Engaging Your Twitter Audience
Twitter is fantastic. It’s like the first time you ever eat chicken and waffles, and you realize that nothing is ever going to be the same again. Life has suddenly improved and now you’re doing the electric slide everywhere you go. Making meaningful connections with other businesses, whether you are using Twitter for your business or personal use, is just that delightful.
And it’s practical! Getting a ReTweet from a brand for a fun interaction can bring the sort of traffic that you want to your Twitter. Here are some handy tips for ways you can connect with fancy-pants brands and spend the morning squealing over your laptop.
1. Put Yourself Out There
Most company pages that represent a large brand will be loaded with Twitter fans already, and it may feel a little daunting when they receive almost one billion re-Tweets for every Tweet they write. But fear not, little student! Most social media managers will catch a Tweet worth responding to, and it’s worth their time to build Klout and reply!
Here is a good example from our Twitter account, where we had a lengthy, magical, and marvelous interaction with Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Our boss vowed to bring in unlimited doughnuts on Monday (it was a Friday) if we could snag a ReTweet, and BEHOLD!
This connection was great; it was a fun bonus for us, and it got a lot of love from Krispy Kreme Twitter fans. Even though there was a chance we never would have been seen, it was still worth the tasty try.
2. Get Cute
If you want to make a meaningful, multi-Tweet interaction with a busy business you love, make sure it has something to respond to. Ask a question or give a RT incentive like we did with Krispy Kreme. Pretend it’s like a really hunky dude you want to text, and ask the staff questions to get them engaged with your brand.
One good example is when we Tweeted McDonald’s about its mention in a “10 Twitter Crushes” article we wrote. Its employees were able to see the mention themselves, and responded lickity split. We were excited, they were excited, and it was all a bit like a giant warm hug. This is a great example of a brand really being on top of its social media, but not too proud to respond to a goofy and fun article like ours.
3. Keep Your Options Open
Even though some brands are on top of their social media game, don’t feel hurt when you don’t hear back. Sometimes Twitter is a little bit like throwing glass bottles into the ocean with little 140-character messages inside. You can be lost in a sea of Tweets and aggressive fishermen.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to restrict your interactions to brand-specific companies, or companies that have anything to do with yours, really. The power of a brand is in its engagement, even the really kooky random ones.
4. Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously
My life philosophy is that everything should be at least 30% humorous. Hair, clothes, etc. And this extends even to business Tweeting! It doesn’t have to be a dry business meeting where the most exciting thing is a coffee spill. Be bold when you make connections online with other companies, and don’t be discouraged if you’re wacky Tweets aren’t always ReTweeted. Keep trying.
In conclusion, business Tweeting has become a necessary part of marketing strategies. Because of this, you have a great opportunity to “squee” online all day as you interact with your favorite doughnut and breakfast sandwich restaurants. But these interactions serve a good purpose for brand building; so grab yourself a plate of chicken and waffles and fangirl your way into business success!
