Twitip

Sara Rosso, digital strategist (@rosso) and When I Have Time shares some tips for brands and non-profit organizations to engage users while becoming more personable.

If your organization hasn’t gotten on Twitter yet, what are you waiting for? But if you are looking to use Twitter as just a way to publicize new blog posts or press releases, you’re already on the wrong path. Don’t worry, you can still get on the right one! Here are points to follow to turn an anonymous Twitter account into your organization’s shining advocate.

Get Personal & Be Real

As it often is the case with non-profit organizations, the cause or brand does not usually enter into someone’s heart until it becomes personal for them: they have a personal experience directly related to the cause or someone in their circle of associates motivates them. Twitter can be another way to humanize the experience for people new to the organization or just interested in the subject. Avoid only broadcasting links and mix thoughtful, “We’re real people, too” Tweets in with standard links. For the mechanics of using Twitter, make sure you read 10 Easy Steps for Twitter Beginners. Avoid some of the newbie traps with 8 Sure-Fire Ways To Tick Off the Twitterverse like thanking new followers or using canned auto-replies. Concentrate on showing that there’s a real person (and a soulful organization) behind the Twitter username and get into conversations with your followers! @Greenversations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers not only a “corporate” Twitterer but encourages you to follow their “human” Twitterer @levyj413, and @NWF the National Wildlife Service encourages you to follow their numerous staff on Twitter.

Identify & Target

To start, follow users that have mentioned your organization or cause – use http://search.twitter.com’s RSS feeds to monitor the situation. Twitterers will not be normal visitors to your website, and therefore shouldn’t be treated as such. Customize your profile accordingly and link to a Twitter Landing Page 6 Tips for Using Your Twitter Profile to Get New Followers on your site designed for Twitter followers, with a condensed introduction to organization mission and goals, communication strategy and current initiatives and provide ways they can contribute and get involved…as a Twitterer! @NWF lists a Social Networks Page on their Twitter background which lists all the social networks they’re present on.

Educate & Empower

One of the strengths of non-profit organizations is access to bipartisan statistics, in-depth studies and content-rich research on their particular subject that the average user may not have access to or know how to find. Highlight new, pertinent information for your followers, give them exclusive access to something, and provide materials that can be re-Tweeted (RT) and directly deep-linked (and therefore not behind a login!). They may take the information you’ve given them and run with it – creating their own reflections and analysis elsewhere!

Motivate & Reward

In these belt-tightening times, while wallets might be closed tighter, people will be more willing to donate their time, expertise and opinions. Through Twitter’s word-of-mouth functionality, your message has the potential to be passed among several different and new circles of acquaintances. Give various options to get involved and a range of activities to participate in based on time commitment: re-Tweet, blog, donate time, design work, money or promote and organize offline activities. Highlight some of your biggest Twitter supporters by interviewing or profiling them, thank a particular follower once a week or month on Twitter, or hold contests for re-Tweets or @replies. In the spirit of non-profit organizations, instead of offering prizes or monetary rewards, offer the money you would have spent as a “gift card” that will go directly to the user’s choice of initiative within your organization.

Provoke & Gather

Some of the most interesting discussions on Twitter can revolve around provocative / controversial questions. If you can propose thought and Tweet-provoking questions related to your organization, you can gather your followers’ ideas and feedback to make the organization better or more-informed. You can present their ideas internally or for official blog / site communications or publications citing Twitter usernames, and therefore making your Twitter community direct contributors to your success. Seek out those success stories of evangelists and advocates who are contributing greatly to your organization and communicate their tips and tricks to make the rest of your followers more effective with their networks.

Be Newsworthy & Make News

Do something noteworthy to use the word of mouth and viral communication strategies that work best on Twitter. Think of an innovative way to use Twitter and all of its advantages: spreading the word, immediacy, feedback. Invent an entirely new way to publicize some of your initiatives. You don’t have to change your organization’s goals, but you have to change the way it’s presented and motivates your target. Invent a #initiative tag to utilize/re-Tweet so that people can identify the campaign.