ask questions yourself. It shows you are human. It is also a good way to gather opinions. DON’T be afraid of criticism. The sooner you detect (possible) problems, the better. There’s a great interaction between Starbucks and (potential) costumers. Check it out!

Have a personality
Be personal. People generally do not only want to know what a company does, but also who is part of the company. Consequently your Twitter profile should tell something about the user. Comcast is a company that understood the importance of a personal approach. DO choose a good username. It is generally a good idea to have several staff members ‘infiltrate’ into Twitter. It is nice to have some diversity, besides, your colleagues won’t always find the time to tweet if they go for instance on holidays.

Greet Jansen