By Farah Souhail (@Farah_Souhail)
Meltwater blog (@Meltwater)
May 12, 2015

http://sproutsocial.com/insights/public-relations-and-social-media/

Social media is an exciting component of the overall promotions strategy, but does not come without its challenges. In her step-by-step blog post, Farah Souhail, digital marketer for Meltwater, details the key points to consider when managing your corporate Twitter account.

Souhail first focuses on the content of posts. To gain an audience, it’s important to build a social brand profile, by consistently publishing content that is most relevant to the audience you’re trying to attract. This content should focus on the brand story with product updates/offers, “how-to’s”, as well as other industry news.

Once you’ve gained the attention of an audience, the next task is to keep them engaged. Welcome new followers and try to find out some information related to them (which will help you to customize and tailor future content). Pay attention to timing and frequency of posts. Tweets have a “shelf life” of only 30 minutes, and the “always on” nature of social media means accounts should be active at all times. Be careful of scheduled posts: while effective in maintaining a presence during traditional off hours (evenings and weekends), you don’t want your account to appear automated. Follow the social media buzz, and join other conversations that are already happening, being careful not to hijack buzz that isn’t relevant.

Make your tweets visually stunning – use images, video and infographics when appropriate. And don’t forget the 80/20 rule: 80% of your tweets should be about others, or retweets from others, while only 20% should focus on self-promotion.

Following these steps will help you to focus on a clear vision and thoughtful strategy, and keep your brand fresh and at the forefront of your customer’s minds.