by Francois Muscat | Nov 13, 2013 | Social Media Marketing, Twitter
There is no denying that, amongst all social media platforms used by businesses to connect with their customers, Twitter has become the most popular. This is by and large because of their 140 character limit, which makes it easy for people to follow the new developments of a company without having to read lengthy blogs or articles. Blogs and articles still have a place in social media marketing strategies, though, and shouldn’t be done away with completely, but not making use of Twitter to promote your business and connect with your customers during these times is like shooting yourself in the foot before running the race.
To ensure you make the most of this platform, it is advisable to get social media marketing professionals like WSI OMS involved, but for those of you who are well acquainted with this social network and are looking for a few tips that you can implement now and that will give you the upper hand, read on.
- Visit the sites like TwitterGrader.com and We Follow.com and have a look at the top Tweets and top Twitterers. Analyse the tweets and twitterers you find here and try to learn what makes them so effective. Apply what you’ve learned and become a better Twitterer.
- Another good site to visit if you want to increase your marketing or search priorities is www.search.twitter.com. Here, finding people you want to follow or who you want to follow you is also made easy.
- Don’t be afraid to Re-Tweet messages and links that have relevance to your company. This has become popular practice and will give your presence a more social edge. Just make sure you acknowledge the original tweeter by using an @ sign.
- Also make sure that your Twitter Profile is up to date and demands attention. In the world of Twitter, this is known as your ‘business card’ (and for good reason). Many people lose followers because they neglect their profiles.
For more tips contact us today, because we know social media.
Back to social media.
by Francois Muscat | Jun 12, 2013 | Social Media Marketing, Twitter
Prior to this, social media marketing strategies were focussed on using Promoted Tweets based on user data that didn’t take advantage of the very thing that users turn to Twitter for: real-time updates and conversation. Because of the very time-sensitive nature of conversations and content on Twitter, the Promoted Tweets often didn’t reach relevant targets effectively or connect seamlessly with the latest trending topics. Thanks to this new feature, all that is about to change.
- Connect while your message is relevant. As a marketer, you used to only have a small window in which your brand can reach out on Twitter and engage with users effectively, but by being able to target keywords in users timelines, you have increased the time in which you can react and reach more people. For example, your fans may be prolific Tweeters, and mention several things in one day. But they did mention how much they loved your company’s new line of shoes. Even though that tweet is lower down on their timeline, you will be able to connect with it and reply directly to that user with, say, a discount coupon.
- Drive engagement. Keyword targeting will give you the opportunity to achieve a higher degree of relevance while further customising your messages to fit the various conversations. Before, you could Tweet that a new episode of a TV show would be on that night. Now, you can find and comment on tweets about various characters that users are making. This makes your Tweets more engaging than before, allowing you to drive conversation.
In conclusion, this new feature is a great way for marketers to fine-tune their social media strategies by staying relevant and creating conversations more effectively. WSI is an Internet marketing company that offers a wide range of cutting-edge social media services. To find out more, contact us today.
by Francois Muscat | Apr 3, 2013 | Social Media Marketing, Twitter
Shortly after being launched in 2006, it seemed as though the social mediaplatform – Twitter – would be little more than a platform for narcissists who enjoy torturing people with useless facts about their daily lives. Thisall changed, however,when celebrities like Oprah started making use of this micro blogging service to raise public awareness of socially relevant issues. So Twitter became less about the individual and more about noteworthy happenings and eventually evolved into the preferred news feed of the modern age, rendering many previously used pointing and info-gathering technologies obsolete.
Next Twitter launched a feature called Cards, which enabled a small amount of the company’s partners to embed media directly into their tweets. The program has since then expanded and Twitter recently announced that it has 2,000 partners using this stretchable drawer-like feature.
Now, this social networking phenomenonis set to evolve yet again. Driven by the desire to produce returns for its ever growing list of investors, the company has developedeven more ways in which Twitter can be exploited.
Here are four new features we can expect:
1. Thanks to an exclusive partnership with the company Nielsen(which owns the social TV data firm BlueFin), Twitter will gain the ability to analyse tweets, and so rate the social impact of television shows.
2.Twitter will give all future tweets ratings of “low” “medium” or “high”, which will have an impact on their exposure across this micro blogging platform. It is also rumoured that Twitter will allow advertisers to purchase the “high” category.
3.Due to its newly formed partnership with American Express you will soon be able to purchase items with a simple tweet.
4.A startup called Nestivity is also set to be launched. This will turn your Twitter profile into a “nest”, enabling you to interact and converse with people more efficiently. It will also make it possible for Twitter to be utilized insome of the same ways in which we are currently usingFacebook, Linkedin and Google+ groups.
