SOCIAL MEDIA + YOU

Do you run a company Twitter account? Are you on the fence about running a company Twitter account? Or, are you a Twitter user that follows your favorite brands on Twitter? 

Then this post is for you.

I’ve talked about my personal rules for how many people I follow on Twitter. I believe that it’s difficult to manage my account when I follow more than 100 people. For example: when I start following too many people, I notice I miss tweets from those that I really care about. When tweets just become noise, or they are jumbled, I know I’ve let my account get out of hand.

I follow one brand, one sports team, and one news publication on Twitter. I follow approximately 10-15 celebrities and comedians. The rest are friends, real life people that I know and talk to on a regular basis. 

How did I choose the 3 brands I follow, and why… (and also, why there are only 3)…

I follow @goincase for 2 reasons:

1. They are both informative about new products, and offer special deals every several weeks. They provide an incentive for me to follow them. I know that by following them, I may have access to deals that I would otherwise not know about.
2. They follow me back. I’ve had a few exchanges with @goincase in the past through Twitter. It’s a give and receive relationship, one that has become personal. They’ve answered questions in a timely manner, and in turn, I feel like I have a relationship with the company.

I follow @sfgiants for 2 reasons:

1. They provide incentives for me to follow them. When I go to a game, they provide in-game contests through Twitter. During baseball season they provide helpful stats, and special deals that I would otherwise not have access to.
2. They’ve tweeted me several times. Once again, there has been a relationship here. I feel like I’ve invested in them, and they’ve invested back in me.

I follow @Buzzfeed for 2 reasons:

1. I like to keep up with the latest and greatest viral media on the web. This Twitter account provides instant content, which keeps me up to date and in the know without having to spend too much time on their website.
2. They follow me too, and we’ve had quite a bit of correspondence. @Buzzfeed featured me on their blog, and have RT’d quite a few of my tweets. Since @Buzzfeed has quite a large following, that helped me gain a stronger presence on Twitter. Once again, this is a give and receive relationship - we both gain from each other.

What’s the common ground here?

1. These Twitter accounts provide incentives. They give me a reason to follow them and keep coming back for more.
2. They are active in creating and maintaining relationships with their followers. They’re on top of their game, and it makes me feel like we’ve connected.

Why do I only follow 3 “brands”?

It all comes back to my Twitter management. If I follow EVERY brand I like, I will be buried in tweets. I picked some of my favorites, and follow them. I might follow a new brand or news source if I can see a strong return… but I don’t want a brand wasting valuable real estate on my Twitter account.

What does this mean for you?

• If you are in charge of a company account make sure you’re present and alert. It’s important to be accessible if you have a company Twitter account. Create relationships with your followers. Don’t follow everyone back, but follow key influencers or customers. Answer questions quickly and efficiently and most of all, be a friend. Most importantly, don’t become noise on your followers timelines. Post enough, but not too much. And be relevant, the last thing your follower wants is to feel spammed by your company.
• If you are in charge of a company account provide incentives for your followers. If someone follows you, it’s because they like your brand. If your account is boring, they’ll unfollow you and your effectiveness in social media will plummet. Offer special deals, let people in on “company secrets” (OK maybe not real secrets, but make your followers feel like they’re secrets). Keep your followers informed about the latest and greatest your company has to offer, provide sneak peeks. Create contests for your followers to enter with a chance to win some swag. Be involved, be creative, and most importantly be generous. The incentives will pay off in the long run.
• If you follow brands on Twitter, help them out and be their friend. If your favorite brand tweets something you find interesting or cool, give them a RT or a shout out. Let others know how awesome this brand is at social media.
• If you follow brands on Twitter, engage in conversation. Ask questions… remember, the person running your favorite brand’s Twitter account, is a person. They are a representative of the company and they want to get to know you. Be engaged and you might be surprised by the outcome.

Do you engage with your followers daily? Do you have any other good social media brand practices? 

Do you engage with the brands you follow on a regular basis? Have you had any surprising outcomes from a Twitter relationship?