The Internet was once coined as the “information highway”. Now it seems like Twitter can take that claim.

When I first took Twitter for a test drive I was completely overwhelmed where to start. I knew I wanted to engage in interesting conversations about digital marketing. But I had no idea where to start.

So after a lil bit of trial and error, I was able to catch my rhythm. I found interesting articles to share, posted quotes, and even photos.

After a high level of engagements and a strong following, I thought I was a real Twitter power user. But I was dead wrong.

I had no strategy or objectives for my Twitter account. I had to ask myself “how are my Twitter engagements helping to meet my objectives?”

You should ask yourself the same question. There are several things you should be doing on Twitter…

Here are 6 things you should be doing on Twitter right now

1. Be A Thought Leader

Positioning yourself as a thought leader should be a priority. There’s no other social network outside of LinkedIn that will help establish your authority. For instance, Twitter is highly regarded as a network that provides real-time news during widely publicized events (although Facebook is trying to take over the reigns with its “what’s trending column”).

The first step in being a thought leader on Twitter is to establish your handle as a destination for content that your target audience wants to consume on a regular basis. Tweet links to current news in your industry. Tweet thought provoking content and include a stimulating question.

2. Engage with Your Audience

The best way to utilize Twitter is to have a conversation with your audience. DO NOT use it to simply tweet articles, sales information, and deadlines. It’s common for your audience to mention your brand in a tweet and expect a response. It’s a standard practice on the platform. In fact, you will notice some brands have a dedicated staff to handle Twitter customer service questions. These brands consider Twitter a viable customer service channel. You should too!

Now let’s take this a step further.

If you don’t engage with your audience via Twitter, it will negatively affect your brand. Brands that avoid audience engagement will ultimately lose customers as the quality of customer services is often indicative of product quality as well.

Companies that engage and respond to customer service requests on social media can cause an increase in sales because customers will spend up to 40% more with that company when satisfied. – Bain & Company

3. Have Some Personality

It’s difficult to express your personality in less than 140 characters. I mean, how can you be humorous and informative in a tweet and include a link and relevant hashtag?

Well, that’s a great question. The only answer I can give is to find the personality in your brand and give it a voice.

Here’s a good example:

Showing your brand’s personality is a great way to foster engagement with your audience. So, have some personality. It will go a long way.

4. Drive Traffic to Your Content

Twitter is a very effective platform to drive traffic to your content. I find most people do not post the same tweet more than two or three times. Unfortunately, they often believe their followers will be on Twitter at the same time.

Just because you post something on your timeline doesn’t mean your followers will see it. By the time they login to Twitter, your tweet could be long gone.

Also, you naturally can drive more traffic to your content by including relevant hashtags with your tweets.

No need to be excessive, just two hashtags will work fine.

5. Keep Tabs On Your Competition

A great way to keep tabs on your competition is to monitor their Twitter feed. You’ll see links to their latest posts, white papers, acquisitions and product announcements.

You can also see what their customers are saying about your competition by searching their brand name and any hashtags they use.

6. Mention Your Followers

Courtesy offline, is valued just as much online. Mentioning your followers will provide deeper engagement and show that you care.

Give a shout-out to a follower that gives you some love.

Here’s a great example 🙂

Final Thought

Twitter has reached the point of maturity and users are now accustomed to certain behaviors. So, if you are not doing any of the above, you should rethink your Twitter strategy. If you are, think of ways you can improve.

Ultimately, Twitter is a great tool to communicate with your consumers and analyze their conversations. If you aren’t maximizing the full potential of this platform, you’re missing out on an additional opportunity to grow your business.

Question: There are several new changes to Twitter’s functionality. How are you utilizing these functions for your business? Please share any tips and tricks!