More Than Just Having A Twitter
By Renee Mitson
Everyone has a Twitter page, even companies that no one would ever want to follow. XYZ Plumbing, follow us on Twitter! It’s easy to ask yourself, “Why would I ever want to follow a plumbing company?” The answer is that almost anyone can have a successful Twitter account, but just having one for the sake of using social media will not cut it. Which brings us to the bigger question, is your Twitter working for you?
First off, what kind of Twitter account are you looking to have? Something with your friends where you can tweet about personal things, inside jokes, drop an F bomb or two? That is the kind of account you can make private and not care how many people you are following vs. how many are following you.
From a more professional perspective there are two kinds of Twitter accounts: your company’s “brand,” and your personal “brand.” The company Twitter should establish an expertise in whatever market you are in. For instance, Tweeters might not care that much about XYZ Plumbing, but they are certainly concerned with home repair, renovation safety, and new health code standards. Right there XYZ Plumbing is appealing to more than just their normal audience, they are appealing to DIY handy men, homeowners, small businesses etc. And when each of there followers are looking for a plumber, it seems plausible that they would go to the company that has always looked out for them before and seems to really know what they are talking about. Thus, a successful Twitter account is made.
A personal branding Twitter is a little bit different. One of the best avenues someone looking for a job can go is starting a Twitter account. It shows you are active, and actually interested in what is going on in your field. Having tweets that are relevant to the job you are pursuing, re-tweeting, interesting articles and so forth. But also, show some personality! The greatest aspect of a personal branding Twitter account is that the reader feels that sure you may be interested in advertising and video games but you are also a real, approachable human. That makes the easiest sort of person to hire.
Outside of a personal Twitter, there is quite a bit to know about reaching followers. The good news is anyone with a computer can learn. Some jumping off topics include hash tags, re-tweeting, mentioning, and trending. Good luck!
