Microblogs
Microblogging is a web service that allows users to broadcast and exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, images or video links to other subscribers of the service. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its posts are typically a lot shorter.
Although there is a range of different microblogging platforms available online, Twitter is by far the most successful and most popular. The following characteristics and tips have therefore been customized to help you better understand how to successfully use Twitter to engage your audience.
Key Characteristics
Short Posts In contrast to long-form blogging where posts are usually at least a few hundred words, microblogging posts are typically restricted to a certain number of characters. Twitter restricts the number of characters per post to 140. Regular Posting Because microblogging posts are so short, it is custom to post a lot more regularly than normal blogs. Brands should be prepared to post at least 3 times a day if using a microblogging service. Large Audiences Microblogging services allow users to ‘follow’ or ‘subscribe’ to other users so that any updates they make will appear in the user’s news feed. It is not uncommon for a brand to amass thousands of followers on Twitter, and so it is a great way to communicate messages to a large amount of people. |
Immediate and Mobile It is very common for Twitter users to ‘tweet’ from their smart phones using the Twitter mobile application. Updates hence tend to be of a very immediate nature, and often regard activities the user is undertaking, or about to undertake. Twitter is a great way for a brand to allow followers a closer look at immediate, mobile updates of a brand’s activities. Lots of Links Because of the short and restricted nature of microblogging posts, it is common for users to include a link to other media including images, videos or perhaps a website or blog post. Hash tagging Hash tags are a way for people to search for posts that have a common topic. They are very common in Twitter, and appear as a word with a ‘#’ prefix before it. Eg. If a person searched for the hash tag “#lost” they would get a list of all the tweets with that hash tag in it about the TV show Lost. |
Top 10 Marketing Tips for Twitter
1. Simplicity is Key
The limitation of 140 characters makes it hard to go over the top with your tweets, so aim to post concise, witty statements rather than trying to cram a lot of information in. 2. Link to Outsourced Content Linking to relevant outsourced content such as images, videos or blog posts allows you to further engage your audience and drive traffic back to your website or other social media platforms. 3. Shrink Links Link-shrinking services such as bitly.com can be used to shrink the size of large links down to less than 20 characters, allowing you to make better use of the rest of the 140 characters you have per tweet. 4. Use Hash Tags The key to recruiting more followers is using the hash tag function to allow you to engage with communities of people interested in the same topic, by making it easier for them to find and share your information related to that topic. 5. Re-tweet and @-tweet Tweeting directly at members of your audience or retweeting relevant tweets made by them are simple methods to show that you are engaged with your client/customer base and demonstrate that you are actually listening to them. 6. Post Regularly but Don’t Spam Content disappears quickly on microblogging services under the masses of updates, and so it is important to make new posts regularly so that they can be noticed. However avoid posting for the sake of posting, and ensure that your content is always relevant and engaging. |
7. Monitor Brand Mentions Use services such as TweetDeck, Hootsuite and Tweetizen to monitor mentions of your brand name on Twitter and respond accordingly. This is a great way to increase online brand sentiment and provide customer service to dissatisfied customers by showing them that you are listening and responding accordingly. 8. Optimize the Information Fields When creating up a Twitter account it is imperative to annotate the different fields on your page correctly to maximize the information in them. Use the brand name as your Twitter ID (eg. @pepsi) as this will make you easy to find, and will also become part of your customized Twitter URL (eg. twitter.com/pepsi). Avoid using underscores or numbers that make it hard to remember, and also try to keep it as short as possible. Remember that there are only 140 precious characters in a Twitter post, and the longer your Twitter ID is the more space it takes up when someone tweets at you, thus limiting your interactions. Optimize your account name (which is different to the Twitter ID and appears next to your profile picture) to reflect and promote your brand. Also consider using phrases that contain your company’s keywords in the biography section in order to gain maximum search engine benefits. 9. Set the Rules of Engagement If you use your Twitter page as a customer service channel, include contact hours (when people can expect an immediate response) somewhere on your page. This helps moderate the community by setting and managing expectations. 10. Ask questions Rather than just tweeting statements, sometimes tweet relevant questions that will engage people and get them to interact and tweet answers back at you. |
Number Crunch
These local demographic statistics can help you determine whether Twitter is the best platform for you to reach your target audience:
- The total number of Twitter users in Australia reached approximately 1,800,000 as of April, 2012
- 66% of Australian Twitter users are male and 34% female.
- The 45 – 54 range is the most well-represented age group on Twitter in Australia, totaling 34%.
Case Study
Bank of America
The Bank of America has pioneered company Twitter use andis an exceptional example of a company using a microblogging service to engage their customers. The Bank of America uses Twitter predominantly as a service channel, monitoring Twitter for any mention of their name and responding appropriately. They have optimized the different fields on their page to provide important information such as service hours to manange people’s expectations, and also demonstrate credibility by linking back to their main website. Their page is also highly personalized with images and names of the customer service team, giving the platform a much more sociable and human feel.
The Bank of America has pioneered company Twitter use andis an exceptional example of a company using a microblogging service to engage their customers. The Bank of America uses Twitter predominantly as a service channel, monitoring Twitter for any mention of their name and responding appropriately. They have optimized the different fields on their page to provide important information such as service hours to manange people’s expectations, and also demonstrate credibility by linking back to their main website. Their page is also highly personalized with images and names of the customer service team, giving the platform a much more sociable and human feel.