Lessons Learned from Twitter
Working as a search engine optimization agent for the last ten years, I have seen priorities shifting from maintaining attractive META tags on a site to neglecting a static site altogether for social media. As people toward more toward Facebook and Twitter to rely information, so it becomes the task of the SEO specialist to adapt to change and become an expert at the next hot thing. Now, with every SEO client we obtain a Twitter account is created in order to keep followers on the pulse of company happenings, sales, and other news.
Question is, how does one attract that audience from scratch?
In the time I’ve used Twitter, personally and professionally, I’ve learned a number of things about this particular social network, especially with regards to how it compares to other sites:
1) Twitter can be a lightning-fast grapevine. Other users may attest, but I know I learned of the deaths of Walter Cronkite and Dominick Dunne on my online Twitter reader, before I saw a news broadcast or wire. The speed with which news can pass along thousands of Twitter users is nothing short of amazing. If a savvy business can harness that speed and cooperation to promote products and services, more power to them.
2) If used properly, Twitter is an effective tool for activism. When a major online retailer allegedly removed a portion of products from its general search functionality, users cried foul and word spread throughout Twitter calling for a protest. Within days all was restored to its original state. These days, too, user change avatar colors and add badges to their profiles to advertise their cause. Twitter activism brings awareness to different points of view.
3) The quality of follows/followers is more important than quantity. Yes, if you use Twitter to promote products and services, it’s natural to want thousands of people following your feed. It’s an ego boost, of sorts, to think so many people are hanging on your every post. Yet when I look at the long list following me, I see a number of “spam” accounts mixed in with the legitimate users, and it’s sobering news. If you use Twitter for business, focus on the people who follow you for you, and be yourself. Don’t feel you have to hard sell all the time, lest you lose customers. You might find with even a small following you can sell big – that small circle of followers may “re-tweet” your feed, and in turn do the promotion for you.
Whether you find it a necessary tool in your SEO plan, or an addictive fad, there’s no denying that Twitter is a useful format for communication. Have fun with your account, and you’ll find you’ll learn quite a bit from using this social network to help you personally and professionally.
Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Virginia Beach website design and professional SEO writing services.
