Twitter can be used in two ways. One is to convey information, the other is to spark discussions.
Ideally, a timeline should contain a good mixture of both kinds of tweets.
Here are a few options used by companies:
Give tips on one specific topic
Customer support.
Feedback
Category/sector news
Company news that are interesting
Current events that impact company business or that you are promoting
Reports from the floor of events such as conferences
Special offers to Twitter followers (discounts, promotions, contests)
Don’t forget to use your imagination. Some companies are already using Twitter to take orders and suggesting different uses for their products, others have Twitter parties for specific groups.
“What not to tweet about?”
Just Tweet about things that could add value. .
“How much time will this take?”
Twitter is a qualitative, rather than quantitative, brand channel. It’s a great tool to build dialogue, engender trust, establish brand loyalty, and to raise awareness.
Try to spend 2 to 4 hours a week on Twitter.
If you think it is too much, reallocate some of your time and effort away from older techniques and try the new. You’ll have fun, learn a lot and will be able to demonstrate new expertise and innovative marketing approaches.
“What is proper Twetiquette?”
Stay positive. It’s easy to get snarky, easy to scoff.
Thank people who follow you with a Direct Message. Twitter allows you to send private messages (called “Direct Messages” or DMs) to individual users. Rather than publicly replying, send a DM saying thank you.
If someone asks you a question, respond via DM. If your response would benefit a number of followers, reply publicly.
If it makes sense, thank those who retweet your tweets. If you see “RT @yourname” in your Replies, it means someone has found your tweet valuable enough to share with their own followers.
There is some debate about automatically following those who follow you. Some think it’s only fair to follow those who follow you, as a sign of mutual respect. Others only follow interesting Twitterers, regardless of whether or not they follow you.
What is the first step?
Open a Twitter account, start following some people and listen to the conversation. You will soon get the feel and the addicting bug!