The place of choice for most executives is Linkedin. That is very understandable! The site is a professional site where business professionals can collaboratre and connect with people from different industries. The recent upgrades to company pages and analytics have really helped this site become a great place for connecting with other business people. I spend a fair amount of time learning more from professionals on this site.
Now – Let’s look at another social media site that can also have a surprising great return from a business standpoint. This platform is Twitter. I am sure you are scratching your head at the moment and with good reason. I think the one piece of advice that I could give you is that Twitter is only effective when you understand how to use it effectively.
I use Tweetdeck/Twitter (Google Chrome App) as a platform to help maximize the functionality of Twitter. In addition, I build list groups of different segments to help me narrow in on specific discussions or analyze competitors or gain more knowledge from a professional standpoint.
Here are the steps you need to consider when trying to use Twitter.
1) You need to set a goal to get 1,000 followers. (Secret – This takes time) (Don’t use an add follower tool. I have tried these and you will build your numbers quickly but these type of followers have no interest in your company.
2) Make sure you have two id’s – One id for you, (Your Name) and another id for your company.
Personal Id – You want to stay as professional as possible, but you can connect with people in your industry, friends, news feeds, organizations, etc. You can be yourself. Be careful what you post and remember you are still associated with your company to a degree.
Company Id -Your company should focus on information affecting your clients and your company story.
3) Follow people and put them into some type of list group: Example: Network contacts, Industry Contacts, Friends. You can make these lists private or public. I like to keep my lists private for the most part. They really only mean something to me. Lists help you follow discrete information throughout the day and you can check on this column in Tweetdeck throughout the day and look for opportunities.
4) Make sure you are always directing people to another destination: website, email, phone, etc. Twitter is not the end-all, be-all. I like to write a blog post and share it on Twitter, it starts the conversation and gives people more information about you.
Why executives should be on Twitter
Twitter is really a great way to connect with some of the best people locally and nationally. I have received great advice and have made deals with people I have met on Twitter. The executives who are on Twitter are some of the best people in the business and their network that they are connected to is quite powerful. These type of people are the minority. Once you find them, you are glad you did. In addition, I have found that some of the best advocates for our company are the people who regularly do business with our company. Once you get connected to these type of people with your Twitter Company Account, you wil see the benefits of word-of-mouth, both online and in person.
If you are not an executive and you are a regular on Twitter, continue to connect with the top people on Twitter and try to get on their radar. It is amazing to me how many people value this simple connection on this platform. It is worth your time to keep connected and continue to learn more from other business leaders.
Finally, setup a list of news tweets. I look to my twitter news feed for the latest news stories. I can get a quick glimpse of a news story and if I need more information, I can go elsewhere.
Twitter is a valuable platform for marketing, staying informed and connecting.
I think the problem is most people don’t know the first thing about setting up a system to help manage the information and communication available to them.
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