A thriving Twitter presence is an essential component of any comprehensive marketing program. For anyone who manages a professional Twitter account, automation services have likely become your holy grail. Without them, it would be nearly impossible to escape the glow of your computer screen.
But sometimes scheduled content can sound a bit stiff or impersonal—even downright spammy. A recent article from Ragan explains some great Twitter tips to take to heart to keep your brand genuine.
First, here are a few automation tools to consider:
- Klout: curates content based on keywords, includes “hidden gem” content for fresher, less over-shared articles
- IFTTT: If This Then That allows you to tweet out trusted blogger content automatically
- Sprout Social: a social media dashboard that recommends times to post based on when your audience is most active
Ragan warns that sometimes the illusion of presence automation provides can make us seem robotic if we never respond to our engagers. Just because you may not physically push the send button doesn’t mean you should ignore the engagement around a particular tweet (or any social post).
Here are a few ideas to guide your interactions:
- Thanking all those who share your content
- Only thanking engagers within a certain window of time
- Only responding to retweeters and sharers who include their own comment or add thoughts
The bottom line is that scheduling tweets is a delightfully handy option for which your sanity thanks you; however, don’t get too swept up in the automation and forget the importance of a human touch. Your followers want to interact with YOU, not a robot.
Do you need some help bringing the “personal” back to your company’s social media presence? SunStar Strategic can help you more effectively manage your online interactions by creating a comprehensive marketing and PR plan that incorporates both traditional and digital components. Check out our digital services and drop us a line to get started.