Clients we’ve introduced to Twitter as part of their communication strategy often ask us what they should tweet, and even more frequently how to write a tweet.
If you are a business or an individual wanting to brand yourself for business reasons, your tweets should be in line with your goal(s) for tweeting.
So too should the people you choose to follow be aligned with your goals. WHO you tweet for will have an influence on WHAT you tweet. Be selective in who you follow. Following as many people as you can is not always the wisest strategy – and it is all about strategy.
So let’s get back to what to tweet. I’ve categorized the basic types of tweets – here’s the list:
The Hello-World-Here-I-Am Tweet:
What do you say in your first tweet? It doesn’t have to be anything profound, you are new to the medium, so relax and announce yourself. Or introduce yourself. I’ve seen some fun first-time tweets!
The Introduction Tweet:
It’s good to introduce new people to your following. Importantly, mention why they are worth following. It has great value to yourself, your followers, and the person in question. E.g. “Do follow @marcobouwer for helpful tips and advice on effective Social Media strategy for small business.”
The Connection Tweet
This tweet follows the introductory tweet. People do business with people they know and trust, right. Or with friends of friends they trust. As entrepreneurs and business people we all belong (or should belong!) to business networking groups in our cities.
These groups are great for obtaining referrals, receiving testimonies within a circle of likeminded, trustworthy people, and gaining momentum for our businesses. Social Media and especially Twitter works the same way – follow likeminded Tweeters, mingle, engage, follow through.
The Networking Tweet
Twitter has made it possible to have a global real-time conversation on just about any topic with anyone and everyone across the globe. Sure, text messaging is convenient and instant, but it only works well between 2, 3, or maybe 4 people. Twitter is instantaneous and anyone can join the conversation or make a comment.
A networking tweet is basically making a comment on a tweet of someone you follow. It can be seen as – and certainly used as a networking opportunity with those users interested in the same topic as you. Commenting establishes you as someone either with an opinion on a topic or with good knowledge of a particular topic. Many working relationships are established this way.
The Information Tweet
This is why Twitter became so popular so quickly – telling people who don’t really care what you are doing right now, real-time. E.g. “I’m scratching my ear while watching the grass grow.” Yeah, who cares?! But there is much more to it than this.
If your information-sharing adds value you are on to something. Look at tweeters like @guykawasaki who tweets constantly (that’s not him tweeting), but shares interesting and sometimes valuable information. This is why this is valuable to business wanting to share new developments with their audiences, especially things that are not breaking news, but helpful everyday information, e.g. “Our store will open at 5:00 AM on Black Friday for your shopping convenience”.
The News Tweet
Sharing news with the world – e.g. “Michael Jackson has died.” The reason newspapers are not particularly fond of Twitter – tweeters can share news before it is printed. However, it’s only news if you are the first one who has heard about it, or if it was very recently reported. Otherwise you should rather assume that it is known news and comment on it.
News about your business is always value adding. Sharing that you have a brand new promotion running is not news and should not be treated as such.
The Tweet of Wisdom
This is usually a statement of truth (or wisdom) about the industry you are in, e.g. “Business success is measured by the cash flow, not through profit.” You are trying to position yourself as a credible expert in the field, but not everyone succeeds. The teenager who’s Twitter Bio states that he is a “Call of Duty” war game-junkie, should not expect awe and respect when he posts Business Leadership tips. Marketing guru Seth Godin can!
Alternatively, this could also be in the form of a nice quote e.g. “What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. – Ralph Waldo Emerson”. This is what you tweet when you have nothing much to say. However, people love to read it and there is value to it – you are contributing to the Twitter-sphere.
The Re-Tweet (RT)
If someone you follow post an interesting tweet, or one you feel adds value, re-tweet it. You do this by resending the post and by adding RT (retweet) in front of it and by indicating who originally sent it. This way you are complimenting the author on a great post and you are sharing it with the world. Pay it forward.
The Testimonial Tweet
If you are not RT a tweet, but want to let the world know what great service you received, or what a wonderful job someone has done, or book someone wrote, this is the place. It’s effective because it is a global forum. Praising another user is also a great way of stacking up on your own business brownie points – pay it forward and I guarantee it’ll come back to you and your company.
The Question Tweet
Twitter’s huge user base is a fantastic resource that must not remain untapped. Asking a question could ensure quick-time, near-instantaneous answers, solutions, and opinions from your chosen audience and can help you gauge if you are going in the right direction. In addition, your posted questions is interactive due to the nature of Twitter, which means you can act as catalyst for a discussion, giving your brand more exposure if you can kick-start the conversation.
The Marketing Tweet
E.g. “Here’s my latest blog post about the benefits of Facebook for small businesses.” It’s a great way to promote your blog, website, service, and business among like-minded people. Don’t overdo it. Be sure to engage your audience and build trust. Your active presence is already a marketing act.
Do not spam your followers, e.g. “Click this link now and get 5% discount on our new sleep-easy pillow”. That’s a quick way of seeing your numbers dwindle. If you are a retail store or sell a product, send these tweets, but make very sure that they are mixed well with some of the other tweets mentioned before.
Add value to the conversation – as @garyvee puts it, Twitter is like a cocktail party, if you try and sell, you will be sipping your champagne alone! Remember, you are trying to be part of a two-way conversation. If your followers want one-way advertising they can watch TV.
I encourage everyone I speak with to read what 