Using Twitter to promote a startup or brand? Here are the basics.
1. Every tweet should have a link.
(Instead of ‘We just published our 500th post!’ Try ‘We just published our 500th post! Check it out: http://bit.ly/a8Du7’)
2. Every link should be a shortened link (via http://bit.ly, http://tinyurl.com, etc). This is so that links don’t get broken in retweets or aggregators.
3. When possible, every tweet should have a call-to-action or ‘ask.’
4. References to people or groups on Twitter should include their @username.
Hint: The best place to search for Twitter users is still Google.
5. Engage with anyone who references the brand. Amplify the praise, and swiftly and respectfully address criticism. The customer is always right. Always.
For instance, respond to a negative tweet with
@potentialcustomer Sorry to hear that! How can we help?
6. Every tweet should leave enough characters that it can be effortlessly retweeted with enough characters to include your username.
Update: In the new Twitter functionality, this is not a concern, but some users still manually enter Retweets.
7. Save searches for your brand, username, space and scan frequently.
8. Create Twitter Lists that underscore your authority on a space or industry, and supports your biggest fans.
9. Pick an "Information Function" and frequency and stay consistent. (I.e. Fashion tips, useful politics links, haiku)
10. As a basic requirement, try not to tweet more frequently than every 20 minutes. Exceptions: Coverage of live events, hashtags to signify a Twitter "discussion."
11. Try not to tweet less frequently than once a day, or potential followers might assume you have a dormant account.