Twitter is a term popping up more and more in conversations lately. If you aren't already using it yourself, you've probably heard of others in our Industry who are doing so. We'll take a few minutes for a general overview of this rapidly growing social media tool and discuss how you can use it to market your Ohio tourism destination.
Basically, Twitter (www.twitter.com) allows you to create an account, connect with other Twitter users by "following" them, then post updates about what's going on in your life using short messages of 140 characters or less.
You may ask yourself, “How is this going to help my business?” The most important part of the answer is to remember the whole point of social media is to become a part of the conversation. Rather than just building a great Web site and expecting thousands of people to visit, you need to actively insert yourself in the areas where people are talking and make sure they're talking about you and saying the right things. This is where Twitter excels!
Following are some tips on getting started, and where to go from there.
1. Set up your Twitter account. Go to www.Twitter.com to create your account. There are a few different opinions regarding setting up a "personal" account or an "official" account for your business. This is where Twitter differs a little from other social media tools. The idea behind Twitter is to engage your followers in "personal conversations." So rather than just the name of your business, try personalizing it a bit. For example, my name on Twitter is Roger_OHTourism.
2. Create your Bio. When setting up your account, you'll be asked to add a Bio. This is a very short description of yourself that others will read to determine if they want to follow your updates. Certainly include your business, but add some other fun, interesting facts that will help people identify with you.
3. Post your first "tweet." You'll want something up here for people to read when they start following you. It can be as simple as "I'm setting up my first Twitter account" or you may want to be a little more creative than that.
4. Find people on Twitter. On your Twitter home page, you'll see a navigation bar in the top right of your screen. Click on "Find People" to get started. In the search field, you can enter a person's Twitter username, first or last name. Try it—you'll be amazed how many people out there are already Twittering!
5. Start building your network. Once you find a person you want to follow, you have two choices. You can simply click on the "Follow" icon to the right of their name and you'll automatically start receiving their updates. If you'd like more information about them first, just click on the username to see their personal page.
6. See who is talking about you. At http://search.twitter.com, you can enter the name of your business (or just about any other word/term) for a list of all "tweets" containing the term. This is a great way to join in that conversation you keep hearing about. You can reply to a recent tweet, click on a username to see if this is someone you should follow, etc.
7. Follow writers/bloggers. You'll be amazed how easy it is to follow someone, and how often they'll follow you in return. Look for members of the media who write about tourism—especially those who specialize in your niche—and follow them. It could lead to a very valuable relationship.
8. Announce specials/deals. While you don't want to use Twitter just to promote your specials—this is the equivalent of "spam" in the Twitter world—do feel free to announce great deals you're offering. Once you have a loyal following and they see you as a valuable resource, they'll often "re-tweet" your message, meaning they pass it on to others. It can truly spread like wildfire.
9. Live updates on special events/happenings. Twitter followers want to be a part of what's happening. When you are at a conference, attending a meeting or even if you've just read something really useful that you'd like to share, don't forget about your Twitter friends.
10. Link to other sites. With only 140 characters to work with, it may seem impossible to include a Web address in a tweet. Check out www.TinyURL.com. This is a tool used by many people on Twitter. Just enter any URL and the site will provide a smaller link you can use in its place.
Don't be afraid to start using Twitter. It's actually one of the simplest of the social media tools available. The most important thing to remember is to post at least a couple of messages every day, even if it's as simple as "Great day here in Ohio for winning hockey games!" With only 140 characters to work with, how hard could it be?
NOTE: Over the next few months, we'll provide information on the evolving use of social media in marketing with a special emphasis on its applicability to tourism. If you have questions or if there's a specific topic you'd like us to cover, please contact Roger Barker at roger.barker@development.ohio.gov or Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov.