If you have a Twitter account for your business and you want to grow your following and increase views, you need to make sure that your Tweet has all the right elements in place to hit the largest audience possible. In this post, I’m going to break down a Tweet so you can analyze how to compose your content going forward.
For the purpose of this blog post, I’m going to make up a business. Nothing about the business is real; I’m just using it as an example.
Okay, we have a chic, new Mexican restaurant. I’m going to name it “Santorini’s,” and it’ll be located in Austin, Texas. Santorini’s attracts a lot of young, trendy customers who love cocktails. They just launched a new menu of happy hour drink specials and appetizers. Below is an example of a generic Tweet which I will edit to include items that will improve its influence and effectiveness (keep in mind you only have 140 characters, including spaces).
“Santorini’s new happy hour menu – check it out! (URL link to menu inserted here)”
As you can see, this is very basic: kinda bland, kinda boring, not very engaging, etc. Let’s give it some life and fuel. I mean, the purpose of the Tweet is to get people to check out the menu and want to go to the restaurant, isn’t it?
1. Include Relevant #Hashtags:
The # symbol, called a hash, is used to mark keywords or topics, also known as “tags,” in a Tweet. So # + tag = “hashtag.” They were created as a way to categorize messages on Twitter.
You can click on hashtags to view all Tweets containing that tag. “Twitter Trends” inform users of the most popular hashtags and key words at any given time, but we’ll talk more about that later.
2. Include location-based Hashtags and GeoTags for cities where you’re located:
GeoTagging is when you identify the location of a particular Tweet or other piece of information, often by using the GPS system of a mobile device.
You can use Twitter’s Tweet Location Feature to GeoTag your Tweet. When you compose a message, you will see two icons in the lower left. One is to upload an image, which looks like a camera, and the other, the crosshairs icon, allows you to select the location of your tweet.
You can also adjust your preferences so locations are added to your Tweets automatically. Simply visit you “Settings” page and select your preference under the “Tweet location” heading.
Hashtags like #austineats and #texasfood are more examples of using tags to reach a particular demographic based on location. But it’s important to do your research to find out which hashtags people in your area are actually using, but more on that in number 3.
If you’re a location-based business, such as our restaurant example, research and use any hashtags and keywords that are frequently used by people in your area and use them in your tweets.
3. Create Tweets based on Trending Topics:
Trending topics or Twitter Trends are the hashtags and keywords that are most prevalent on Twitter at any given time. With the current layout, these should be displayed on the lower left side of your dashboard. You can view worldwide and national trends, or change your trends to display topics from a particular metropolitan area.
Okay, so I’ve selected Austin to see what topics are trending around the location of our restaurant example, Santorini’s (nope, I didn’t forget about it!).
Current topics are: #RulesOfTexting, #PickupLineOfTheNight, #WeGoTogetherLike, Dennis Rodman and Camp Rock, along with some others.
Here’s what my new Tweet looks like based on everything I’ve talked about so far and a little research:
“#WeGoTogetherLike Sangrias and salsa! Check out our new Happy Hour menu [LINK] #Austin #food #drinks”
And I’m also going to make sure my Location Settings are turned on and set to Austin, so not only do I have the location mentioned in my Tweet, I also make sure it is GeoTagged based on my actual location.
Do you have any tips to share on how you Tweet for your business? (P.S. learn more social media tips like this at our upcoming Take Your Business to the Next Level event!)
image credit: craftedwebmaster.com
