I came across this article recently and loved the tips it provided for brands looking to build their Twitter presence. I think the tips are applicable beyond building a Twitter presence–these are great ways to find brand ambassadors (people that voluntarily sing the praises of your company) on Twitter!
I’ve added my notes on finding and creating brand ambassadors in italics, so read on and get ready to get friendly with your followers!
Businesses hoping to gain brand recognition and customer appreciation often take to social media in order to demonstrate approachability. Social media can be a great way for companies to promote new products, create customer loyalty, and generally appear to be more than just a corporation.
Social media is also a great way to connect with the people who really love your brand. Because it’s easier to send a Tweet than to write and mail a letter, customer feedback is at an all-time high and your company can take advantage of it!
You need to start small and determine what message your brand intends to communicate to the consumer. If your brand caters to younger people, a more casual and off-the-cuff tone can be more appropriate than a tone that might be more sedate, like a legal organization might require.
Make sure the person operating the Twitter account adheres to the right tone for your brand in order to keep continuity in the mind of the client. Two or three tweets per day is all that it takes to stay on the customer’s radar.
As you craft your tone, keep the people who are going to feel most excited and passionate about your brand in mind. Talk to them. Talk like them. Give them value. Brand ambassadors that will gush about your company and recommend you to others have to first and foremost feel connected to your brand.
Think of these examples: I’m likely to recommend and talk nonstop about a product that soothed my baby’s colic during those 3:00AM crying jags, a long-standing restaurant in my neighborhood that serves the best lasagna, or the hospital that took good care of my grandma after a major procedure. Why? Because I feel connected to them. It feels natural for me to promote a brand or product that I truly believe in and use.
Some companies offer loyalty programs like product raffles, contests, and giveaways, or special coupons that are available only from their Twitter accounts.
Other companies provide a reason to return by posting links to extra content that is not available to someone who is merely browsing the company website. Whatever the method you use to accomplish this, the goal should be to make the customer want to come back to your online presence, much as a store would attempt to retain customer loyalty in a physical location.
Your product may be great on its own, but do something special–something small, yet memorable–to take your brand further. Some companies add stickers, samples, or spritzes of perfume to shipped orders to give the customer a special surprise upon opening. The unexpected treat of receiving more than you ordered can be enough to transform your customer into a full-blown brand ambassador!
Don’t be too business-like, or people will fail to see your company as relatable. If someone complains about your company for whatever reason, he or she should be made to feel that there is a person on the other end of the Internet somewhere who will take the time to write a short apology for their inconvenience and attempt to fix the problem if it is possible.
This requires someone at your company to monitor Twitter for references to your business, and pays dividends in the long run by creating client goodwill. Customers tend to retweet these events and as a result, even more people take note of the company.
Clearly, earning brand ambassadors on Twitter requires you to show your human side. It’s easiest for people to feel connected to brands who use a little humor, ask their followers questions, and transparently address their shortcomings. And once you’ve got people feeling connected to your brand…
A common mistake many companies make on their Twitter feeds is to feed their followers information and not require participation. Everyone wants to feel that their opinion is important, so a good Twitter feed will take advantage of that fact and solicit opinions from followers on all kinds of topics.
“Which product is your favorite?” Goes much further than “Our products are consumer favorites!” And asking “What do you think we should name our new product?” Will result in many more responses than, “We are choosing a name for our much-anticipated new product!” Whether the responses that are received end up being used isn’t the point; building rapport is, and people value a company that inquires of the customer.
Followers, in their numbers alone, don’t do you any good unless they’re engaging with your content and posts. Keep them engaged, reply to their mentions, and stay inquisitive to turn regular old followers into Brand Ambassadors!
Many businesses start a Twitter account because it is “the right move” in the current environment, but without engaging the clients, expressing a human quality, creating a reason to return, or holding a specific and predetermined tone, the account goes dormant.
Two or three tweets per day is all that it takes to stay on the customer’s radar and remind them that your business exists and is attempting to create an approachable presence in the Twitter-sphere.
Carry that consistency over to your branding as well: your company’s profile and header photos should clearly show your brand’s logo or name. Coordinating these aspects of your profile is a simple way to leave an all-important impression of your brand on visitors and followers.
Technology and social media only continue to advance, and each form of social media has its own unique challenges to adapt to, but the primary concern for you should always be to ask, “How will the consumer perceive this?” As long as these five simple guidelines inform the way your company handles its social media presence, Twitter will be a great place to build your brand and create your community.
And as long as you pay attention to your followers consistently, you can find and create brand ambassadors that will carry your company’s name to the masses and boost your growth!
How do you show reliability and consistency to your customers?
∗This article by Bryan Rainey originally appeared on the ValidBrands.com. Additions in Italics by Debra Carpenter.
