According to the research on social media usage patterns reported in HubSpot’s article, people generally use Twitter to discover new brands and content, and network with the brand, like-minded users, and other customers. They refer to these actions as Discovering (which is obvious) and Bridging (which they use to mean ‘making connections’.)
Discovering
Good tweets help others find information related to their work, hobbies and interests. It informs them about news and current events, helping them discover interesting content, information, and ideas.
Bridging
These tweets reflect who others see themselves as or who they want to be. Bridging tweets help them
- connect with brands
- discuss a specific topic with strangers
- network
What to Do
Folks are on Twitter to find new things and to connect.
- Feed their curiosity by pointing them to something new, whether or not it’s your something new.
- Connect them with interesting people and companies, and not just you and yours.
- Direct them to new information on your website, your new book, your next speaking engagement.
- Give them positive information to share (retweet).
What NOT to Do
Twitter is not the place for bonding, strengthening ties with readers. It’s not the place to be warm and fuzzy.
Folks aren’t here to while away their coffee break with a relaxing read or a cat video. They want a quick hit of dopamine to reward their search for the new and interesting.
This comes with a caveat: don’t resort to click-baiting and pandering. There’s no need. You can always find something new and interesting without going the ‘lowest-common-denominator’ route.
One thought on “Paint-by-Numbers: Twitter”