Brighton Chamber: Top tips on making the most of social media

But many businesses just can’t get to grips with this network and struggle see results.

Here are my top Twitter tips:

Have a goal. Knowing why you’re using Twitter and how it’s helping your business will ensure so the time you invest is worth it and keep you focused.

Be discoverable. Make the most of your profile by writing a bio that really captures what you’re about and ensure your website links to your Twitter account.

Find your voice. While it can feel hard to be authentic if you’re representing an organisation, it’s important to find a voice that represents your business and that your followers can relate to.

Think brevity. Learn to get your message across in 140 characters. Try taking key points from an article or blog and make a list of snippets you can share. It can take a bit of practice and a little grammatical compromise!

Learn from others. Take note of how other businesses use Twitter and note what you like and dislike. This will help you to shape your own online presence.

Be creative. Use a variety of images, video and links to provide a varied and visually eye-catching Twitter feed.

Remember to listen as well as talk. Using a tool such as Tweetdeck, keep an eye on topics or keywords that are of interest to you. Whether it’s an event, product or a competitor, get real time updates of relevant activity.

Use Twitter lists. Organise people you follow into lists to make it easier to stay up to date with them.

Add value to your followers feeds. Whether you’re sharing useful, informative or entertaining content, share something that your followers want.

Be social! The more you put into Twitter, the more you’ll get out of it!

Kerry Watkins is a social media consultant and trainer who runs Social Brighton. Kerry is delivering a Brighton Chamber Bite-sized Learning session ‘Twitter strategy for business’ on April 26. To find out more, about the session visit www.brightonchamber.org.uk/events and for more on Social Brighton, visit: socialbrighton.com