There’s a reason Twitter is named Twitter. The design of the social media site encourages people to send short, sharp messages out into the world, much like a sparrow tweeting happily in a tree. Another area of resemblance is the fact that these messages happen all the time, creating a cacophony of information. One thing that needs to be remembered, though, is that birdsong always achieves a specific purpose. Despite appearances, birds don’t often sing just for the hell of it. This should be a guide for your approach to Twitter.

Businesses can get into trouble on Twitter if their messages aren’t carefully considered before posting. Some of the aspects of the site that make it uniquely attractive to its users are also the aspects that make it such a difficult site for business purposes. For example, Twitter’s sociability and frequent messaging capability are both part of what makes the site special, but can present dangers for businesses. The time needed to master these aspects means that a Twitter campaign is usually a bit of a gamble when used as part of a search engine optimisation plan.

The danger of sociability

The fact that Twitter is a social site presents a certain amount of danger for the average business. When approaching Twitter, there are really only two paths you can take:

1. Act like a business on Twitter.
2. Act like a person on Twitter for business reasons.

In the first instance, you’re assured of always retaining your business integrity, but you’re unlikely to attract followers. In the second case, you have a far better chance of attracting followers, and this is generally the better path to take. Unfortunately, it also requires increased vigilance, because a personal approach can lead to messages that go against your business plan.

Being too business-y on Twitter can be bad, but being too casual can have lasting consequences. Stick to business ideals with your personal tone.

The danger of constant connectivity

Another major danger for businesses on Twitter is the need for constant messages. Tweets really need to be posted several times a day for a campaign to build enough momentum to help your SEO plan. This represents a significant gearing-up of content production for most site owners, even those who have increased their content posting frequency for their search engine optimisation plans.

What can this lead to? Well, a lot of inadvisable posting has occurred because of the perceived need for constant posts on Twitter. While it is true that you should try to supply your followers with a few posts per day, and you can talk to us at SEO Consult Australia about this, the rules with Twitter are just the same as the rules for your SEO content. In other words, posting whatever comes to hand is a bad idea.

When it comes to Twitter, it is important not to get caught up in the whirl of a new site. Remember the need for quality content that will stand the test of time, and you won’t go wrong.