Picked up via Pistachio Consulting, is Jeremy Pepper’s post on ‘Twitteriocy’, or some simple rules on how to use a corporate Twitter account, and basic etiquette – inspired by a personal encounter with someone following him.
While I don’t think microblogging benefits from too strict a set of rules, the guidelines he lays out are simple and provide a pretty good grounding.
Be yourself, don’t follow everyone back, use a decent client like Tweetdeck, be engaged, be personable, be responsive, be a person, and remember that social media, including microblogging, doesn’t work for every company or individual.
So something very similar to the best practice for all social media!
I’d add:
- Be realistic, and don’t expect 1000 followers overnight, or 1000 referrals from every link you post.
- Stick with it – if you’re going to use these tools, be prepared for the mid-to-long term commitment needed. It took me two attempts at using Twitter to understand why it was so invaluable and addictive. And far longer to try and find the right level between addiction and a reasonable amount of time investment.
- It might still be worth registering your brand name to stop ‘brandjacking‘, but use it to lead people to your real representatives.
Any more?
You make some great points, especially in the area of followers. Similar to a blog or any other website, it will always take time to build a relationship with your audience.
I also like what you and others have mentioned about registering brand/company names. Even if you don’t plan to use it right away, it’s good to protect it and keep it from the hands of someone who might disrespect it.
See the rest of our notes in reference to Jeremy Pepper’s article on our blog:
http://microblink.com/2008/10/01/dont-let-your-business-get-labeled-as-a-microblogging-idiot/
Mike