On Sunday night, we were reminded once again how prevalent social media is in today’s communications landscape and how quickly information is disseminated through platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Prompted by President Obama’s announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed, Twitter recorded the “highest sustained rate of Tweets ever,” an average of 3,440 tweets per second were sent between 10:45PM EST and 12:30 AM EST.
It was impossible for anyone on Facebook or Twitter on Sunday night not to hear the news. The widespread use of social media is undeniable, but its role in business has yet to be defined. Social media is recognized as an important tool, but the exact ROI is hard to track.
Mashable recently published an article on “9 Digital Marketing Lessons From Top Social Brands,” which examines how MTV, American Express, Xbox, NBA and AT&T have learned to use social media to get results.
The nine lessons are fairly standard, like understanding your audience and choosing the right platform. However, the one lesson that I believe deserves some attention is “be human.” Take into consideration why people follow celebrities on Twitter. Fans want to feel connected to the individual and know this person’s thoughts, feelings or whereabouts. It is quite possible that most celebrities have a whole team carefully crafting their tweets, but a follower wants to believe they are gaining insight into the celebrity’s life.
The same connection is true for any consumer following a business on social media. Consider the following points when crafting a tweet.
- Be Conversational. Developing a consistent tone that resonates with your audience will help establish credibility and make your followers feel a part of your business. “Nailing a tone that resonates with your audience is of paramount importance,” says Tom Fishman, manager of social media and community at MTV. The article says the goal of MTV is “to sound human and conversational and not be the voice of some corporate overload.”
- Use “We” or “I”. Writing tweets in “we” or “I” helps to convey there are “hearts and faces behind the computer screen.” Using “I” makes the tweet personal and whoever is tweeting should identify themselves. Using “we” makes the message sound as if it is coming from the whole company. This helps people establish a personal connection.
- Don’t Sound Like a Press Release. Brands should use social media to promote their message, but it’s important to avoid sounding like a press release. If you are tweeting about a press release, make sure to add a message instead of tweeting the headline.
- Admit Your Mistakes. An important part of being human is making mistakes. While we strive to be vigilant, errors happen. If there is a spelling error or factual mistake in a tweet, don’t delete it and “sweep the mistake under the rug.” Followers prefer to see the human side of a company by admitting their mistake and correcting it.
At the heart, social media is another avenue to disseminate information, but people often forget the human element can go a long way. Infuse a little personality into messages and start making a personal connection with your fans.