3. Tweeting - the essential elements
Broadcasting your business to the world can be daunting. But at least constructing a tweet isn’t too difficult.
There are a wide variety of social media channels at your disposal. As a tourism business, it’s important to decide which ones work best for you.
In this article, we will look at Twitter. Explore what it is, how it works, and why you should consider it in your social media marketing strategy.
Twitter is an easy and convenient way to connect with your customers using short, succinct messages.
1. Why should I use Twitter for my business?
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Share information and content
A tweet may contain photos, GIFs, videos, links, and up to 280 characters of text. This gives you lots of options when it comes to posting information and updates.
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Drive engagement
Twitter can help to increase your reach and engagement for promotional activities. Post a Tweet when you write a blog or have a larger marketing campaign to showcase.
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Interact with consumers
Consumers are looking for meaningful connections with organisations just like yours.
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Network with your industry
Connect with your customers, find out what your competitors are up to and engage with experts in your field.
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Manage your reputation
Many consumers come to Twitter to offer feedback to businesses. Responding quickly and openly to customer queries helps to build your reputation.
2. How to set up a Twitter page?
Here’s how to set up an account
Before you start building an audience for your tweets, you will have to set up a Twitter account. This won’t take long.
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1
Create a username
You will need to create a username and password. Your username is unique to you on Twitter and an @ symbol will precede it.
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2
Add a photo
Include a profile photo that is representative of your business. Make sure you include your company name and logo.
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3
Add key messages
Your profile should contain key messages that you want to promote about your business.
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4
Personalise your page
You can personalise and customise your page with different colours, themes and appearances in settings.
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5
Set up notifications
Make sure to set up notifications so that you receive alerts when someone mentions your business.
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280 characters
Tweets are short and sweet, only 280 characters allowed. This means you have to be direct with your marketing message.
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#hashtags
Hashtags start with the ‘#’ symbol, then have a word or words following it. People use them to denote a trending topic on Twitter or create a theme for a series of tweets.
When used correctly hashtags can help people find your business. You can use more than one hashtag in a Tweet. But it’s important to make sure that they are relevant to your audience and customers. For example, #scotland, #hotelnews, #travel, #WishYouWereHere.
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@ symbol
If you type the @ symbol in front of the Twitter handle of another user, you "mention" that other user. For example, @visitscotland.
Twitter users can see each tweet they’re mentioned in. This is a way to communicate with other individuals and businesses as well as add context to your tweets.
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Tweet frequency
There is no right or wrong answer to how often you should tweet. What will work for one business might not work for another.
Start out by tweeting when you have something interesting to say. Don't forget to look at your engagement after a month or two, as this should help you develop a strategy.
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Tone of voice
Twitter is a conversational platform, so don’t be too formal in your language.
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Direct messages
If a Twitter user is following you, you can send them a direct message. This is a private note that can only the recipient can see. It is a good way to liaise with customers who don’t want to have a public conversation.
4. How to drive engagement on Twitter
Twitter moves quickly and users have access to a continual stream of information. This means it can be difficult to get your messages noticed.
This is particularly true when you are first starting out and haven’t built up much of an audience. Here are a few techniques that should lead to better engagement.
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Share images and video
As is true for most social platforms, images and video resonate with Twitter users. According to research by social media management tool Buffer, tweets with images receive 150% more retweets.
As a tourism business you should have an advantage when it comes to standout imagery.
Use hashtags
Another way to improve your visibility on Twitter is to use hashtags. One or two relevant hashtags in your tweet will help users find your message.
Always keep an eye out for trending hashtags that are relevant to your business. You can do this by looking at competitors, your audience or your industry leaders.
Include links
Tweets with links increase interaction. Including a link creates a call to action that your customers can click on. But make sure to vary your links.
Engage with other users’ content
You can’t expect to drive engagement if you aren’t active. Comment on, like and share other posts to encourage people to visit your profile. It’s also important to respond when someone tweets you directly.
Don’t tweet too much
You might think that tweeting all the time will help your visibility. While this may be true, it can hurt your engagement.
Tweeting every 10 minutes will probably turn your audience off. But tweet once a month and users might not be able to see you.
Keep your tweeting frequency at a sensible level by creating a content calendar.
5. Using analytics
Track the content you post and:
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analyse content that is performing well
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dig into audience interests and consumer behaviour
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experiment with different types of content
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master timing and refine your content
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set measurable goals, for example, increase mentions by 15%
Find lots of great tips on how to leverage Twitter to meet your business goals.