Those that are contemplating starting a social media program always ask “What does a tweet look like?” The short answer is that it is anything that fits in 140 characters or less. That answer doesn’t really help the new guy very much though so let me try to explain it a little better.

It is true that a tweet is 140 characters or less. While 140 characters doesn’t seem like enough space to say anything, by using a little shorthand (abbreviations and such) and using a link shortener, you will be surprised at how much can be said in that 140 characters. I know I was. 140 characters is actually longer than the average classified ad and is close to as much text as in any other kind of print advertisement. The point I am trying to make is not that you should be tweeting just advertisements, but that if these types of print ads is enough space to get a message across then tweets are too.

The point of social media is to be social. It is to develop relationships with your customers and prospective customers – anyone that chooses to listen to you (follows you) on Twitter. It is your opportunity to share a little of yourself with others. (For more information on types of things to tweet about, you might be interested in this post.)

Ok, let’s look at what can be said in 140 characters or less.

“(The Comedy Attic) This coming weekend! We are so very excited to bring Tig Notaro to The Comedy Attic! No Moleste! http://bit.ly/aIDA6Z”

This is a tweet that @ComedyAttic posted and it is 136 characters (without the quotes, of course). They were able to tell who they are, who’s going to perform at their place next weekend, the name of the performance and a link to additional information. That’s a lot of information and I can’t think of anything else they would have wanted or needed to say.

“Must be a sign! RT @pncakluvr: Passing the @TacoBell offices in Irvine, as I munch on Nachos Bell Grande. What…are the chances??”

This one is a little different. @TacoBell wrote “Must be a sign!” and then retweeted (RT) what @pncakluvr said about @TacoBell. This retweet is 134 characters and is acknowledging that @pncakluvr mentioned @TacoBell. They are kind of saying thank you for the word of mouth advertising.

“Thanks for a great Saturday. You made it special.”

This tweet by @zydecos is very short – only 52 characters but what an impact it makes. It is letting their customers know that their business did well on Saturday and that it was because of their customers – customers that they really appreciate.

As you can see, quite a lot can be said in 140 characters or less. The best way to answer the question “What does a tweet look like?” is to go ahead and sign up for your free account at Twitter and just start looking around.

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or email us through the “Contact Us” form.

Photo credit: YiyingLu

Do you spend much time on Twitter observing how others communicate? I do and I must say I love it. It is so fascinating to see how different people use it and more importantly, how different businesses use it. You really can learn a lot by watching.

Ok, I realize that to some this may sound a little weird and maybe I am a little weird but I really do learn many different things while observing how businesses use Twitter. Sure, there are many books that teach the basics of social media but to really stay current and understand what’s happening, I find that by doing my own research I learn much more. Hopefully I am able to pass along some of this information to you so you don’t have to do the research.

Many businesses just tweet about business, some to the point of only tweeting advertisements. Tweeting about advertisements may work for some but it certainly doesn’t develop any relationships. On the other end of the scale are those that tweet about only personal things and seem to forget that their purpose was to develop a community around their business. I’ve seen some that seem to say only negative things which certainly isn’t going to develop relationships unless, I suppose, others that feel the same way find them. I’m not sure that will benefit your business though. Anyway, neither of these examples are really the best use of Twitter.

Yes, it’s important to get your advertisements out there and yes, it’s important to get yourself out there. A blend of both is really a better way to approach your social media campaign though. The beauty of social media is the ability to develop relationships; relationships with customers and prospective customers, as well as with other businesses.

First, it’s OK to be yourself. In fact it’s more than OK to be yourself. What you are trying to accomplish is to let people know who YOU are. Knowing you will clue people in to what the values of your business are. If your husband, wife or the kids tweet to you during the day, as long as it’s not too personal, that’s great. It lets your followers know that you really are a real person, not just a business. If you tweet to, or retweet something of a neighboring business, that’s great too. It demonstrates to your followers that you care about your community.

And then, of course, you should be tweeting about your business. Tweet your special offers along with other information you think your followers would be interested in. If something is happening at your business that you are excited about or find interesting, then your followers probably will too.

Last, but not least, be sure to respond to people that mention you. Check your @YOU page to see what people are saying about you and respond. This is a great way to get conversations started and to let people know you appreciate them and what they are saying about you.

Oh, and one more thing – Have fun with it!

Photo credit: Rosaura Ochoa