Wendy Boyce
Microblogging is understood to be short snippets of information shared across social networks. The most known example of this would be Twitter, with their 140 character “tweets.” Through these types of microblogging services, B2B marketers are now equipped to reach out to or locate prospective leads.
Twitter users, for example, are usually either searching for answers, or are offering something up to help their followers. Twitter uses hashtags to allow users to search for, and follow, specific content themes that interest them. If you are like me, you may be looking at some of the following tweet streams:
- What are your competitors doing?
- What is being said about your brand?
- Who else is out there promoting the same product/service as you?
- Who is looking for the product or service that I sell?
Microblogging has one major limitation in that you are confined to 140 characters. Knowing how to optimize those 140 characters for search is key. Utilization of hashtags and proper keyterms can lead to higher search engine ranking on a particular tweets. Additionally, the more you fine tune your keyterm strategy in your tweets, the more likely you will be to reach your desired audience.
With these short bursts of information, you’ll want to consider how you might capture your followers’ attention. The Twitter stream is a continual blur of activity and conversation. How will you get your tweets noticed? Be concise. Be captivating. Be interesting. Be honest. Be generous. Above all, optimize.
Offer up helpful information that will begin to define you as a thought leader in your area of service or marketplace. Provide content that will supplement the products and services that you sell. Don’t be tweeting just for the purpose of increasing the cash register sales at the end of the day. Work on building relationships, and use language that will help people find you – the right people.
But even smarter than that – use your Web analytics to help you further define your microblogging strategy. Find out what keyterms are converting on your Web site and/or blog. Uncover which pages are generating the most leads and tap into those by building links through your microblogging activity. Monitor which Tweeters are sending traffic to your Web site or blog and through which keywords. Develop your strategies around your top influencers and top performing keywords.
Adversely, allow your Web analytics to show you where you are placing too much effort and not gaining the desired outcome. Which keywords are driving traffic through microblogging, but yielding a higher exit rate and lower conversion rate? Allow your Web analytics to guide your microblogging activities.
Since microblogging is a living/breathing thing, your analytics and monitoring should be ongoing. Dig deep into your analytics at regularly scheduled intervals, but monitor your activity and response in real-time. It requires resources to do so, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised as you begin to grow new relationships and nurture new leads.
About the Author:
Wendy Boyce is the Social Media & Marketing Manager at SIGMA Marketing Group, a marketing analytics firm. Connect with Wendy on , Facebook or .
