Today’s post is written by another fabulous career blogger, Ashley Faus. Ashley is a marketing professional for an aerospace company in Dallas, TX. She writes about corporate, marketing, and MBA topics on her blog, consciouslycorporate.com. When she’s not in classes for her MBA, Ashley enjoys working out, scrapbooking, and performing in musicals.
Twitter has experienced a growth explosion over the last few years, but many professionals are still unsure about how to utilize this tool. They’ve created accounts, and Tweet occasionally, but they aren’t seeing results in other areas like blog traffic, resume inquiries, and community involvement. So, how can fellow classy career girls take full advantage of all that Twitter has to offer?
What’s your strategy?
Some professionals have heard that Twitter is the all rage, so they rush to create an account, and blindly start following people or throwing out random Tweets. Don’t be this person! Just like the rest of your career, you need to go into Twitter with a strategy. Are you trying to drive people to your blog? Are you looking to get noticed by a recruiter to be hired for a new position? Are you looking to connect with people with similar hobbies, education, or career aspirations? Determining what you want to achieve with your account will determine who you follow, and what type of content you Tweet. Twitter is not always the best place for you to build or advocate for your personal brand, so make sure that it fits into your overall career strategy.
Be a good citizen.
Twitter is not about pushing your own content all the time, but it’s about community. Take time to re-Tweet a post, or give a shout-out to your fellow Twitter users. Make sure you’re following members that contribute to the quality of your online brand, and don’t follow people just to increase those who might follow you back. Offer quality content, and use a regular posting schedule to maintain consistency.
Leave a little to the imagination.
One of my MBA classmates asked me for a little advice on her Twitter account, stating that she wasn’t receiving blog traffic from her Twitter efforts. I took a quick look at her Tweets, and every single item gave away all the content! Because her followers had all the information they needed right in their feed, there was no need to follow up by clicking over to her blog. Make sure that you don’t give it all away in the Tweet, but leave just enough information to whet the appetite. By leaving a little bit of information unknown, you entice your followers to click to your blog to receive the rest of your amazing information.
Think outside the box.
Twitter can be used in a variety of ways. I recently used it to get some information for an upcoming tradeshow, and I’ve been able to get my work questions answered quickly by using Twitter. Consider using it at work for customer service, press releases, and links to new content on your website. Twitter allows you to reach multiple people at the same time, so you can streamline customer service or press releases through mass communication. You can also use it for quick class communication to confirm the meeting time and place. Many inboxes are flooded with email, but a quick message on Twitter can cut through the clutter.
Get noticed.
This is particularly important if you’re looking for a new opportunity. The key is Tweeting original, quality content frequently, and building a base of followers that will share your content. If you’re looking to get a company’s attention, find their corporate account, and Tweet them helpful articles that you’ve written. Don’t overwhelm them with content, but write or select a few targeted articles to pass along to them. Once you’ve built a relationship online, you can make an inquiry about a position.
Twitter can be used in a variety of ways, and it’s a platform that will be around for several more years. Check it out and start integrating it into your professional tool kit! And make sure to connect with me (@ashleyfaus) and Classy Career Girl (@classycareer)!!
Do you use Twitter? If so, please leave your username so we can say hello!