TEN TYPES OF TWEETS YOU SHOULD KNOW
by Scottk
I've made some edits to cut it down a bit. However it's long..but worth it.
Also, my comments are in brackets { }.
You can read the unedited article here:
http://435digital.com/blog/2012/02/09/twitter-types-tweets/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Making your message count in 140 characters or less is a vital part of your business strategy. When you use Twitter, you can either send the same types of tweets all the time and risk blending into the social media universe or you can mix things up and be that go-to person everyone’s talking about. --{Team EtsyMNT wants that!}
Here are 10 types of tweets to help you be a Twitter superstar in no time.
1. BORING
Tweets such as “I am eating a sandwich.” This type of tweet doesn’t encourage interaction. Instead of “What’s happening” think “What has your attention?” ie “I’m eating a sandwich” vs. “I need your help to find the best burger in Chicago.” Which of those tweets interests you more?
2. SPAMMY
Spammy tweets come from a user who only seems to shill for his or her own projects or products. An often cited formula for avoiding being a spammy twitter user is to follow the Rule of Thirds: Talk about your own products a third of the time. Share other links and ideas in your niche for another third. In the final third, reply to people, answer questions and ask questions of your followers.
3. MARKETING
In and of themselves, they are harmless, straightforward communication about a product, deal or brand. For example: a hardware store could tweet “This week only: all BrandX paint and rollers 50% off” and that would be an example of a marketing tweet.
The problem arises when that is all or the majority of tweets posted by a given account. The SOLUTION: Follow the aforementioned Rule of Thirds. The hardware store could also share how-to guides and tips and relevant industry news. Everyone buying paint wants to know how to get it out of the carpet.
4. INTRODUCTORY {Shout Outs}
Introduce {or shout out} a Twitter user to either another user or a group of people. Introductory tweets are a great way to build community quickly on Twitter.
{I think for our purposes this will be a key type for mixing it up. Pls look forward to future threads exploring this type.}
5. RETWEET
Retweets (or “RTs”) are simply re-sharing the content sent from another user. These can be done by hitting the “Retweet” button to share the original tweet and automatically source the tweet (“RT @scottkleinberg Today…”).
{Another key type of Tweet for us that warrants greater discussion. So please look forward to future threads on Retweeting.}
6. QUOTE
Consist of an attributed quote and that’s all. Example: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on – Robert Frost.” This type of tweet is common, but should be used very sparingly because it generally does not encourage interaction with others. {but powerful quotes can get you retweeted. And remember to use a key hashtag for your quote ie #girlpower #inspiration etc.}
7. GIVEAWAY / BENEFACTOR
Tweets giving “insidery” info on deals, freebies, contests and other giveaways. Most giveaway tweets are designed to go viral by being widely retweeted to share the information.
8. LINK
Tweets sharing links to compelling or entertaining articles, images or blog posts. Such links can be original content from the user, or outside content he or she wishes to share with followers. Be sure to mix link tweets with other types of tweets for maximum impact.
9. Q&A
User asks a question of his or her followers and this hopefully results in answers. Question tweets can range from rhetorical questions (which can be entertaining, but generally aren’t extremely useful because they do not encourage interaction) to polling followers about product and purchase recommendations (Buying a new dishwasher. Any recommendations?)
10. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Can be either from the customer raising an issue with a service or product, or from a company acknowledging a widespread customer issue, or working to satisfy an individual customer’s issue. {I'd be a little careful with this one. Seems like it could get messy, quickly.}
Pls forgive any typos :) and feel free to comment!
Cheers!
Clarissa
