Make sure to upgrade your social media strategy to avoid a Twitter meltdown.
Bnet.com recently published an article by Donna Fenn and Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite, in which they discussed the potential dangers of Twitter. Fenn points out that Twitter can be a free-for-all where things can quickly go bad, even for companies like McDonalds. Despite all good intentions, at some point in time, it is nearly inevitable that someone will tweet something negative. Holmes points out, however, that certain steps in your social media strategy can be taken to help reduce the chance of a Twitter meltdown.
Holmes suggests new Twitter users begin by “taking off their seller’s hat.” He advises: “Your followers will be much more receptive of your promotions if you set yourself up as a news source and an opinion leader in your market, instead of a sales person.” He goes on to say “You should think of Twitter as nine parts fun, interesting, engaging information and one part soft marketing. People tune out to self-promotional messaging.”
Another suggestion is to “close the floodgates.” Being mindful of how often you tweet can decrease your chances of generating a negative comment or being blocked. Flooding the Twitter stream can irritate followers making them less likely to follow you or acknowledge your tweets. If you have a lot of say, consider using a Twitter platform such as Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to schedule your tweets throughout the day.
A final suggestion is to “monitor your Twitter account.” “You’ve got two ears and one mouth,” says Holmes. “So listen to the conversations that people are having.” Know what your followers are saying about your brand, your competitors, and key topics that are related. Interact with the people that are following and retweeting you, and make sure to thank them for their retweets and comments.
