Cultivate a Voice on Twitter

October 17, 2012 | COMMENTS

Twitter can be a great tool for engaging members and developing interest among nonmembers.

Businesses of all sizes use Twitter for a variety of reasons, from marketing to customer service, according to PC Mag.

The magazine offers five tips and best practices for using the social media platform as a business tool:

1. Define your purpose. What do you want to accomplish? Don't brush Twitter off as a simple way to drive traffic to your website. It's more than that. Think of Twitter as a tool that can help your credit union achieve its goals.
   
   
2. Tap the right tweeters. Just because your intern is young and knows a thing or two about social media doesn't mean she should be the one in control of this powerful platform. Keep in mind that information spreads very quickly. The best Twitter users are people who are knowledgeable, good listeners, and trustworthy.
   
   
3. Cultivate a voice. Followers should relate to your brand on Twitter. Have a "voice" or identity. Designated tweeters should use their real names. And let them tweet what's natural and comfortable, within your policy parameters.
   
   
4. Follow the right people. Follow interesting and influential people. Maintain a clean list of followers (block the spammers), find connected users by using the search feature, and then develop relationships with these followers.
   
   
5. Have a sense of humor. No one likes a drone. You don't have to crack jokes, but your members and potential members will appreciate a positive and light-hearted attitude.