With an estimated 100,000,000 active accounts and an average of 230,000,000 tweets sent just in September alone, Twitter is undeniably a tempting choice for marketers and companies alike. Invariably, the conversation begins with somebody saying, “Hey – we need to be on Twitter!” So an account gets created, people start tweeting and then bammo, instant huge followership, right?

Well, not exactly. While Twitter is an excellent tool for building and monitoring your brand, and demonstrating thought leadership, it absolutely has to be done in the right way. Twitter, like all social media channels, is about developing conversations and even better, relationships with people. But if all you are tweeting are corporate announcements and/or self-promoting, you may find your audience diminishing – and fast.

Here are a few best practices I’ve learned over time:

1.  Create a branded presence. Develop a background that’s interesting and lets people know who you are right off the bat. If it’s a personal twitter account, always go with a personal profile photo rather than an avatar – remember, people want to know you and a picture communicates that so much better than a cartoon. Leverage your profile description to communicate clearly what kind of company you are, or where your interests lie.

2. Think about your content strategy. What are you trying to accomplish and who are you trying to reach? It’s easy to push out random announcements about your company or activities. But what is really interesting to the audience you’re trying to develop?  Relevant industry news, best practices and thought leadership articles are all great resources to draw upon.

3. Be very careful of what you say. It takes a while to build an audience, but it can take just moments to lose them. Case in point, Oscar producer Brett Ratner’s recent thoughtless remarks incited a firestorm of controversy…and a lost job for Ratner. In that same vein, no one really wants to hear what you’re having for lunch…need I say more?

4. Consistency is king. Yes, it does matter that you have a consistent showing of tweets. One, you’re establishing that you’re engaged and providing value. Secondly, if someone comes to your profile and sees that there’s a month between tweets, you’re probably not going to capture much of their interest. At a minimum – once a day is nice.

5. No spamming. Period. We’re all pretty familiar with tweets that are either a blatant sales pitch or regurgitation of content – both no-no’s. Another less talked about one is posting multiple tweets all in a row. This will really tick people off – seriously. A better game strategy is to space your tweets out over the course of a day. If you don’t have time to manage this, there are some great platforms on the market now that will allow you to schedule your tweets.

6. Engage. Find some really great people to follow and comment on their tweets. BUT, please do not simply regurgitate their content. Add a personal comment or spin to your retweet to show why you’re interested and/or found value. And be sure to reference where you got the content from by using “RT” and the user name, or in the case of multiple sources, “via” and the user names.

7. Pay attention. When someone comments on or retweets your information or sends a direct message, they’re engaging with you. No matter if it’s good or bad, responding in a timely fashion is really important. And, you’d be surprised how much people appreciate it when you say thank you.

Want more great tips?  You can follow Launch Marketing on Twitter at @launchmktg and Nancy Rush at @nancyrush.  Happy tweeting!

Social media platforms aren’t just for personal use or B2C marketers anymore. According to a recent study by BtoB magazine*, 93% of B2B companies are using social media tools as part of their online marketing campaigns with LinkedIn being the most important platform (25%), followed by Facebook (20%) and blogging (19%).

As this study shows, social media marketing is continuing to emerge as a great way for B2B companies to create awareness, generate leads and engage customers. Whether you are social media savvy or just starting out, below are five ways to tweet, post and blog your way to new customers.

1. Establish a Plan of Action

A strong plan of action will help keep your efforts focused on your goal – measurable results and brand awareness. This plan should be the “who, what, when, where and why” of your social media marketing strategy.

2. Create Relevant Content

Relevant and interesting content will keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. Some ideas for strong posts include:

• Links containing industry news
• Compelling third-party articles
• Details regarding upcoming trade shows
• Interesting market research results

3. Start a Conversation

While interesting and relevant content is crucial, social media marketing is much more than just a one-way sharing of information. Ask questions and engage your audience on topics that are important to their industry and businesses.

4. Be Frequent

Social media works best when it is updated often with a steady stream of communication to your audience. Doing so will keep them interested and your business top of mind.

5. Leverage your Brand

B2B social media marketing is an extension of your company’s brand and is often the most frequently heard voice of your company, so be sure to carry your company’s distinct brand messaging into your social media marketing just as you would with your offline marketing.

Contact Launch Marketing

Whether you are already engaging in social media or just starting out, Launch Marketing can help you enhance your social media presence and tie it to measurable results. Contact Launch Marketing today to learn how we’ve helped our clients use social media to connect with current and prospective customers.

Be sure to check back often for more insight into “How Launch Sees It.”

*BtoB magazine: Emerging Trends in B2B Social Marketing, April 2011