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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/69728
FEATURE STORY By Les Robinson TWITTER: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW reaches a different audience than other social media platforms and is a continuous conversation, consisting of shorter, more concise interactions (140-character limit) than on platforms like Facebook. There are likely already many conversations taking place on Twitter about you and/or the products/services you sell. Why wouldn't you want to be a part of those conversations? T Why your business should use Twitter • Discover the people who are already using the products you sell and those who are still considering which product is the best choice for them. • Learn about your business and the products you sell by monitoring conversations and receiving feedback from consumers. • Build a dialogue by having real-time conversations with current and potential customers. • Establish a voice for your business that is consistent with your in-store voice and overall business objectives. • Find advocates of the products you sell and of your business in particular. Chances are, you've got customers who use Twitter and at some point they'll be talking about you. Harness this passion for the products and your business by engaging them on Twitter. witter is a powerful social media platform that, if used effectively, can help grow the voice of your business. Twitter is a place where you can quickly share what you want and build valuable relationships with people who are interested in you and your products. Twitter What are the first steps? 1. Set up an account. One of the most important things to remember when setting up your Twitter profile is to choose a username that best represents your business, within the 15-character limit. Remember, your username is the name your followers are going to use when talking to you and about you on Twitter. 2. Find others who have similar interests as you and follow them. For example, if you were a Stihl dealer, you may start by following www.twitter.com/stihlusa. After that, take a look at the people who are following Stihl USA and follow them. Those are the people who have indicated they are interested in Stihl and are most likely to be the ones taking part in conversations around the brand. Often, the people you follow will realize that you share common interests and will follow you back. This is one way to increase your followers. 3. Decide who will be responsible for Twitter at your business. Going forward, this person (or team) will be responsible for steady monitoring of the conversation and helping to build the voice of your business. Make sure they are both familiar with the platform and understand your strategic business objectives. Top-five Twitter tips • Be responsive: When you're mentioned on Twitter, provide responses in a timely matter. • Humanize your business: Make your Tweets conversational and, when appropriate, put in a call to action: "We want to learn about this new product; hit reply and tell us what you think." • Give thanks: By responding to a great Tweet, or mentioning a follower publicly, you will build enthusiasm for interaction with you, as well as gain the trust of the community as a reliable user of the platform. • Listen, they're talking about you: Use the Twitter search functionality to search for mentions of your business and/or the products you sell. Hashtags (#) are a great method for searching for many of the conversations already in progress (e.g. #powertools or #homeimprovement). • Time saver: If your short staffed or just have trouble finding time to put Twitter into your daily mix, don't let that be a reason not to take advantage of this powerful social media platform. Twitter is a great way to have real-time conversations with customers and potential customers, in a very concise way. Equally as important is the ability to use Twitter to monitor the conversations taking place about your company and the products you sell. Because of the different audience it reaches, Twitter can be another useful and effective tool in your social media tool kit. Les Robinson, a six-year veteran with social media, is the social media specialist for Stihl Inc. This dialogue demonstrates how Twitter can be used to enhance customer service and increase sales. 16 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com OPE