Are you frustrated that you aren’t getting results from your Twitter campaign? Not sure what you’re doing wrong? Here’s a list of 8 things that may be killing your efforts on Twitter.
1. You Tweet at the Same Time Everyday
Twitter is a fantastic tool to broadcast information, but it’s also instant and temporary. If you only tweet at the same time everyday, chances are you are only reaching the same people. Broaden your audience by varying the times you post. Also keep in mind that business hours may be the least effective time to post. Don’t leave out early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. If you have customers in a different time zone, make sure to keep this in mind as well.
2. You Send a Bulk Amount of Tweets at One Time
I’ve seen a lot of businesses log in and send all of their content at one time. If you’re posting more than twice in a row, you may be hurting your efforts. Not only are you not broadening your audience by saving the content to tweet throughout the day (see point #1!), you also may cause your followers to tune you out or unfollow you all together by flooding their twitter feed.
3. You Tweet as a Logo
There’s a lot of debate as to if it’s a good idea or not to tweet behind a logo instead of adding a human face. My opinion is that it’s a bad idea, and here’s why: Twitter is largely based on conversations and generosity. It’s human to human interaction, more so than even Facebook. This is the source of Twitter’s power, connecting individuals who may or may not know each other around a common subject. People have conversations with people, not logos. If you take the human interaction out of the equation, it’s just another brand broadcasting their message and hoping someone will listen, and you’re missing out on a key benefit of being on Twitter.
4. Your content strategy consists of retweeting what other people say.
If most of your posts are just retweets, what would be the motivation for others to follow you? Curated content is an important part of a content strategy, but it can’t be the only piece of the puzzle. You need to build your credibility by showing that you know your stuff, not that you can identify other people who actually do. In addition, RT’ing other people’s tweets does more for them that it does for you, since the tweet will still show up as theirs, not yours.
5. You Tweets Don’t Relate To Your Business or Your Community
Your goal on Twitter should be to build your reputation as an authority in your field, and a staple of your community. Keep your posts related to your field of expertise as much as possible. Don’t be salesy, be conversational, but keep the conversation focused around your expertise. If you are a real estate agent for example, focus on what matters to homeowners, sellers, and buyers. That’s the information that your followers are looking for you to provide, they don’t really care what you think about today’s headlines.
6. You Can’t Remember the Last Time you Updated your Twitter
That abandoned Twitter account that you started to stay current but stopped updating after a while is not helping you, and it may actually be hurting you. An abandoned Twitter account hurts your credibility as a business because it shows a lack of follow through and commitment on behalf of your business. It also may lead people to wonder if you are even in business still. If you don’t plan on putting together a content strategy and making Twitter work for you, than it would benefit you more if you deleted your account. If you do want to get serious about your Twitter presence, contact me and I can help you set up a solid content strategy and all the tools you’ll need for success.
7. Your Twitter is Automatically Updated by Your Facebook, Tumblr, etc.
What makes Twitter so unique and popular is its 140 character limit. While these may be frustrating boundaries for some, it’s what keeps the flow of conversation and information flowing and easily accessibe. Because it’s such a unique platform, what works on Facebook will not work on Twitter. Any overflow past 140 characters is truncated and replaced by a link, and if you didn’t get your point across in the first 140 characters, chances are slim that the reader will stick around to click the link for the rest.
8. You Don’t Engage In Conversation
You’re missing the point of Twitter, and social media in general, if you aren’t engaging in conversation (which is hard to do when you’re a logo! See #3). Part of the benefit to Twitter over Facebook is the ability to communicate more freely with customers and prospective customers. If you are just talking at people and blindly broadcasting your message, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities and not painting yourself in the best light.
