Since Twitter came on the social media scene in 2006, it has become extremely embedded into both our personal and professional communication. News articles and television programs now constantly reference tweets as a part of their stories. What you say on Twitter can now end your career or make you a million dollars.
What is interesting about Twitter is that it has blurred the lines between personal social interaction and commercial discourse. The informal and conversational nature of Twitter allowed businesses to talk to consumers and for consumers to talk back in a way that is much more authentic and transparent than ever before.
For B2B companies, this means Twitter can be an effective communication tool as well as an effective social media marketing strategy. Here are several tips for how to communicate effectively and increase engagement with your tweets:
3 Ways to Use Twitter More Effectively for B2B Marketing
- Get your audience involved in your story.
Twitter is a place for interaction and dialogue, so you need to facilitate the conversation between your brand and your followers. You can do this by asking questions, requesting opinions or posting links to online polls. When your followers engage with you by responding to your questions or retweeting your content, make sure you recognize them for doing so. Thank people when they give you valuable insight and respond quickly when people ask questions of their own.
- Stay on top of what’s happening in the news.
Twitter is about what’s happening now, not what happened five minutes ago. Therefore, your tweets will be much more engaging if they are related to what’s happening in the present moment. That doesn’t mean you should be tweeting about things unrelated to your business; it means you should share any news relevant to what you do with your followers. Bonus points if you can take news unrelated to your business and make it so, like Taco Bell did here:
- Aim for being valuable, rather than going viral.
In the world of B2B sales, it is going to take something truly exceptional for a tweet to go viral. News about software startups and management consulting services just isn’t as sexy as that Kardashian sister’s latest scandal, and it never will be. Don’t try to keep up with the Kardashians. Just try to connect with your followers by offering them value. Give them industry tips and statistics, share educational blog articles, informative webcasts, etc. The more you give to your followers, the more they will give back. If you can offer enough value, your followers will not only become customers, but they will tweet your praises to the rest of the Twitterverse—something most marketers dream of constantly. In the example below, Pardot offers value and entertains simultaneously–the sweet spot we should all be aiming for.
For more on how to use twitter more effectively for B2B marketing, click here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