Want to stay up to date about social mediadevelopments? Then partner with WSI OMS today.
by Francois Muscat | Jan 30, 2013 | Social Media Marketing, Twitter
In the world of social media, Twitter is one of the most widely used and influential platforms. This micro-blogging site has made many people famous (and it’s also sunk quite a few big brands). While some people and brands use Twitter to leverage their personalities and online communities, many Twitter accounts never really gain traction. One could argue that they’re just not good at tweeting. So, what makes a good tweet?
Here are a few pointers as to what the most successful people on Twitter do to gain a huge following and lots of engagement from their followers:
Listen
This sounds obvious, but many people hop onto Twitter and post whatever they want without listening to what their target audience is saying. Search Twitter, follow hashtags and read conversations before you start adding your two cents.
Be yourself
Many people outsource their Twitter updates – both personal accounts as well as corporate ones. While there’s nothing wrong with hiring a social media manager, you’ve got to make sure this person is adding their own (qualified) opinions and insights to a conversation. Simply retweeting or – even worse – copy and pasting tweets simply won’t cut it. You need to be a personality, not just a company or a brand.
Give credit where credit is due
It’s no secret that you need to follow and engage with thought leaders and other key players in your industry. Don’t let your Twitter stream become a one-sided stream of your own thoughts and opinions – include relevant Twitter handles if you want to draw attention to another tweeter’s blog post or tweet (or even if you simply want them to read something you’ve posted on Twitter).
Add content to your social media pages on a regularly-scheduled basis
- Managing your online reputation and monitoring what’s being said about you
- Track and capitalise on traffic and visitor trends
- Encouraging social media visitors to interact, tag and share your online content
We understand that social media can be overwhelming for a lot of people, and companies may be fearful to get started because it seems confusing and messy. But we live in a digital era and if you don’t have social media pages you are most certainly losing out on business and customers. Let us help you create a social media strategy that works for you.
To learn more about WSI’s social media services, contact us today!
by Francois Muscat | Nov 8, 2012 | Social Media Marketing, Twitter
Moving on to Twitter can be a big step for some companies. Professional are often scared of the dynamic nature of social media platforms like Twitter. The immediacy of a real-time platform can also be intimidating. However, businesses should also try to have a footprint everywhere their customers and potential customers spend time, and this includes Twitter.
However, if businesses want to get the most out of their Twitter use, they have to do more than broadcast their products and services. Twitter users are on the platform to engage, which means they are likely to ignore brands that only self-promote. This you have to use your company’s Twitter account to engage in conversations with your customers.
Part of this engagement revolves around CRM (customer relationship management). If you want to use Twitter to build relationships with your consumers, you should respond promptly to tweets where you are mentioned. Often this involves solving a problem, or finding out more information about the customer’s query. The important thing is to respond to the customer’s tweet as soon as possible, letting them know that you are dealing with the issue, or following up with the query.
You should also track consumers that are talking about you and respond to their comments and complaints, as this can often help you keep your customers. This means searching for tweets that mention you, and then engaging with those users. This For example, if someone tweets, complaining about poor service at your restaurant, you can use Twitter to respond to them and ask what was wrong with the service. You might even choose to invite them back for a discounted meal, although you should be weary of users who only complain to get free stuff.
You can also initiate conversations with your customers on Twitter. For example, if you are a fashion retailer, you can use your Twitter handle to ask your customers what their favourite trends are this season. This gives your customers an opportunity to express a part of their identity, showing that you care about what your customers want. This can also provide you with valuable information about what your customers want.
Engaging with customers in real time is one of the biggest benefits Twitter offers for business. To get the most out of Twitter, you need to know how to use this platform to do exactly this.
Need help with your social media marketing? Contact WSI OMS today!
by Francois Muscat | Aug 31, 2012 | Social Media Marketing, Twitter
The London 2012 Olympics has come and gone and while you were focusing on fencing, gymnastics and rowing – many internet marketers and social media influencers focused their attention on the strict social media guidelines.
On Sunday, 29 July, Twitter was the centre of a firestorm when it suspended British reporter Guy Adams’ account after he posted complaints about the NBC’s tape-delayed Olympics coverage. On Sunday, Guy tweeted: “Am I alone in wondering why @NBCOlympics think it’s acceptable to pretend this road race is being broadcast live?” His Tweets included the email address of NBC’s head of Olympics, Gary Zenkel.
The news travelled quickly thanks to the #guyadams and #NBCFail hashtags on Twitter, leading both NBC and Twitter quickly backpedal, apologise and lift the suspension on Guy’s Twitter account two days later.
Why does Twitter and NBC care?
NBC and Twitter were in a partnership to share the Olympics coverage across their platforms. NBC is promoting Twitter’s Olympic event page with on-air graphics and Twitter is including NBC commentators on its Olympics event page. Adams said his account was suspended because he posted an individual’s private information and contact details.
While Twitter generally defends free speech, such partnerships are obviously making it difficult for them to remain unbiased. The days when you could silence someone because they had an unflattering opinion about you, your company or your brand, are over. The Guy Adams debacle has proved that this also applies to social media giants like Twitter.
