Some things, like social media, are more instinctive than planned. Though it’s completely understandable, it’s not always the most efficient way to go about managing a social media business account. We spoke to Rachel Thompson, social media consultant, blogging coach, and branding expert, about ways to use social media—and particularly Twitter—in a strategic manner. Here’s a summary of our chat.
Guest: Rachel Thompson
Topic: How to Use Twitter Strategically
Format: Eight questions directed at the guest. Everyone’s welcome to share.
The best way to make sure people know what you do and offer, is to add all that information in your bio. It’s an excellent way to communicate your values and motivation for doing what you do. Remember, your bio is the first thing people see on your profile. And you only have 160 characters to convince viewers and try and convert them into your audience.
A1b: You only have 160 characters total for the bio including spaces, so make them count. You need your bio to achieve three main goals #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Your primary goal should be to achieve three main things, as our guest pointed out:
A1d: –Describe who you are and what you do in an interesting way, with a verb (what you DO not who you ARE)
— Be found more easily in Search by using hashtags (which create a hyperlink)
— Photo example of my author bio: #TwitterSmarter pic.twitter.com/SoyczUMBwz— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
All that said, it’s also extremely important to engage with people. Dolling up your profile and posting tweets regularly only get you so far. Unless you’re communicating with your audience, initiating conversations, and offering your opinions on existing discussions, you won’t be seen as original.
A1. Constantly engage with your audience on areas around your product/service. Be part of the conversation, provide worthwhile content #TwitterSmarter
— Social Media Practitioner (@molopo_t) February 13, 2020
Even though you only have 160 characters, you don’t always have to limit yourself. For instance, like Rachel does, you can include an additional link and even another profile you manage. This is a great way to showcase your complete capacity without bludgeoning your audience with promotional tweets.
A2b: If you have more than one Twitter stream (as I do, since I’m also @RachelintheOC), be sure to add the @ symbol, which creates a hyperlink.
If you write for a site or are affiliated in some way with a publication or a business, do the same thing. #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Here’s another great tip: We all know Twitter asks for your location. But you don’t need to add it. A lot of people fill it in even when it doesn’t make sense for them to do so. Unless you’re a local business who relies on your geographical community, you don’t have to add a location. Use that space to convey something else instead.
A2d: Use a high-res photo for your avatar and graphics header. The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.
If your visuals are blurry, potential followers will pass #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Surely, you must’ve seen many people including hashtags and details about events they’re attending on their Twitter profile name. Thats’ a great way to make seasonal and relevant updates to your bio. Like Alberto said, you get 50 characters—be creative and use them well.
We also have 50 characters in the name, we can use the extra ones there for hashtags o something short 😉 #TwitterSmarter
— Alberto Gómez (@alberMoire) February 13, 2020
Verbing is an idea that Rachel shared in her previous tweets. As she demonstrated, it’s the practice of using verbs to explain what you do and how your work benefits people.
A3b: Instead, write it this way: “I’m a memoirist whose books inspire childhood sexual abuse survivors.” OR “I’m a book marketing expert who helps authors sell books.” Who are you and what do you do? Put THAT in your bio #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Here’s an easier way to think about it: Is your bio inspiring people into action? Does it give them a sense of elation and satisfaction? Are you making them feel what you want them to feel?
A3c: How can you verb what you do?
-Does it inspire, teach, scare?
-What does your writing DO for people?
-In other words, how do you want your reader to feel after reading your book or once they hire you?
-Create action and a sense of movement. #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Ashley put it brilliantly: share what you do, and not what you want to do.
A3: Twitter bios can be challenging with a character limit & you have to state who you are & essentially why you matter in the Twitter-verse in a way that catches the readers' attention. More you share what you 'do' & not just what you 'want to do', the better. #TwitterSmarter
— Ashley Baker (@coastlinemktg) February 13, 2020
Pinned tweets are a great way to drive clicks and attention to a specific content. It could be a promotion you’re running, and event you’re hosting or speaking at, or even a webinar or an article you want to share more widely.
A4a: Love me a great pinned tweet! Pinning a tweet is a great way to highlight your book or business, a tweet that’s gone viral (see my pinned tweet on @RachelintheOC – 74K RTs at last count!), feature a promo, whatever. Use it! #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Pinned tweets are prominent on your profile, and that’s why they get so much attention. Use that space to highlight what matters most to you.
