SMO: How to Tweet Successfully | The Digital Clicks Blog
With over 200 million users, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by Twitter and get lost in the sea of conversation. So what can you do to get noticed? Not everyone on Twitter is interested in the same things, and only certain users will care about what you generally tweet about. However, there are a few things you can do on Twitter to help you stand out and maximise your social media optimisation (SMO) potential on the site: Show Your Face: Don’t be shy; users are far more likely to notice and connect with a close-up face shot that makes eye contact rather than just a logo. For businesses, a logo is often preferred, which is understandable. Nonetheless, it’s my personal belief that a face shot will make it easier for users to recognise and remember your profile. Choose Your Username Wisely: If it’s your name or brand, that’s great. You might even want to be experimental (particularly for personal Twitter accounts) and choose something random, informal, or a little controversial. But whatever you do, avoid unnecessary “X” kisses and meaningless spam of numbers. For example, “XX_BIEBERDUDE94_XX” is not a good Twitter handle. Stick to something memorable and eye-catching, and that rolls off the tongue nicely. Remember, this is your Twitter identity. Who Are You?: With only 160 characters to describe yourself, your “about me” section needs to be perfect. Be clear and concise. Summarise who you are, and what your role is, and give people a taste of your character, and what they can expect you to tweet about. This section appears next to your name and picture when users search for “Who to Follow.” Go Unprivate: One of the major differences between social media giants like Facebook and Twitter is privacy. On Facebook, you share posts with friends and family, while on Twitter, you’re joining a worldwide conversation. Making your profile private on Twitter nullifies its purpose and renders it useless as an online marketing tool. Useful Tweets: Avoid posting trivial updates like “is eating toast for breakfast lol"—save that for Facebook. On Twitter, you want to share content that people can use, such as interesting articles, hilarious videos, or blog posts. If you find it useful, so will others. Retweeting: This is one of the coolest features of Twitter and highlights its extremely public nature. A great tweet can spread like wildfire. Be sure to retweet great content from other accounts and give them a reason to want to retweet you in the future. Hashtagging: A hashtag is a word preceded by a # that becomes a clickable tag for that tweet. Think of it as a way of categorising or adding a topic to your tweets when there’s no room to explain. For example, “I am not a fan of people using XX or unnecessary numbers in their Twitter usernames. #SocialMedia” would appear for users searching “Twitter” or "#SocialMedia." Follow Back: If you have 1,000 followers and only follow 30 people, you might come off as a snob. Similarly, if you’re following 10,000 and only have 100 followers, it could indicate that your tweets are not interesting enough to encourage people to follow back. If you find yourself in either of these situations, consider how you’re using Twitter. Tweet Often, But Not Too Often: Tweet when something evokes emotion or has a direct effect on you. Anger? Laughter? Happiness? Share it with the world! However, there’s a limit. No one cares about what you ate for breakfast, where you’re checking in, or those song lyrics that seem deep but actually make you sound like a tool. Keep your tweets frequent and relevant. There are many ways to use Twitter depending on your style and target audience. Stick to these universal guidelines, and you’ll be well on your way to using Twitter effectively as part of your internet marketing strategies.