I came across a helpful tips post today in Marketing Profs entitled "Creative Ways to Use Twitter for Business." It's a shortened version of this post from Social Media Examiner, "16 Creative Ways to Use Twitter for Business." I love to share practical tips, or what I call "news you can use," with friends and colleagues, and I'm happy to share these two posts. Good stuff.
While there are a number of good tactical tips in these posts, there was something important missing. Tips like "use a picture" and "create a custom brand-reinforcing background" are great and helpful, but if you don't get the fundamentals right then all the tactical wallpapering you do will ring hollow, fall on deaf ears...pick a oft-used phrase of your choice; you get the idea.
Remember Your Fundamentals
I took just a marketing minute to reflect on this and came to a simple conclusion. Bottom line, if you're going to utilize Twitter as part of your marketing mix for your brand, then you need to keep in mind this content rule of thumb: to boost your brand, influence, followers, impact, etc. you need to provide or add value.
Right...I know...this is not anything radical. Fundamentals rarely are. I understand...it's been said before. Fundamentals usuallyare repeated many times (that's core to them being "fundamental"). I might add that they typically bear repeating as well because they are, well, fundamental...and important.
A-R-T
I'm going to offer up three key tips, news you can use, on how to achieve this fundamental goal. Keep this mnemonic in mind: It's all about ART. To provide value or add value, you should strive to be:
- Authentic - The ultimate rule of social. Phonies and posers are sorted out in short order, so be true to yourself, your brand, or however you define your purpose.
- Relevant - Tweet, share and respond to topics that further the conversation with which YOU want to be associated.
- Timely - Offer your comments, information, observations on matters that are current, meaningful and provided in time to add value to the conversation.
If you can keep this mnemonic in mind and follow those three guidelines, you'll find that you are soon on your way to turning Twitter into a powerful tool for building your brand, your company, customer loyalty...not to mention all of you out there trying to build your own personal brands. And, when put in the context of ART, all those other Twitter tips will work that much harder on your behalf.