I recently had coffee with a new business acquaintance. We discussed social media, local business, our own websites, and various other items. I have had some thoughts about how businesses should be using Twitter that keep coming back to me from our conversation. I should say that these thoughts are his, and I have simply contemplated and now agree with them whole-heartedly.
We have become a passionate advocate for businesses utilizing the great potential within Twitter to promote themselves. In previous blog posts, I have written about the benefits of a business having a strong presence on Twitter and offering exlcusive deals to their Twitter followers. I have referenced the now well known case study of Naked Pizza and their remarkable success using Twitter to help promote their brand.
As I have followed and considered the success of Naked Pizza and other successful businesses, and as I have considered the thoughts of my new friend from that coffee meeting earlier this week, I feel I have a more thorough understanding of how a business is to utilize Twitter.
Social media networks like Twitter are first and foremost a social environment. The people that make up these networks are real people interacting and engaging with one another in very real ways. Traditional business advertising will not work with these networks.
Businesses who wish to have a strong and ‘followable’ presence on Twitter will need to learn how to become social in their efforts to promote themselves.
Traditionally, businesses are not social entities in how they interact with the public. But to benefit from Twitter or Facebook, they will need to learn to be social. For the business person who is intimidated by this, you shouldn’t be.
You should already know that if you want to be a successful business owner you have to be one who changes with the times. That is what marketing your business is all about. If you want to be successful you need to push yourself to grow and adapt.
People do not want to ‘follow’ someone on one of these networks when all that business does is declare their good deals. When that happens, the business is at risk to be percieved as one of those annoying car dealership ads that are loud and annoying and make you rush to turn down the volume every time you hear it come on.
While we recommend and even urge businesses to advertise and offer good deals on Twitter or Facebook, that is not all the business should do if they want to be successful. They need to engage their fans. Ask for feedback on an interesting question, engage in customer service, talk about events or articles of interest in the community, or ask people to give comment on a blog post you have recently written.
Social media networks will benefit the business that learns to be social on them.
