You are what you Tweet: 10 Tips For Small Businesses Using Twitter In Qatar

1. Have clear objectives – Establish a focused objective and stick to a strategy that seeks to achieve it. Being present on Twitter for the sake of it is not a strategy. Are you looking to be a thought leader? Do you want to provide better customer service? Are you trying to drive more sales? Figure out what you want to do and then do it.

2. Create a great profile - Your profile ultimately defines your brand image on Twitter. Make sure it reflects everything that your company is about, from the profile picture to the biography. Your first impression can make a lasting impression.

3. Be visible - Make sure there are clear links on your homepage to your Twitter account. Use share and follow buttons on individual pages or pieces of content. In addition, look to drive people offline to online with your handle printed on all marketing material.

4. Follow those who matter – If it is your customers who mean everything to you, then they are the ones who you should be following, as well as the most influential people in your industry.

5. Be distinct and personal – Develop a distinct voice in your Tweets that encapsulates your business and can help your followers relate with you in a better way. Your personal interaction with customers and clear passion for your products will win over users. In many ways this personalisation will be what consumers seek your business out for, and set you apart from the big brands.

 6. React - Keep an eye on Twitter trends. Tailor the trends according to your location and include the emerging hashtags in your Tweets to get more visibility. However, you must be sure to use the hashtags intelligently and make them part of your Tweets. Using irrelevant hashtags at the end of every Tweet will only make you look like a spammer and, obviously, hurt your brand’s image.

7. Engage - Start retweeting interesting posts from others. Participate in discussions. Search on your company name and find customers with problems – then solve them.

8. Repeat yourself – If it is worth saying once, it’s worth saying again and again and again. Not everyone is online all the time so you need to make sure that your best Tweets are seen by as many of your followers as possible. Spread similar messages throughout the day so that they appear in all your followers’ timelines.

9. Analyse – Ensure your analytics function is switched on for your Twitter account (go to analytics.twitter.com). There is a lot of data available to help you identify which Tweets got the highest engagement rates, how many people saw them and what time of day works best for you. Use this data to tweak what you post going forward, from the type of content you use to the days of the week you make big announcements.

10. Know the law  - Just because you say it on Twitter, does not mean it is outside the law. There have been numerous instances globally of people falling afoul of the law for what they said on Twitter and the same is true in Qatar with the Cybercrime Law. Like anywhere, provided you remain respectful and honest, you should not encounter any legal issues.

by Peter Ganney, digital campaign director, Hill + Knowlton Strategies.