Everyone knows that, when used properly, social media is a fantastic, measurable communications tool to promote your business. It’s a vehicle to share news, be creative and allows a company’s personality and tone of voice to be heard unlike any other medium. However, getting started can often be confusing and intimidating for new users.
As a PR and communications agency specialising in raising businesses’ profiles, we are well-versed in social media strategy and how to make the most out of your posts.
In this blog, we break down the basics for any Twitter newbies and list a few top tips to help you get started.
Setting up your profile
1. Choose a handle – The first thing you need to do is choose a relevant handle which acts as your username and is what people will use to tag you into posts. You won’t want to change this once you start getting followers, so make sure it’s clear and you’re happy with your choice.
2. Make your bio count – Similar to your handle, your bio section will be what people read first when visiting your profile, so be sure to get across what your company does and include a link to your company website.
3. Choose a profile photo and cover photo – For a business page, these should include a striking company logo (profile) and a relevant photo of the work you do (cover) or something that means something to your business and/or values. You want this to look professional and modern.
Great – you’re all set. Now what?
4. ‘Follow’ relevant accounts – The next step is to start following relevant people and companies. Twitter will provide suggestions on who to follow, but you can also search using company names, names of people or even key words. Once you follow someone, you will see their posts in your newsfeed when you log-in to Twitter in the future. Keep in mind though that just because you’re following them, does not mean they’re following you back.
5. Learn from these accounts – Look at what companies and people with a lot of followers are posting about and how often. You’ll find you have similar news and thoughts to share, and now you have the platform to do so.
Get noticed (for the right reasons)
6. Tweet! – Build followers of your own by posting engaging content. Tweet about company news and services you offer, but also change it up from time and time and tweet about relevant industry news and team outings. Include images and video when possible, tag in any applicable accounts and use relevant hashtags (i.e. #business #Nottingham #London etc).
7. Tweet consistently – Being active on social media shows that your company is active and thriving. Posting regularly can also help boost your SEO.
8. Engage with others – Tweeting isn’t always just posting a new tweet. Comment on other posts and engage in conversations, and like and retweet posts.
9. Remember to be professional and use a common-sense approach; if you wouldn’t say it verbally within a professional environment, don’t post it.
10. Triple check content before posting to ensure there are no errors.
If you follow these ten steps, you’ll be well on your way to building an engaged online community to raise your company’s online profile. Once you get to grips with Twitter, you can then start looking into growing your presence on other platforms, such as Instagram or LinkedIn. Watch this space for top tips to get you started on these platforms…