I love it when I can bring my favorite things together — in this case tweeting and blogging. Have my cake and eat it too? Awesome! The ideal scenario would be to use both channels in tandem to reciprocate interest in one another.
You should tweet to get readers, blog to get followers. If your blog’s build using Wordpress, there are some especially nifty tools you can tap into. The key to getting Twitter followers – I mean besides, of course, signing up for an account? Make it easy for for people to follow you.
So keep doing what you’re already doing and incorporate just these 3 tips to get the momentum going:
How can they follow thee? Let us count the ways:
1. Add Twitter’s widget to your blog (the right rail is a great spot for it) – show your readers what they’re getting themselves into before they take flight.
2. Add a Follow Me button — Sometimes all you have to do is ask. Add the request to all your posts and every page on your blog. Your “profile” and “about us” pages are especially good spots. Seriously, that little bird is soooo cute, who could say no?
3. Install the Twitter Tools plugin to sync up your activities across both channels. With features like automatical tweeting of every new post and the ability to tweet from within your WP dashboard, this is a must-have!
Happy Tweeting!
I LOVE HootSuite!
Maybe I’m a productivity junkie, or obsessive compulsive, perhaps a little narcissistic… the truth is that HootSuite helps me get smart about using Twitter. If you’re out to measure engagement, HootSuite provides the real-time data you need to figure out which of Tweets get the most traction.
No more tweeting in the blind. From topic areas to timing and cadence, flight test the variables that affect your audience the most. Especially useful for the newbie tweeter and folks running short on time, HootSuite provides instant feedback on clicks, lets you pre-schedule tweets and manage multiple Twitter profiles from one interface.
Add multiple users to your account and designate their access levels, monitor conversations using the search feature and even post directly from the web.
In a perfect world, I wish that HootSuite could integrate with my blog — that way new posts could go up automatically — what a time saver! As it is, I’m relegated to using the bookmarklet (hootlet) to send tweets. It also doesn’t track any clicks to links not created using the hootsuite hootlet. So if you’ve got “Tweet this” buttons or some other twitter integration on your blog/site — there’s no way to track that activity.
Alas, the world of microblogging is still developing – HootSuite is definitely in a class by itself with a robust platform that’s user-friendly and FREE.
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I’ve heard more excuses than I care to list about why folks aren’t using social media to grow their business. One of my favorites is the one that goes something like My kid’s on Facebook (or MySpace or Twitter – insert favorite social network here)… Why in the world would I want to be?
This excuse, in particular, gives me the chance to educate the person about the power and reach of social networks. Let’s face it, the “change” is here to stay. Here’s the skinny according to Quantcast:
About 23 million people in the USA use Twitter every month
44% of them (roughly 10 million) are between 18 and 34
Another 33% (about 8 million) are between 35 and 49
Facebook sees 11 million visitors between the ages of 35 and 54 every month. Are your ideal customers among them? You may or may not be using social media yourself, but millions of other people are. According to the Pew Internet American Life Project, the median age of people engaging in social computing broken down by social network are:
- Twitter: 31
- MySpace: 27
- Facebook: 26
- LinkedIn: 40
Surprised? Are those numbers higher up on the age scale than you anticipated? The truth is, that even if social media isn’t your thing, it may be your customers’ and prospects’ thing – and that’s what matters.
That being said, social media marketing isn’t a one-size fits all mass marketing effort. You’ll need a more sophisticated approach if your efforts will ever have a chance at being successful. You’ll want to target your campaigns to maximize their effectiveness. So which one is right for you? That depends on what your goals are and who your target is so do your homework.
- MySpace has a younger audience. You probably want to shy away from marketing products created for an older crowd (e.g. hearing aids and business books), but if you’re promoting media and entertainment related products, you’re probably in the right place.
- Twitter on the brain? Ask yourself these 4 questions – if you answer YES to any of them, then Twitter’s probably for you.
- Facebook pages let you build a community around your company, brand and products. You can also use it to add company news, launch new products, add videos and distribute press releases. Focus on cultivating your community and let your fans do the promoting on your behalf.
Okay, I’m ready for your next excuse… bring it on! If you’re still not convinced that social media is good for your business, state your case in the comments section.
I’m particular about who I follow on Twitter. I’d imagine most people, depending on their interests, are pretty particular as well. I use Twitter as a resource for my work so I tend to follow people who tweet about marketing and social media. Most days, my timeline is packed with useful information and fresh ideas.
It’s kinda flattering when you get a new follower, in a way – you’re being paid a compliment. The polite thing to do when you’re paid a compliment is to say “thank you” and reciprocate. Now there’s a time and a place for the “follow me and I’ll follow you” Twitter philosophy – but for most of us, that could mean junking up our streams.
To keep things fresh, regularly check out your new followers to see if you’d like to follow them. You can quickly scan them by placing your cursor on their username to make their bio visible. For additional info, check out their full profile.
Here are a few red flags to keep in mind when you’re deciding whether or not to follow:
1. Bio – If it’s blank (devoid of any useful information) how useful can their tweets be?
2. Spammy username – “GetRichQuick” anyone? Sure we’d all love to, but it’s not likely. If it doesn’t look legit, it probably isn’t.
3. Following a bajillion people with few following back – This is a dead giveaway for a Twitter spammer.
4. Profile is in a foreign language - If you have no ties to the culture or language of the user, then move on.
5. Tweets are primarily personal – Your personal stream-of-consciousness is just that, yours. Unless you’re on Twitter for the sake of casual conversation, you won’t advance your business much by following these folks.
Happy Tweeting!
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Don’t get on Twitter because it’s cool or trendy — That’s never the “right” reason to do something. Like your mom always asked: “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?”
Call me an idealist, but I believe all business and personal decisions should be based on whether it’s the “right” thing to do — right for you, right for your customers, right for your business. Here are the 4 “Right” reasons for being on Twitter:
- Your customers are on Twitter – Don’t know for sure? Ask them.
- Your prospects are on Twitter – Compare Twitter marketplace data to your customer profile – Sufficient overlap? Go for it.
- Your offers are time sensitive – Assuming you’ve met the criteria for #1 and #2, if your calls 2 action require immediate response, Twitter is “right” for you.
- You have fans – People want a personal connection with things they love – this is tricky to accomplish for large brands (impersonal), perfect for celebrities of any sort.
Can you think of other reasons why Twitter would be “right” ? We want to hear them! Let us know in the comments.
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