Instead of cheating your way to more followers, garner an organic audience organically. This will enhance brand recognition and demonstrate your credibility in the “Twitosphere” which will most likely translate to the real world…if it’s done right. It won’t take long to prove that you’re social media savvy. Soon, you too can get your targeted audience by following these 10 simple rules:
1) Limit Your #Hashtags
Only allow a maximum of three hashtags, otherwise your message is lost. You won’t be taken seriously and you’ll appear to look like spam.
2) Avoid Self-Promotion
Know the difference between sharing your work and self-promotion. Talking about yourself 24/7 = annoyed followers and soon to be former followers.
3) Use Language Your Followers Will Understand
It sounds like a stupid rule, but using proper grammar and composing a readable, relevant message is key to message retention.
4) Public Interaction
Be as responsive and open as possible. It enhances your credibility and shows you have nothing to hide and that someone actually is listening. Even if it’s a one-off message, someone might also have the same question.
5) Avoid Capitalizing Everything
Capitalizing Your Entire Message Is Not Aesthetically Pleasing And Furthermore Shows You Don’t Know Anything About Grammar.
6) Encourage Engagement
Ask for feedback from followers in your tweets. It shows you value their opinion and want to keep the conversation going and that there is actually a person behind the Twitter handle.
7) Shorten Links
Embedding expanded URLs in your tweets can cause eyes to gloss over your tweet. Use an abbreviating tool like bit.ly or owl.ly instead.
8) Follow Back
Return the favor! When you follow someone back, you’re showing you’re actively listening to what they have to say.
9) Have a Voice…And Use It
Create and stick with one clear, consistent voice that represents your brand. Your followers will appreciate your authenticity and see your brand in a more personal light.
10) The Golden Rule
When you tweet… Ask yourself if the tweet stood alone, would it correctly represent you?
Whether you’re launching a Twitter page, in the rebuilding process or completely lost, use every day conversational skills as a rule of thumb. Think about it. Many of the points above can be applied to an everyday conversation. Leave a comment below and share with us a rule that’s worked for you and your brand!
Side-note: Speaking of proper grammar and capitalizations, keep this in mind: When referring to the company “Twitter,” a capital “T” is necessary. When you are using “twitter” (or other forms, like “tweet”) as a verb, it is a lowercase “t.”
-Carolyn Rasley, Team Lindsay
