Do You Know What Gets Attention On Twitter?

7 Tips to Create Tweet-worthy Content Every Marketer Needs

Twitter’s top 2011 stories, love them or hate them, provide insight into what’s popular with participants and demonstrates this platform’s power for your marketing. While you can argue about the choices, the beauty of these stories is their ability to communicate and connect in 140 characters. They’re not just today’s hot news and gossip but rather they reflect universal stories resonate with all of us.

Do you want to get the maximum attention for your firm’s Twitter engagement? If so, here are Twitter’s seven main categories to show you how to incorporate these forms of information into your marketing.

  1. News. Twitter’s where we turn for immediate news. It’s not professionally reported news, rather it’s real people sharing what they’re seeing now, personally reported with their smartphones. In 2011, the major stories were the Egyptian revolution, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and the Osama bin Laden raid. ACTION: Share your category’s latest news via Twitter. Also, ask followers to tweet you with relevant news. This requires having someone listening so you can respond and act where appropriate.
  2. Human interest. Think personal spin on People or Us magazine stories. Remember every media platform needs their gossip. At their core these personal stories tell universal truths. This year, it was a homeless father who reunited with his lost daughter after ten years and movie critic Roger Ebert finding another way to communicate after losing his ability to speak. ACTION: Solicit your prospects and customers for personal stories related to your products. Alternatively help others in need where there’s a tie to your business.
  3. Lend a helping hand. Social media participants are known for raising their hands and helping. Twitter’s ability to provide geo-locations has proved invaluable. Twitter enabled victims of earthquakes and unrest get help impossible via other communications tools. It also brought Londoners to the streets to help clean up after the riots. Are you in trouble? Send a tweet. Chris Strouth tweeted about needing a kidney and found a donor within days. ACTION: Coordinate with a related not-for-profit to raise visibility and help those in need. Think local and provide aid where people in your neighborhood need help associated with your products.
  4. Build goodwill. High profile leaders used Twitter to encourage higher level causes. For example, Dr. Willy M. Mutunga used Twitter to build democratic justice in Kenya while broadening understanding. Similarly, her Majesty, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan tweeted in both Arabic and English to build peace through education. ACTION: Find a cause that’s a natural for your organization to help encourage a conversation or help others. Use a Twitter chat or Tip of the Day to help distribute information.
  5. Entertainment. This category is a top performer across all social media platforms. In 2011, a deaf German woman offered sports insights by tweeting what she learned reading players and coaches’ lips. Professional athletes, Chad Ochocinco and Kevin Durant, used Twitter to spend time with followers. ACTION: While most businesses don’t have the budget for celebrity endorsements, you can still provide entertainment in 140 characters. Create a special, entertaining Tweet of the Day related to your business.
  6. Lessons. Many turn to the Internet to learn how to do fun, useful stuff. London-based Maureen Evans tweets new recipes regularly with haiku like simplicity. ACTION: Create bite size tidbits that educate your audience. Here’s another place where you can offer a tip of the day. Also, deliver other content formats where appropriate such as photos or video via Twitter.
  7. Show and tell marketing.  Marketing promotion is one of social media’s cardinal no-no’s. Instead, provide special access to content or better customer experiences. For example, Burberry gave followers velvet rope treatment with fashion previews before the runway walk and Japanese fishermen sell their catch before they return to shore. Alternatively, get raving fans talking as Peter Shankman did when Mortons wowed him with a special, airport-delivered doggie bag. ACTION: Beyond using Twitter for customer service, create special experiences for followers, such as different ways to use your product.

Face it—most marketers’ tweets won’t make next year’s top Twitter stories. But engaging your followers and the Twitterverse in general, using these seven types of content, your tweets will be more attractive to your target audience providing you with the opportunity to extend and enhance your relationships.

Do you have any real life examples of using one of these types of tweets? If so, you please share them with us?

Happy marketing,
Heidi Cohen


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Icon credit: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/100-remarkably-beautiful-twitter-icons-and-buttons/

 

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