The most common mistake companies make when marketing on Twitter is the frequency of their tweets. Tweeting too much can lead to your followers becoming annoyed by your constant promotional messages. If you tweet too regularly you will find that your followers will start to abandon you. On the other hand, tweeting too infrequently is a problem also. Twitter users see tweets from the people they follow in chronological order. If you do not tweet enough then your messages will get buried in your followers’ time lines.

The goal when marketing on Twitter is to make sure that your tweets are seen by your followers while not annoying them. It is important to send out the right amount of tweets. Tweet your message every three to four hours. Make sure to vary each tweet slightly so that people who see more than one of your tweets will not view them as spam. Put a different spin on each tweet while conveying the message you want to get across.

Another mistake that companies make when using Twitter is not participating on the site properly. At its core Twitter is a social networking website. As a company marketing on Twitter you must actively participate on the site. Besides your promotional messages, send out tweets about other topics that may interest your followers. Tweet about current events. Reply to tweets from the people you follow. Participate in Twitter customs such as Follow Friday and Music Monday. Actively participating in the social aspect of Twitter will help you gain credibility when you send out your promotional tweets.

Although it is important to become actively involved on Twitter beyond your marketing campaign, many companies take this too far. You must remain professional. Do not get into online arguments or fights. If someone tweets about your company in a disparaging way either answer professionally or ignore them all together. Also, do not tweet about inappropriate things. It is fine to send a message about the great fun everyone had at the company picnic. It is not fine to send a message saying how drunk everyone got at the picnic. Portraying a professional, fun and interesting image on Twitter will help lead to success for your marketing campaigns.

Many companies run a promotional campaign on Twitter and then disappear from the site until their next campaign. It is important to stay active on Twitter even when you do not have anything to promote. Use this time between your campaigns to build relationships with your followers and tweet about issues other than your business. You will find that your advertising messages will be much more accepted if you stay active on Twitter. Also remember, even when you send a tweet that does not market your product you are bringing attention to your company when your followers see your logo or name on their time lines.

Appleton believes Twitter can be an exceptionally powerful marketing tool when used properly. Twitter marketing campaigns can become amazingly successful and provide profitable results if you adhere to the customs of Twitter and do not make the common mistakes that annoy and alienate your followers.

Call Appleton Creative if you are ready to start a social networking campaign and need help or direction. 407.246.0092