Twitter - more than a soapbox!

A lot of people think of Twitter as a ONE-TO-MANY platform of communication. Yes, you can reach the masses but Twitter has grown because of its ability to connect people tribe to tribe. It's not about reaching woman aged 35 to 49. You aren't just reaching markets; you're reaching targeted people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say.

If you use Twitter more like a ONE-TO-ONE communication platform, you'll have more success with it. Think of it as telling your close friend something important to improve their life in some small way or to connect them with someone who can help them accomplish something. Every time you use Twitter to tell your followers that you "like the colour blue", you risk using them.

Ask yourself these important questions before you tweet:

1. Am I sharing useful information that can make a difference in some or all of my followers lives?

2. Is it what I want to say or what THEY want to hear... focusing on the latter builds a richer brand and more respect for you and your advice.

3. Does it have longevity? The answer doesn't always have to be yes... but it lives online and when it's archival information, it has more value for longer.

4. Is it relevant to your company or personal brand... is it what people signed up for?

5. When was the last time I tweeted? This one is tricky. If you tweet too much, people tend to ignore the majority of tweets due to their busy lives. If you tweet too little, you aren't top of mind. It's important that you find the right mix for your followers and only YOU can determine that.

Twitter is a great tool but if you abuse it or over use it, it can work against you. Only you can know what strategy works best for your brand and your followers so do take the time to think seriously about the Value Proposition for them. You'll be glad you did.

by Laura James, Producer at VideoBIO