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5 Steps to Engaging a Twitter Audience

Posted in: Audience, Social Media, Technology, Trends, by: Mario Garcia

Feb 19, 2009
03:37 PM

I started using Twitter in 2006 to feed an insatiable desire for procrastination. It seemed harmless enough and it was more interactive than a Rubik’s Cube so how could it hurt. Since then, like plenty of other addicts, I’ve gone from using it as an occasional diversion to a bona fide communication tool with my friends, colleagues and clients. And like all breakout social networking tools, Twitter is garnering the attention of businesses with things to sell. In fact it’s now a permanent part of the menu of options we offer clients when discussing their web strategy. So how can you engage a Twitter audience for your business?

1. Be realistic about yourself
Twittering is a personal medium, so make it personal. But your Twitter account has to be who you really are. Not who you wish you were. If you think that a kid in his boxer shorts pretending to be Thor the Invader is pathetic, think how sad it is for customers to see you pretending to be a company you aren’t.  Don’t be the Twitter equivalent of a fat uncle on the dance floor at a quinceanera. Be funny. Be self deprecating. Be adventurous. But be yourself and be true to your brand.

This is the time to dust off your 10-page mission statement and get it down to ... words.  Think hard about what you do and get it down in one line. Answer this question: Why would anyone get emotional about your business?  (If you used any of the following words “"best in breed” “world class” “dominant” fine yourself $100 and start again.)

Twitter is less about customers than it is about fans. If nothing you do as a business engages the emotions of your audience/customersin some way then Twitter may not be for you.

2. Know your audience
It’s a large Twitter universe and growing. The more narrow you can make the group you want to talk to, the easier and more relevant your message to them becomes. Although you may be tempted to use Twitter to broaden your brand’s appeal, don’t. Brand appeal is like having sex with cheerleaders: if you have to go looking for it, you aren’t going to find it. That isn’t to say that Twitter can’t work to help your brand grow, it’s just that you can’t be seen to be seeking that. Let your audience and your content do that for you.

3. What’s in it for me?
Your audience are in it for what they can get. Get used to it. What keeps them interested and makes them tell their friends about you is what content you produce for them and how valuable and relevant it is.  The audience on Twitter are impatient and inattentive. If what you are doing bores them they will drop you like a stone. They are bombarded with information all day. From email, to text messages, to billboards, to the constantly updating Twhirl on our desktops. There’s only so much they can pay attention to. So their minds focus only on things that are relevant to their days or lives and/or the things we’ll get something out of. It’s not that they don’t care about anything else, it’s just that they don’t have time to get to it.

The obvious advice is to be interesting. That’s a good start but find a way to be relevant and valuable to your audience and there’s a better chance of getting their attention and loyalty.

4. Listen
As we’ve mentioned in other posts, if you have a web site you are now a media company. You may have come up with a great Twitter strategy and the Powerpoint may have been world class but what good media companies know is that smart operators don’t worry about whether their first instincts were right, they pay close attention to what is working and commit to it quickly and enthusiastically. The internet has grown through the collective wisdom, creativity and innovation of its users. Your company can benefit from that process only if you care more about what works than what you thought would work. There is little point marketing wihtin an interactive medium if you don’t take advantage of the format.  Follow your followers. Pay attention to what they are saying. Many times this reveals their pains, their likes, their worries, their questions, and can help you create that relevance and value in your updates and messaging.

5. Keep asking questions
If you want to get something out of Twitter for your business or brand start your day with these other questions:
Who are you?
Who is your audience?
What do you have to say that has relevance and value to your audience?
What is your audience saying today?
How much time will you spend with Twitter today?

If you do this daily, you will be working within a promising Twitter strategy to engage audiences.

Oh, and try to answer these in less than 140 characters.

*Follow us on Twitter @GarciaInteract.