Jennifer Kelly

Dec 14 2015

How Government Agencies can use Twitter

To some, the idea that government agencies can use Twitter may seem absurd. Tweeting as a government agency, department, agency or official can be daunting when considering the rules and regulations that members are required to adhere to. However when used strategically, Twitter can be a great way to interact with your public. It can humanize a department, pass across important corporate messages and build an informal yet professional relationship with the people you serve. This article will share some basic ideas of how to overcome some of the initial hurdles to using Twitter as a platform to interact with the general public your government department serves.

What should our department tweet about?

Government departments have plenty of material that can be turned into interesting content for followers to interact with. One of the pieces of advice business are given when they wonder what to tweet about is what questions do you answer to your customers all day? The very same advice can work for a government department. Your department or ministry must have a few dozen frequently asked questions – tweet that information. Of course, include the answers and a link to where your followers can find out more information. Other information can include:

News, updates and press releases

Tweeting about news, updates and press releases will ensure that your followers are the first to hear about important on goings in your department and never miss an update. This will give followers interested in your sector a reason to follow you particularly if you share timely information regarding the government department.

Exclusives

Exclusive insights are one of the main reasons that a person will follow a business Twitter account. Tweet coverage of official events via text, picture and video and include carefully structured quotes from the members involved when possible. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Periscoped his swearing in ceremony. This exclusive was quite a treat for many who would normally not have that type of access to such an important event.

Approved content for Tweeting

In our conversations with government departments, many tell us they need to get their tweets approved weeks in advance. Certainly this can feel like it defeats the purpose of sharing up-to-the-minute content on Twitter. However, many government agencies have timeless information that will be helpful for weeks, months or years to come. We’d suggest that the approved tweets could would to your advantage. Once they are approved, you may be able to use them many times. Many companies tweet evergreen or timeless information that will not expire and is helpful no matter if their audience learns of it today or next quarter.

Personnel changes – who tweets now?

Having one person be the ‘face’ of your department, interacting with your followers on Twitter can be an excellent way to establish a human connection. However, what happens when that person gets transferred to another department? Rest assured, this is not just a government challenge. The private sector deals with this too. Community mangers leave, get promoted and change jobs all the time. One idea to work around this issue are – cross training. Have each employee ‘own’ the Twitter account for a week at a time. With proper training, this could be a way where each person in your department experiences the front line interaction with the public. It can be incredibly positive as each department employee may come up with ways to better serve the public since interacting with them. If this is too much of a stretch, appoint one person, and plan for a succession for when this person moves on.

Next steps

These three points just scratch the surface of what government departments have to consider when bringing Twitter and other social media platforms into their organization as a way of interacting with those they serve. Just because it feels a little complicated, doesn’t mean it is impossible. Contact Jennifer Kelly (jen @ newinitiativesmarketing.com – the parent company of Nimble Quotes) for help on how to integrate Twitter into your government department.

NimbleQuotes.com offers users famous inspirational and motivational quotes automatically tweeted to their Twitter accounts.When used in addition to industry and promotional content, it can be a way to get more interactions and followers and connect with your audience. Try today for 30-days free at NimbleQuotes.com.

Dec 11 2015

Want to Connect Emotionally? Start With Inspirational Quotes

Using inspirational quotes on Twitter is a fast way to connect with others. They can help us be more relatable, particularly on a platform like Twitter where we are connecting constantly with ‘strangers’ and need a way to break the ice to start the conversation.

Here are some of the reasons tweeting quotes helps you connect emotionally with your audience. Consider adding a couple of quotes per day to the information you share on Twitter. It can be just the thing that sparks the connection with another.

Inspirational quotes are valuable

Emotionally valuable, that is. Quotes can inspire, motivate, and entertain.

Quotes can cover a variety of topics—it doesn’t have to be all business all the time. Be aware that the quotes you pick must speak to the people you’re trying to reach and need to convey the feelings and values that you and your business stand behind. If you’re a consultant working with executives, for example, consider sharing quotes related to leadership.

Inspirational quotes say it best

What is is about inspirational and motivational quotes? To us at Nimble Quotes, they really do feel like little statements of wisdom. They are here to help us push on, try just once more, go for it – particularly when we are tired, scared or feel a little defeated. What is it about a few words strung together in a way that has a positive knock-on effect the more it is shared? Who knows, but do take advantage of this wisdom.

more you position yourself as someone knowledgeable in your industry, the more weight you’ll have with potential customers. Quoting famous business men or entrepreneurs can accomplish this, as well as quoting people who are known figures in your industry.

If you have content that you want to share, like a blog article or a video, you can also pull a passage from your blog and use that as your quote. You can even quote your own company wisdom by sharing a quote by one of your company executives.

