Everyday at JCALPRO, we use Twitter to connect to millions of other users within the event and production industries. We tap into the social network to help push traffic to our website, stay updated on events and happenings, network with experts, and help establish our brand credibility. Here are eight easy steps that we learned along the way that you can use to help find your industry niche within the Twitterverse.

1. Create short and compelling content tailored to your industry
   Think brief and interesting.  Twitter is about being to the point.  Identify your target audience and always think about what they’d want to hear about.  Having a plan in place will help you stay on point and attract/keep more followers. Posting short and intriguing content will not only improve your click through rates (CTR), but also help boost your optimization efforts. Stuck on what to tweet about? Try content based on local happenings, industry news, or your partners and vendors. Remember, media is king! Pictures and video trump text heavy articles.

2. Use short and recognizable #hashtags
   Hashtags (“#”) will help to highlight a certain phrase or name and makes it easier for your target audience to find and decide to pay attention to your tweet, so don’t be scared to create your own! If you’re referencing a popular event or topic, then try to see if someone already created a hashtag and use it.  When developing your own hashtag, remember to keep them understandable and short so that people still have plenty of characters left to tweet with. #HashtagsRule!

3. Find your Twitter voice
   Creating a Twitter identity will set your business apart from competitors and help you build a stronger niche. Twitter is where you can let your personality shine, so be genuine, don’t be afraid to use humor, let go of the corporate lingo and have fun. Think personal, not corporate.  Establishing your Twitter voice will help you to attract a broader audience and increase your following.

4. Time your posts carefully
   Timing is everything on Twitter, so keep what you tweet current and send them when people will see them.  If you’re tweeting during a conference or big event, interact and engage with people there for maximum tweeting visibility; tweet photos, announcements, or even speaker quotes or mottos.

5. Establish two-way communication with your audience
   Social media is about having dialogue. Make sure to respond to tweets that mention your brand and to make sure to start and join conversations about topics that relate to you, your area, or industry. Be authentic, genuine and real. When you have dialogue with a customer or prospective client, you can convert conversations into actions.

6. Follow Industry trends & monitor your competitors
   Twitter isn’t just about putting out the latest, but also taking it in. You can use it to research local and global trends and locate up-to-date information quickly and conveniently. Twitter is also a great tool to help you see what your competitors are up to, and to use this information to help you craft your own plan.

7. Share content from multiple sources
   A good social media plan isn’t just about putting stuff out there, but also to retweet (RT) and virally share content from others.  The best people to do this with are your own clients, colleagues and followers.  It’s a good way to get noticed and both you, your brand, and your partners will benefit!

8. Measure your social engagement
   If you put the right measurement tools in place at the beginning, you’ll never find yourself wandering aimlessly through the Twitterverse, sites like Hootsuite and Sprout Social can provide you valuable research and analytics information. You can see which of your tweets got the most attention, and details about your audience that can help you adjust your media plan or confirm you have the right one. You can also periodically check your Klout score which calculates your engagement and influence levels as compared to others. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to take a risk and learn to monitor your social strategy to see if it’s working for you.

Interested in using JCALPRO for your upcoming event?
Please visit our website for information on how we can help,
or contact us for an estimate.

Check out our photo gallery of past events, like Wheel of Fortune and U2!