Madalyn Sklar

Generating Positive Word of Mouth on Twitter

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We’ve all seen brands that get so much love and attention on social media. We’ve even praised and vouched for our favorite brands. Why do we do that? And how can we get other people to do that for our brand? This week on the chat, we invited freelance B2B writer, Masooma Memon to talk about generating positive word of mouth on Twitter. Here’s a summary of our chat.

Guest: Masooma Memon
Topic: Generating positive word of mouth on Twitter
Format: Eight questions directed at the guest. Everyone’s welcome to share.

Q1: Why is Twitter a great channel for brands to grow their word of mouth?

People sort of expect you to be on Twitter. To meet your audience’s expectations, not only do you have to be on Twitter, but you have to be active, too. Along the way, you’ll realize that there’re countless opportunities on Twitter to improve your word of mouth (WOM) reach.

Besides, as Darcy pointed out, Twitter’s unique selling point is that it forces people to be concise. It’s not a place for rambling on randomly. By design, Twitter is conversational—you have to be authentic and relatable if you want to make connections.

Q2: What are some ways brands can drive positive word of mouth on Twitter?

Do the basics, and do them well. Share useful content consistently, be there for your customers when they need support, and actively engage with your target audience. Don’t just broadcast and stand back. If you want to drive WOM, you have to put yourself out there and start engaging with others.

Maria gave us an excellent example from her work managing a Twitter handle for a pickleball business. Instead of promoting the brand’s products, she made inroads into communities that play the sport and enjoy discussing it. That’s how she drove awareness for the brand—not by being overly sales-y.

Q3: How can brands thoughtfully engage with their audience and grow word of mouth?

There’s a lot you can do to be thoughtful when engaging with your audience. Our guest highlighted three: 1. track all brand mentions and respond to those who reply to your tweets or ask questions, 2. respond to notifications as soon as possible—this includes those who explicitly tag your account, whether it’s for an issue they’re facing or a topic they want you to weigh in on, and 3. spotlight your social media team—this puts a human element into your account, which is essential for building a community that resonates with you and your brand.

Don made a great point, too. Make sure that whoever runs your Twitter account knows and understands the nuances of the platform—or at least someone who’s actively learning about the way Twitter works. This is important for building a strong presence on Twitter. You don’t want to post something and disappear until you have something else to promote.

Q4: How can brands prevent negative word of mouth?

When you think about it, there are only about a handful of reasons for negative word of mouth. Be wary of those and avoid them as much as you can. Don’t create insensitive or alienating marketing campaigns, avoid relying too much on bots and automated responses for customer support, and don’t hide away after posting content.

Julia from NOW Marketing Group added another great point—be responsible. Before you make a post, stop and think critically about what you’re about to share. Don’t be someone you’re not—respect yourself enough to be true to yourself.

Q5: What type of content can help brands generate buzz/word of mouth?

Generally speaking, any useful content will help you generate buzz. That said, there are a few types of content that stand out more from the others, such as GIFS and videos that explain your product or service, Twitter threads that share important and educational material, Spaces conversations discussing key topics and trends in your industry, and upcoming trends that are most relevant to your brand.

Pavel shared some other strategies that’ll help you generate word of mouth, including loyalty programs, contests and giveaways, customer testimonials and reviews, and product recognition and awards.

Q6: What are some proven tips/ways brands can fast-track positive word of mouth?

Masooma shared her top three ways to improve positive WOM quickly. One, showcase your personality. People want to see and get to know the real you—so show them. Next, don’t slip away from your brand. Don’t say or do things that your brand wouldn’t normally do—when you steer away from your branding, it stands out like a sore thumb. People will notice and it will draw the kind of negative attention you don’t want. Finally, be there and be consistent. Show up on Twitter regularly, even if you don’t have much to say on any given day. Engage with others and show your audience that you’re present and listening.

Thiam also shared some great tips. Always ask questions. It shows people that you’re curious to learn about them and their interests. Start conversations on topics that others can contribute to—that way, you’re giving people an opportunity to have a multi-directional discussion. If you see something that no one else has pointed out, then talk about it. That’s how thought leaders are born—not by putting it on their bio, but by sharing unique ideas and perspectives in everyday conversations.

Q7: Name some brands that are doing a great job of generating positive word of mouth.

Our guest gave a shout-out to Emirates and ConvertKit for their great customer support; ClickUp and Semrush for sharing valuable content; and McDonald’s and Duolingo for leveraging trends successfully and showcasing their personality.

Our friends from Social Media Pulse told us about Chewy and how the brand goes out of its way to provide great customer experiences.

Q8: What are some mistakes brands should avoid making when trying to leave a good impression on their audience?

The three big no-nos are related to all the do’s we’ve talked about so far. Don’t be inconsistent, don’t forget to create a content and engagement strategy, and above all, don’t be self-centered—it’s the quickest way to ensure that people stop caring about you. Instead, focus your content and engagement on what your audience needs.

Madalyn shared some invaluable advice as well. Don’t ignore or avoid direct engagements. This includes replies people post to your content, tags, mentions, and direct messages. Not responding to people will turn them off, and no one wants that.

Well folks, that’s all from me this week. Thanks for reading through and for more great insights from our chat with Masooma have a look at this Twitter Moment that Joana put together for us. If you like this summary, you’ll love the real-time chat. Join us next Thursday at 1 pm ET for #TwitterSmarter. We also have an after-chat on Twitter Spaces at 5 pm ET. See you there!

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About me, Narmadhaa:

I write all the things—marketing stuff to pay the bills; haiku and short stories so I feel wholesome. A social media enthusiast, I hang out with the #TwitterSmarter chat crew, and am always happy to take on writing gigs.

Say hello: The Opinionated Copywriter | LinkedIn | Twitter

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