Less than 10 years since the social media platform launched Twitter has grown to be one of the top sites we use for social sharing. There are currently 288 million active monthly users and a whopping 500 million tweets are sent per day, so it’s no wonder brands have latched onto the platform to help drive their businesses forward! Here, we take a look at The Power of Twitter.
I write this blog a day after Hillary Clinton uses the platform to announce her bid for the 2016 U.S Presidential race:
@HillaryClinton: “I’m running for president. Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion. –H https://www.hillaryclinton.com “ 8.27pm, 12th April 2015.
Hillary’s tweet racked up over 95K retweets and 91K favourites, showing just how influential the platform can be. Unfortunately for Hillary the power of social media is not always a positive thing, with the hashtag #WhyImNotVotingForHillary quickly gathering momentum across the U.S in response to her announcement. People also took to the social media platform to ridicule her campaign logo; notorious site WikiLeaks even accused her of plagiarising their logo:
@wikileaks: “Hillary Clinton has stolen our innovative WikiLeaks twitter logo design. Compare: @WikiLeaks vs @HillaryClinton” 9.40pm 12th April 2015.
Of course politics always sparks a debate so it is not a surprise that Hillary Clinton’s decision to announce her bid via Twitter had such an enormous response both in a positive and negative way.
The fact is there is an incredible audience there and businesses would be crazy not to harness this opportunity to promote themselves through the social media platform. If you’re thinking of launching a Twitter account for your business remember these key tips:
- Build a following – it doesn’t matter what you post if nobody is there to hear it so build a following with your target audience. Make sure the link to your Twitter account is visible on your website and add it to your email footer so it is easy for people to add you. Follow people relevant to your business and tweet them to encourage a follow back! You will quickly build up a strong following for your company.
- Make it attractive – personalise your twitter account with your company logo and colours so it represents your brand and looks appealing to your audience.
- Post regularly – Try and update your Twitter profile every day to keep followers engaged and interested in your brand.
- Strike a balance – The follower doesn’t just want to hear what your selling 24/7 – make sure you post interesting content, pictures and give an insight to your company culture! It breaks up the message and keeps your followers interested.
- Don’t ignore – if a customer is unhappy they may take to social media to make public complaint (again an example of how social media can have a negative response). Use this as an opportunity for customer service and make sure you reply and aim to resolve any gripes!
- Use Hashtags – Hashtags make your tweets more searchable so therefore are one of the most useful tools on the social media platform. If your business is centred in a particular area, see if there are any accounts in the area to support you (e.g. #NorthWestHour or #ChesterTweets). They often have a huge following and will retweet your message to the people you want to reach!
The power of Twitter really is incredible so why not take these tips and join the other 288 million users? Don’t forget to tweet me @we_Recruit!
Sophie Heaton (Digital Campaign Manager)
