A few weeks ago, the U.K.’s Guardian announced that its reporting of a certain parliamentary issue would cease due to a court order. It soon came to light that the injunction was regarding the oil company Trafigura’s alleged dumping of toxic waste in Africa.
In a matter of hours, Trafigura had become one of the most popular terms on Twitter. Unfortunately for the oil company, not all publicity is good publicity. The Twitterverse cried censorship, ultimately pushing Trafigura to lift the injunction.
Surprised that a social media site that allows it users a paltry 140 characters to say their piece can have such a profound effect? Don’t be. As this situation demonstrates, Twitter can be a powerful communication tool, and not only for teen-age girls interested in news about Justin Timberlake.
This reinforces the idea that in the right capacity, b-to-c and even b-to-b companies have a place on Twitter. But how can the site benefit you? Here are a few simple Twitter tips that almost any company can apply to their marketing strategy:
- Be a good listener. You’ve finally registered for a Twitter account, but posting that first tweet seems a little daunting. That’s OK. Much of Twitter’s marketing power lies in the ability to gain insight into your prospective customers and competitors. Follow influencers in your industry – those who are respected and often tend to speak on behalf of entire demographics – as well as competitors and companies that you respect. This will allow you to stay on top of important trends and learn more about your target market, and will also give you ideas on how to craft effective tweets.
- Build a following. Encourage your clients, prospects, partners and colleagues to follow you by putting links to your company’s Twitter page on your Web site, e-mail signature, LinkedIn profile and anywhere else you can.
- Put it out there. Use Twitter as a way to cheaply and effectively push your content to your target audience. Have a new white paper? Tweet the link. A Web site redesign or new feature? Tweet it. Simply want to show how “with it” you are by posting a link to an interesting third-party article or site? Tweet away.
- Link to your friends. Use your Twitter account to post links or “re-tweets” from companies that you admire or work with. Chances are, they’ll return the favor.
How do you use Twitter? Has it been worthwhile? We want to hear about your experiences – 140 characters only, please. Just kidding!
