If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to jump into the real-time social media stream that is Twitter, can I just say “Geronimo”?
Seriously, now is THE time to take the plunge.
Because of a new partnership with Google, which allows tweets to show up in Google searches, an undetermined number of people could see what you post on Twitter.
This. Is. Huge.
Why?
As we all know, Google is the search engine of choice for many online visitors. According to Internet Live Stats, Google now processes more than 40,000 search queries every second on average, which translates to more than 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches worldwide annually.
That’s a whole lot of opportunities to reach a much broader audience than you normally would solely through Twitter.
What does this mean for the average marketer or company seeking greater brand awareness?
Much greater exposure … potentially, considering that, on average, Twitter sees 5,700 tweets per second.
Obviously not each tweet is going to show up on Google. It’s important to craft the best tweets for search.
Things to keep mind:
- Twitter is a real-time social media network, meaning that whatever you share with your followers should have a sense of immediacy. You don’t want to share 4-day-old news and expect it to be retweeted or to trend on Google. Instead, do your best to stay up-to-date on important topics – all relevant to your audience, of course – in Twitter land.
- Share news that your followers (and beyond) care about. If you’re taken aback by a TV show season finale, share it on Twitter for greater visibility and a chance to bond (albeit virtually) with others who might be interested in this topic.
- Monitor conversations with relevant hash tags. If you’re not using hash tags in your post or you’re not seeing what other users are posting with those same words, you could be missing out. Hash tags are a short hand for anyone on Twitter who is searching for or is interested in that specific topic.
- Keep tabs on trending topics (and tweet about them when it makes sense). Sometimes the most unlikely stories or social media shares will turn viral, meaning potentially thousands of more eyeballs on your post. Obviously a viral story shared on Twitter has the potential to become big simply because it will show up on Google and have a far greater reach.
The golden rule of Twitter, if there is one, is to just take the plunge. You will be glad you did, if not for the increased amount of followers/engagement or traffic on your Website or blog, then for help spreading your message to a wider audience – without any additional effort. For help in getting started with Twitter, call Theresa Katalinas at 215-519-8833.
