Social Media for Dealers

Okay, so we’ve done a lot of work around here trying to convince you to give Twitter a go.  That’s all well and good, but how do you get started with Twitter?  We’re here to help!  Getting started with Twitter is an easy sign up, just go to http://twitter.com and “Sign up now”.  Simple, but don’t let that fool you – a little thought in starting your account can go a long way.

Here are 7 key things to think about when starting your Twitter account:

1.  Your username is your identity.

When signing up, you should select a username that fits your purpose.  Choose the name of your business (anyname RV, abcrvsales), a name that describes your purpose on twitter (SellingRV’s, RVinfo), your name (john, johndoe, jdoe), or a username that combines your business and name (JaycoRob, RVBob, ABCDealerTodd).

2.  Celebrities won’t help you sell RV’s.

Don’t feel obligated to follow the celebrities recommended by Twitter.  In the sign-up process they’ll show you lists of famous people using Twitter.  If there’s someone on the list you’d love to listen to (for me, it’s Lance Armstrong) follow them and enjoy.  BUT, keep in mind, following celebrities won’t help you engage, build community, or interact on Twitter.  You need to follow “real” people.

3.  Listen first.

You don’t need to “tweet” right away.  The question “What are you doing” is looming, but wait until you’re ready.  The most important aspect of Twitter is listening.  You should do that first.  Find relevant people to follow, and listen for a while.  Get a feel for the jargon, the content, and the tone.  Listen consistently and you’ll know when you’re ready to tweet.

4.  Don’t talk about your lunch.

The questions “What are you doing” shouldn’t be taken literally.  Nobody really cares if you eating a turkey sandwich, and sharing that info doesn’t offer much to the Twitter community.  Talk about things your followers care about.  Be interesting.  Don’t tweet just for the sake of tweeting.

5.  You don’t have to be friends with everyone.

It’s tempting to follow everyone who follows you, but before you follow someone, look at their tweets.  Do they write about something you find interesting, or is it just noise.  You want to follow people with whom you can relate.

6.  Don’t just talk about you.

Listen to what others tweet and respond.  Ask questions, provide answers, give them further information.  You’re tweeting should be more than simply pushing your message, it should be building community.

7.  Give it a fair chance.

Twitter may not make sense at first.  You may not be getting anything out of it.  Don’t give up.  Maybe you’re not following the right people (here’s a good list of people to follow), or maybe you’re not listening enough.  Most people who sign-up for twitter don’t like or understand it right away.  If you stick with it, Twitter will click for you.

Filed under: The Basics, Twitter, what to write, community, Getting started, learning, Listening, social media, Twitter, what to write