Inspirational quotes connect us

Not just on Twitter, but take a look at any social network, listen to a business talk, attend a conference and guaranteed some one will be referencing a famous quote to make a point. The quote will be one or a few sentences which sum up exactly the point someone is trying to convey. We read it or hear it and nod or say “Yes! I get it, I know what you mean.” What a beautiful way to move from stranger to known and start the conversation.

Let the quotes do the work for you.

We’ve collected thousands of business-appropriate quotes you can add to your Twitter feed automatically. Check out NimbleQuotes.com for 30-days free and see what it feels like to have quotes added to your Twitter feed and be connecting daily with your followers.

Dec 08 2015

4 Twitter Tips for Realtors and Real Estate Agents

Here are four quick tips to help you maximize your use of Twitter as a realtor or real estate agent.

Tip 1: Your Twitter profile

Have another look at your profile. Does it effectively communicate in 160 characters what you do? The areas of town you sell? The type of real estate you sell? Most users find that once they are on Twitter for a while, they update their profile as they get clearer how they can help more people on the platform. Opt for your picture instead of your company or agency you represent. Remember, your client wants a connection with YOU not a company logo.

Tip 2: Say one thing per tweet

We are all limited with the 140 characters per tweet. So use it fully – meaning use it to talk about one thing, not cram as many features of the listing in as possible. One thing with an appropriate link and applicable hashtag will go further as an effective message. And yes, cycle it out multiple times.

Tip 3: Use real estate images

You are selling an environment people will be spending time in. Whether residential or commercial real estate, use the power of images to communicate. While you can tweet images of all sizes, the “in-stream” preview is always 440 pixels wide by 220 pixels tall (a 2:1 ratio). Consider this size when taking pictures – yes a snap from your phone is just fine. You can always load it up, tweet it, review it, and if need be, delete your tweet and start over.

Tip 4: Include hashtags to increase visibility

Hashtags are simply words with the hash, pound or number sign (#) at the beginning. It’s a way of categorizing tweets by subject. Think of hashtags like Google keywords. People search conversations on Twitter by hashtag. It is a great way to both narrow your tweet in on just the people involved in that topic of conversation and to expose yourself/your company for broader awareness to people talking about that topic but do not yet know about you. Some ideas for hashtags could be the type of home your are selling #bungalow, the neighbourhood you sell in, #Kerrisdale, or the type of information you are sharing in your tweet #mortgages.

Do you have a tip that should be added to the list? Tweet me @jenkellyjen and let me know!

Buying, selling and investing in real estate is exciting. Connect with those you serve via inspirational real estate quotes. These cycle out from your Twitter account automatically as if you tweeted them yourself. They have a positive impact on your followers and are yours to try for 30-days free at NimbleQuotes.com. Just sign up, choose the real estate category of inspirational quotes and start sharing wisdom like the quote in this article from Mark Twain.

Dec 04 2015

How to use Twitter Direct Messages

There are many features for Twitter users. One of the best ones for connecting with your followers is the direct message or dm. This article will explain what direct messaging is and how to use it.

What does a Twitter direct message mean?

Direct message (or DM for short) means that you are sending a message to someone on Twitter who you are following and who is also following you back. The direct messaging feature allows you to send messages directly to another user without it appearing in either of your home streams. You can’t message non-followers.

Now, while direct messaging is “private”, it is unknown as to how secret the messages are. Please assume that anything you share online may not be totally off the record.

Send up to 10,000 characters

Twitter is known for its concise 140-character-long tweets. Earlier, you could only send 140-character-long messages as a direct message. But, on August 12, 2015, Twitter announced an increase in the number of characters to 10,000, giving you more room to communicate. Many companies use the dm feature to handle customer service questions. It allows enough space for the customer and customer service agent to sort out problems, questions and issues.

How to use Twitter direct messaging

The DM feature makes it easy to appreciate your followers by sending them targeted ‘thank you’ messages in which you can introduce them to your business further. You could use it as a way to figure out plans for later or how/when to have a call.

To send a direct message, click on the round circle to the left of the following button. A dropdown menu will appear. Choose the option to Send a Direct Message.

A large screen will open up, this is your direct message screen with your Twitter follower. Simply start typing your message and press send when you are finished. Remember you have up to 10,000 characters.

Why use direct messaging?

Starting conversations with your tweeter audience using direct messages can build a warmer relationships right off the bat. You have more room to start a conversation about what you learned about them from their Twitter profile. It also may be more comfortable (for you or them) to start this type of conversation “privately” rather than publicly.

DMs are also great for customer service. Sometimes, it would be awkward to address certain client concerns in public. DMs enable you to offer customer service in relative confidentiality where necessary.

