The Architecture of a Social Networking Strategy (Part 4) - Twitter

We hear a lot of questions about Twitter - how to get started, how to use it, how to get more readers and followers. Here are four best practices we’ve found to be successful, specifically to those just getting started.

 

1) Use hashtags (“#” before your keyword) that are relevant to your audience. People will read your tweets if they follow you or find your content via a keyword search. Hashtags extend your reach beyond those who are following you, and help you accelerate new followers directly to your account. Tools like http://hashtags.org/ can help you find popular keywords. But don’t over-tag in a single tweet - no more than 3 hashtags per tweet.

 

2) Make your tweets a two-way street. Don’t just publish, participate in the conversation. If you see something that piques your interest, retweet it or respond to the Tweeter. This increases exposure to you and your message.

 

3) Write for your audience, not for yourself. Twitter’s not a press release page and it’s not your church newsletter. If you turn your Twitter account into a promotional channel, it’ll be difficult to get a wider audience. Think about reaching people who don’t yet know your church. Draw them in through content they care about (independent of your church).

 

4) Have a personality. Take time to interact and develop your public voice. Someone should be the “owner” of your Twitter account – tweeting, responding, and keeping it active. Others can contribute content and ideas, but have someone responsible for the account.