A4c: Note: you can only pin your own tweets, not a retweet or someone else’s tweet. Here’s a screenshot of what that pinning option menu looks like from my author timeline #TwitterSmarter pic.twitter.com/DaiB4nDWGm
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Hannah shared a good use case for the pinned tweet. She’s a PR and social media manager and part of her job involves helping authors promote their books. Whenever and author launches a book, she pins that particular launch tweet to their profile. That way, when someone notices that author’s random tweets on their feed and clicks to see their profile, the book is the first thing they see. It’s a subtle, yet effective, sales move.
A4: Love pinned tweets. For author's accounts, I pin their books during launch & then when someone sees their "fun" content and they click to see the profile their book is the first thing they see. It's a great way to ALWAYS be selling without always selling. #TwitterSmarter
— Hannah Richards (@actsocialHannah) February 13, 2020
According to Rachel, most of us make one big mistake: we only follow fellows. It makes sense, in a way. As marketers and business people, we want to follow other marketers and business people.
However, when we do that, we miss out on connecting with actual customers. For example, by interacting with people who follow your competitors, you expand your brand to reach an audience that probably doesn’t know about you.
A5b: How to find interested customers? See who your competitors are following, who their followers are, and follow them.
They’ve done that work for you. It’s not ‘stealing’ per se, because Twitter is an open platform #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
The more you communicate with people outside of your direct circle, the more horizons you explore. Identify people who talk about the same topics as you do. Look for communities discussing your keywords and industry news, and get involved in those interactions.
A5c: What are your keywords/keyphrases? Enter those topics in Search and see what/who comes up.
Follow those people who are tweeting similar articles, blog posts, quotes, etc., and interact with them.
Interaction is KEY on Twitter as we've mentioned! 🗣#TwitterSmarter pic.twitter.com/AwXfg35BRP
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
A good way to identify potential audience and users you can follow and engage with, like Masooma pointed out, is to look at the Tweets & Replies section of their profile. A lot of Twitter users don’t tweet much, but they respond to comments and actively contribute to community discussions. You won’t know that if you’re only looking at their tweets.
Of course, you need to identify if that person is your potential target or not. Learn that from their profile or bio. #TwitterSmarter
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) February 13, 2020
Naturally we all get stuck sometimes. That’s why it matters how you approach Twitter and social media. If you look at it as a task or as a business machine, you’ll stress yourself trying to come up with appropriate content every time. Instead, look at it as a medium to share your interests.
Identify what makes you tick. Pick up a few topics that you naturally enjoy talking about and share those on Twitter. There are thousands of people who have the same interests as you. Share their content, blogs, articles, videos, and infographics. And while you’re at it, share some of your own work as well. That way, you’ll get a healthy mix in your profile.
A6b: Pick 4–5 topics of interest, then find articles, quotes, pix, and share blog posts (yours and others) around those topics — mix in occasional tweets about your own stuff, your blog posts, something promo occasionally, and then it’s not as uncomfortable #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Overtime, when you’ve developed consistency in your topics, you’d have set your audience’s expectations. They’ll know what type of content you’ll publish, when you’ll publish, and how you interpret some of those topics. That’s how you establish your brand.
A6e: By consistently sharing articles, posts, quotes, blogs, videos, visuals, etc., and discussing these topics consistently, I have actively set readers’ expectations, which is a cornerstone of personal branding. #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
As for participating in existing conversations, take Taylor’s advice. Resist the temptation to tweet randomly. Instead, observe what people are talking about. Take in each perspective and analyze how you feel about it. Notice the language and tags they use. And then when you’re confident enough, go ahead and jump into the discussion.
A6: Sit back and watch the conversation before jumping in. How do people in your industry interact on Twitter and where do they engage with each other? What tags are used? What kinda of content is mixed in the conversation? Then dive in. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/MbrcKmaH2O
— GiveWP 💚 (@GiveWP) February 13, 2020
It is a lot of work. Social media can be overwhelming to say the least. That’s why it’s important to get help. Most successful social media personnel use tools to help them schedule some content and manage everyday activities.
Rachel’s favorite is Hootsuite. It’s a versatile platform that helps you schedule tweets, observe interactions, participate in conversations, and analyze how your content is performing.
