In just several years since it went public, the social media platform Twitter has experienced declining revenue growth. Few would speculate that this is a foreboding sign the company itself is on its way out of the social media space. Not when they have over 300-million monthly users!
Currently ranked at #9 by Statista, the platform seriously isn’t doing its users any favors by prolonging the true and final death of their 140-character or less text limit. Despite recent changes, Twitter is still somewhat limiting, but they’re definitely making it easier for marketers to engage with customers.
As the company continually updates their platform and releases new automation and paid advertising and user engagement features, the future looks quite bright for businesses looking to increase consumer loyalty and further their brand. It’s unlikely they’ll ever see the top 3 of the social media rankings ever again, but rest assured, Twitter’s here to stay.
Here’s 5 stellar tips you can add to your Twitter loyalty branding strategy right away:
1. Resist using automated responses
Yeah, the automated response feature Twitter recently released is pretty cool, from a tech-geek standpoint. However, it’s not a step forward when it comes to creating a brand that followers are loyal to. Most of us, deep down, actually like engaging with other humans, not robots.
How many of you out there get excited when you call someone you want to talk to and get the answering machine?
Keep your tweets and comments personal and real. Most experts state the perfect number of characters on Twitter hovers right around 110, and engagement further increases (up to 17%) when a professional, humor filled tone is used when engaging with people – this is how they know you’re real and not some canned automation app.
2. DMs are every brand’s gateway to loyal customers
I don’t know how many businesses out there ignore direct messages from their brand followers. You can bet that if you don’t, you’re sending the message that you don’t and won’t engage and/or you just don’t have the time for your followers.
You can forget about being limited to 140 characters when sending a user a direct message through Twitter. They upped the limit to 10,000 over a year ago, and you can send pictures, videos, gifs, emojis and helpful links, too. Imagine the possibilities.
Customers will contact you with general questions, comments, and presales inquiries. If you choose to answer and act like an actual human being, who takes their brand seriously, it’s a given that more sales and brand loyalty will be ushered your way. No business, big or small, can afford to disregard this low-hanging-fruit being offered up to them on a virtual platter.
3. Become a go-to source for information and entertainment
Social is all about sharing information and otherwise entertaining those who follow you. Post up to 3 times daily if you can find useful and relevant information on your industry, or the world in general to share with your followers. Never underestimate the power of a retweet either; retweets extend your reach limitlessly beyond the number of followers you have.
When you’re a trustworthy source of information, who can cite sources when necessary and make people smile and laugh, they’ll be loyal to your brand. At least as long as you can keep a good rhythm using the 80/20 rule of social posts (ie., only 20% of your posts should be about your brand).
Remember: unique pictures, infographs, and video content still rules online!
4. Stop posting content like your on Facebook
Nobody cares about the stupid low-fat bran muffin you ate this morning – unless you’re an established foodie or weight/loss fitness brand. And then only sometimes if that’s what your brand entails. Leave that silliness to the soccer moms on Facebook and Pinterest.
Twitter is still considered to be more of a professional meeting place, and users are looking to learn something valuable when they spend time on the platform. Few will stick by your brand when all you post is mundane, repetitive stuff about yourself, your brand, and your products.
As mentioned in the last tip, success on Twitter comes down to content people can trust, delivered with conscientious use of the Pareto principle as it relates to how brands should post.
5. Use Twitter analytics tools to improve engagement stats
Twitter’s tweet analytics offers plenty of information about how and when people are engaging with your content and your brand. Audience insights can tell you a whole lot about your followers including: which content they prefer most, gender, age, household income, region, general interests, marital status, whether they rent or buy, purchase preferences, and even the carrier they access their accounts from. This information is invaluable for identifying the content you should serve up to them.
For instance, if you’re Richard Branson and company, in the business of selling civilian space flights, your Twitter analytics might make you aware that the value conscious, romance-book-reading followers, who don’t currently own a home probably can’t afford a spot on the first civilian orbital tour of the Earth, whenever it finally happens.
Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Tweetstats, and many others also offer enhanced connectivity to your Twitter analytics accounts. Some of you will find these expanded tools worthwhile, while others will do just fine using the access provided to their analytics from their Twitter account dashboard.
Remember…
Social media allows people and brands to connect with each other from anywhere. The key thing to remember is that you do actually need to connect, on a human level. Automating processes like replying to comments and DMs, content curation and more, might seem like the solution to all of your social media management issues, but nothing beats an actual one-on-one with your followers.
The keys to gaining more loyalty from your followers on Twitter and other platforms is very simple: Be real, be human, be responsive.