What to expect when sending a direct message

Three things can happen when starting conversations with your twitter audience using direct messages. They may respond, or they may ignore you, or they may respond later. As I wrote this article, I direct messaged one of my colleagues. As you can see from the image, she hasn’t responded yet. This is normal. The timing between responses can be immediate or delayed – like email.

Avoid spamming your audience

With such an easy way of starting conversations with your twitter audience, it can be tempting to sell right away. However, resist. Use the dm feature as a cyber handshake… just as if you met at a networking event. Introduce yourself and start the conversation, without saying “buy from me”!!!

Auto direct messages

These are direct messages sent to you as soon as you follow someone who is already following you. Typically they thank you for following and ask that you connect on a different platform as well like Facebook or LinkedIn. They may also include a link to their product/services. If you respond to an auto dm, you may get a human response at some point or you may never get a response. People seem to be split about the auto dm. A lot use it, and many people dislike it.

Over to you! Start using the Twitter direct message today to connect with your followers.

NimbleQuotes.com posts inspirational and motivational quotes to your Twitter feed as if you’ve tweeted them yourself. This is delightful content to add to your Twitter stream in addition to your industry and promotional information. Try it free for 30-days.

Dec 01 2015

How Financial Advisors Use Twitter

A financial advisor using Twitter? Perhaps you are an investment advisor, financial planner or lead a wealth management firm, and are sure there is no way Twitter can help grow or build awareness for your business. You’re wrong! Read on to see how Twitter could help you promote you investing business.

This article assumes you understand how to use twitter, what a hashtag is, and how to follow people.

Share investment news

Don’t be scared to share publicly available investment and financial news. Sharing news that your followers will find interesting is exactly the kind of post that you should be looking to create- as long as the news content you share and what you choose to say about it remain impartial. As an investment professional it is likely that you will keep on top of news, use this to your advantage by making your account the first place a follower will check for financial news. Share news as soon as it happens and share a mixture of your own content and content from financial blogs, websites and luminaries in your field. This is one way financial advisors use Twitter.

Retweet, quote and follow other financial advisors

Follow, retweet and favourite/like tweets from influential people in your industry. Doing this will increase the chances of your target audience finding your profile and become aware of you.

Share what you do

If you attend meeting, and industry talk or presentation, let your Twitter followers know about it. Take a quick picture and caption it with a short sentence that tells your followers what you have been doing. Financial information can be very confusing to people, particularly your clients. To build trust with them, consider giving your own summary of the talk or presentation you attended. Pull out the key points and phrase them in a way that will make sense to your clients. Tweet that information. This way you are adding value and your own take on the news.

Link to your website

Be sure to share the information already on your company website ( blogs, updates ) on Twitter. You can reach a wider audience than those who currently know about your company and visit your site. You can track the link in Google Analytics to see if your blog/website visits increase because of sharing your information on Twitter.

Controversy is your enemy

We understand that there are certain pieces of information that just are not allowed to be out in public. We’re not encouraging you to tweet that content. However, there is a massive amount of helpful information that is completely appropriate to tweet. Error on the side of caution and when in doubt, stay conservative. Also, avoid tweeting negative news about your competitors.

Use your bio

Use your Twitter profile (bio) to let people know what it is you do and how you can help them. It should inform viewers of who you are, where you work and what you specialize in. Include a link to your website. Spend some time on this, you have 160 characters. Use them all. Yes, you can change your profile description at anytime. So do your best version and publish it. If you feel it needs tweaking, do so. Refining your message on social media becomes easier as you spend more time on the network.

Customer confidentiality

Unless you have permission, don’t tweet anything indicating that an individual or company uses your services. As you will most certainly be the first to know, finance is a sensitive and personal matter.

Employer’s guidelines

If you work for a company, check that it isn’t against employee guidelines to create a social media account, or post views about finance online. Some companies we’ve talked with have their tweets approved about 2 weeks in advance. While this may hamper immediate information, use a different strategy. There is a lot of timeless advice and information that can be of use to your clients whether they see it on your Twitter account in two weeks or two months. Adopt a strategy of sharing timeless content and leave the breaking financial news to the news media outlets.

And finally…

If in doubt, consider a potential client is viewing your profile. Would what you have to say paint you as an industry authority? Would they be impressed by what you have to say? When you can answer yes to both of these questions, you’re on the right track. It may take a bit of time to get used to, we were all new to Twitter at one point. Jump in and enjoy the interaction with others on this social network.

Add motivational and inspiring quotes about investing to your Twitter feed via NimbleQuotes.com. Try it free for 30-days and see how wisdom from some of the most famous investment leaders can attract more followers and engagement to your Twitter account.