A7b: Note: My favorite tool is @Hootsuite for the sole reason that you can add in all your social media accounts AND interact. I’m not a fan of ALL automation. I’m also not a fan of pure organic posting because you need to manage your time #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
Go ahead and find a tool that works for you. You can always try them out for free first. Most tools will also offer you an extension on your free trial if you need more time to make your mind up.
There are countless options for you to choose from, including Sprout Social, Buffer, Promo Republic, Zoho Social, Agorapulse, and more. Here’s a massive list of tools, categorized by business size.
The best thing about using a social media management tool is that it helps diversify your content. So you’ll have regular articles or blog posts scheduled, but you’ll also have impromptu conversations and Twitter chats.
A7d: Using a SMM tool is helpful also because you can see analytics and create a posting schedule that works well. Are you posting at the best times? A SMM tool will tell you that. @Buffer will create your best times FOR you. Why wouldn’t you want to know that! #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
It’s important to remember though, as Karla mentioned, that you should focus on what gives you the most benefit. If your audience isn’t on Twitter, then don’t waste all your energy trying to make Twitter work for you. Perhaps your audience is more engaged on Facebook. If so, prioritize that. Go where your audience goes.
A7. Focus on the platform that truly brings you results, where you have great (and genuine) engagement plus the one that is lots of fun!
For me Twitter wins!
Received so many incredible opps & fab connections💁🙌😉#TwitterSmarter
— Karla Aguilar Pérez 🇸🇻🇨🇦 (@Travellersoul76) February 13, 2020
Make time for engagement. See that you’re reading others tweets, responding to their comments, and sharing useful ideas with your audience. It doesn’t have to take all day. Like our guest said, five minutes every day can go a long way.
A8b: If you work at it consistently, your Twitter will grow. Why would you not want to interact w people who may become potential clients/customers/readers? I hear from many authors that they ‘just want to write.’ They still want readers, though, right? #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
We often talk about consistency. Twitter is a fast-moving opinion-based platform. That’s why you should actively participate every day. When you slack off for a while, the algorithm interprets it negatively. The more you tweet, the higher your chances of being on your audience’s feeds. With Twitter’s updated algorithm, it can now suggest tweets and accounts to users similar to your target audience. Capitalize on that and show up regularly.
A8d: What this means is that when a follower regularly engages with your account, it increases the likelihood that Twitter’s algorithm will share your content with them in the future. #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
While you’re at it, be mindful of your hashtags and media content as well. Have a plan for your branded hashtags. When you use them strategically and consistently, you’ll start to develop it as a brand by itself. And to further enhance your brand, include visual media on your tweets. These could be GIFs from the default library or even custom GIFs that showcase you as a person. Either way, visual elements generate far more engagement than non-visual tweets.
A8f: Remember to use video and GIFs! Tweets with video can bring in as much as 10x more engagement. A Twitter study found that tweets with a GIF received 55% more engagement than those without. #TwitterSmarter
— ✍BadRedhead Media, Strategic Marketing Consultant (@BadRedheadMedia) February 13, 2020
There’re a lot of little things you can do to help increase your following. For instance, as Madalyn suggested, use Lists to compile and categorize Twitter users important to your industry. That helps you follow up more easily than looking for their content on a fleeting feed.
Make sure you’re respond to notifications regularly. Replying is ideal, but even a like can communicate that you acknowledge the person who’s taken the time to respond to your content. Be thankful for the people who try and initiate conversations with you. They form your community.
A8: How to increase your Twitter followers:
📌 Tweet every day
📌 Be consistent
📌 Respond to your notifications daily
📌 Use Twitter lists
📌 Participate in Twitter chats
📌 Engage. Engage. Engage.My free online class:https://t.co/d0C5aOIfNb#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/xmAnObBTlC
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) February 13, 2020
Well, folks, that’s all from me this week. Thanks for reading, and for more insights from our chat with Rachel, have a look at this Twitter Moment that our chat member Joana put together.
We’ll be back on Thursday for our next #TwitterSmarter chat. If you’ve got some time to spare, join us at 1pm ET—we’d love to hear from you.
About me, Narmadhaa:
I’m a writer of all things—technical and marketing copy to fill the pocket; haiku and short stories to fill the soul. A social media enthusiast, I’m a member of the #TwitterSmarter chat crew, and always happy to take on writing gigs.
Say hello: Personal blog | LinkedIn | Twitter