Why Twitter? You Might Be Behind.
For those of you already on Twitter, only parts of this post are for you. You can skip down to the section about Hashtags. For the rest of you not utilizing Twitter, I have 2 things to say:
1) Why not?
2) Get on it.
Conversations- relevant conversations- are going on right now on Twitter about your industry. Whatever it is, it is being discussed on Twitter, by people who are active in your field. Your peers are on it, your clients are on it, and decision makers are having more discussions there than on LinkedIn. So what is holding you back? Your view that Twitter is for high school students and drunk college kids? The fastest growing demographic on Twitter and Facebook is the 45-65 age group, and Twitter is now the fastest growing social media platform in the world. Read that last sentence again. Let it sink in. Then go create a Twitter account.
How Twitter? (a.k.a. The Hashtags Section)
Once you have a Twitter account, go find the conversations you want to be a part of. To do this, you use hashtags. Hashtags are just markers that group things by topic (i.e. #business, #cooking, #NFL). If there is an industry event that you are going to/want to go to, I can guarantee you that they already have a Twitter hashtag out there to keep up with what’s happening-
For example, you’re getting on a plane next week to go to A Very Important Conference. The Twitter hashtag for that may be #AVIC. Search for it in the search bar, or just search for A Very Important Conference, and see what hashtag people are using. Then you can tune in to anything tweeted on that topic. It’s easier than you think, and it’s a great way to network in your field.
NEW INFORMATION: A majority of Americans now expect a customer service response on social media. It’s time to integrate that expectation into your marketing and networking efforts.
When Twitter?
Constantly. You’ll have to be on it for a while to figure out just how much interaction is necessary and comfortable, but just assume that a semi-regular presence is required. You don’t have to be a slave to it- it’s not a new trend, it’s a new component of online networking and should be paid attention to accordingly, but it doesn’t have to be something you’re required to check every hour. It’s your tool, and a valuable one. But just a tool.
A Word of Caution: Going Hashtag Crazy
One word- Don’t.
Don’t over-use hashtags. You’ll look ridiculous. One or two hashtags- maximum– is absolutely fine. More than that may interfere with your message and clutter up what you’re trying to communicate.
If you still have questions about the hows and whys of Twitter, there are some wonderful online resources to be found. I recommend looking here. And here. And here. And here.
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