5 Ways to Effectively Use Twitter

With more than 200 million active users (500 million total users) and an average of 400 million tweets sent per day, Twitter is currently one of the social media powerhouses. As such, it is a viable place for any company to turn to when developing their social media marketing strategy. That be said
though, don't run out, set up an account, and start tweeting about anything. Below are 5 tips to efficiently use Twitter and help ensure you get the most out of your time investment in the platform:

1. Listen
One of the most important bits of advice anyone should adhere to when joining social media is to first listen! Set up an account and start surveying the scene of what's going on. What are people talking about? When do people tweet? What sort of content engages other users the most? Once you've got a feel for the tone of community, feel free to jump in with relevant content of quality.

Listening it not just a starting position for people just entering either; it should be an ongoing phenomena. See what customers are saying about your product. Did your latest commercial have an impact -are people discussing it online? What new trends are emerging in your field? Get on those topics early and become an expert in the unfolding area.

2. Twitter Chats
I rarely hear about people participating in Twitter chats, but they truly are a great way to interact on Twitter. Twitter chats not only allow you to ask questions regarding a certain topic, but they can also allow you to shine through on areas of expertise! As a matter of fact, I will be participating in a Twitter chat this afternoon along with my social media marketing class and the author of our textbook; Social Media Marketing by Dr. Tracy Tuten (and Michael Solomon).

There are a number of scheduled weekly Twitter chats already established; for example a social media chat: #smchat -Wednesdays at noon CST. Once you've got a fan base or an established expertise in an area, you could even start your own Twitter chat! For basic details on joining in on chats, check this article out: How to Participate in a Twitter Chat. For a listing of scheduled chats, check this Wiki out.

3. Engage
Twitter is all about 140 characters of engagement. Be sure to interact with fellow Tweeters, especially your followers. Favorite tweets and retweet those you found particularly useful or relevant. I always prefer to copy and paste the retweet following an "RT" -this allows you to add your thoughts to the tweet as well. Engaging those you follow is also a great way to get them to follow you back!

Get Twitter users excited to follow you. Throw out crowd-sourcing questions or host contests to get them participating. Just this past week I participated in a trivia contest by @Vocus. All day long they were posting social media trivia and asking followers to fill in the answers. Winners were awarded various marketing related books. Be sure to use photos in your tweets as well. People are visual creatures, so photos always draw more attention and give you additional creativity in your posts.

4. #Hashtags
Hashtags are a good way to tag your content and make it searchable. This is a great way to spread valuable content. A good tip to follow here is to be specific with your hashtags. People rarely search generic terms now, such as #marketing, so use specific and relevant tags such as #socialmediameasurement -remember, no spaces in hashtags.

5. Lists
Chance are you're going to want to grow the list of people you follow. This means more and more tweets over time. How do you keep track of all those posts, and more importantly, still be able to find the important ones? Lists of course! This is often an under-utilized feature of Twitter. Lists allow you to group those you follow into meaningful lists such as customers, social media experts, or even employees at prospective employers. Lists help you sort and organize, enabling you to stay on top of what's important.

So there you have it. 5 ways to effectively get you started and using Twitter properly.
What other ways do you use Twitter? Please share your tips, strategies, and ideas!


(photo credit: San Diego Shooter via photopin cc)