- In fewer than 140 characters please tell us what Twitter is to you.
Twitter is a communication tool that allows me to brand myself as a person in business, as well as a member of the community.
- For those that are new or unfamiliar to the Twitterverse what should they do before they set up their account or before they start tweeting?
Decide whether they want to be the brand or the face of the brand. Perhaps they want to have both online to put a face to the brand. This is the first question I ask my clients when I set them up. Most of the time, we create two separate accounts that link to one another through their personal profile description.
- For the the Twitterati, who have lots of followers, they’re tweeting all the time —what advice or words of wisdom do you have for them?
Think before you tweet. Like any business environment where you say something out of context, a foot in mouth cannot easily be retracted. Pick the best time of day to communiate to your target market. Between 6am and 9am is the best time to focus on B2B individuals. They are drinking their coffee, getting ready for work, and taking those precious moments to share their voice to the Twitterverse.
- Hardly a week goes by where there isn’t a media report about someone who has just goofed on twitter, had to retract something they’ve said… What are your ‘RULES’ about Twitter. Your own personal Do’s and Don’ts if you will….
Remember you’re not Madonna, so the few that will actually see your goof up is probably minimal. My advice is to be yourself, refrain from challenging too many people, target the influencers but never ignore the small guy on Twitter. Those influencers spend much of their day online chatting it up and the small guy is probably working all day with no time to tweet. At the end of the day, if they earn money and have a family, they may be your target market.
- Likes, Friends, Followers, re-tweets- How do you measure the impact of your social media?
Simply put, I measure my impact through the real-time relationships that I have created. Those relationships wouldn’t have come to fruition if I didn’t take the plunge and join Twitter. Balancing my business is harder than ever, but far for prosperous as well.
- To RE-Tweet or not to RE-Tweet, that is the question?
If you believe it, retweet it. Plain and simple. We are a narcissistic society who loves to hear recognition when it is deserved. In return you’ve probably made an active follower if they thank you for the retweet or start conversing with you because of it.
- Twitter Pet Peeves – Do you have them, and what are they?
As a blogger, I despise when people look down on the hard working, stay at home moms who blog for free product or compensation. In fact, I was so curious as to what they did, I tried it myself. I never realized how much hard work and effort is put into blogging for brands. For a brand, it is simply another way of branding yourself and your product or service. Treat them like any other business partnership you’ve created – professionally.
- Is there anything you’ve ever said on Twitter that you wish you could take back? Any regrets you’d be willing to share…or did you find yourself in hot water and how did you deal with it?
I do not recall a situation that I’ve said anything that would put me in hot water. I do realize though that once you commit, you must follow through on the commitment as you’ve made yourself accountable. It’s only common sense though as it’s about real life morals.
- What kind of interactions do you see creating the most responses for you?
To be honest, it appears that if you’re a Debbie Downer, you get a lot of empathy and support online. If you’re a positive force, you receive fewer responses, but those who respond are always like minded people that encourages you to take the relationship to the next level of “let’s meet and discover how can we help one another in our Social Media and offline growth.”
- What are your “Must Be” places…What’s going to be the “Next Big Thing” and what is just a “Big Waste of Time”?
Twitter is an absolute must. Facebook, I would say to put it on the back burner until you can advertise aggressively. Did you know that your business page updates are only viewed by 16% of your followers if you’re not participating in Facebook advertising? Pinterest is another fabulous venue for realtors, magazines, home decorators, and foodies.
- How do you grow your online audience?
Search, follow, and communicate. Be the first one to extend your virtual hand and introduce yourself. It’s a full time job getting started!
- Are people making a mistake if they are going all in with social media and ignoring some of the more traditional forms of marketing and advertising?
Yes they are. Print advertising may take a nose dive in viewership, but it will never die. Branding your business through social media, via your website, networking and offline advertising will target different people. Everyone isn’t on Social Media, so you must find other venues to grow your business.
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