#TWITTERSMARTER CHAT – Thursday October 29, 2015
By Anna Edwards
With the intense competition for attention on social media and in traditional media, it can be very difficult to capture and keep the attention of your desired audience. But it doesn’t have to be. The brand that is able to cut through the noise will be the brand that makes it a point of duty to connect with customers and deliberately shape their experience with its product or service. Simply put, brands that learn the art of surprising and delighting their audience will separate themselves from the crowd and turn their audience into loyal customers.
Last Thursday on the #TwitterSmarter chat, Nicole Miller from Buffer stopped by to talk with us about the various ways to surprise and delight our audience as well as share various tools and resources for managing and measuring these efforts. Buffer is a brand that gets customer delight right, and so we were eager to hear what their community champion had to say.
Continue reading below for more details on the various questions and some of the more insightful and popular responses from the chat.
Be sure to join us every Thursday on Twitter at 1pm ET | 10am PT for awesome and actionable advice on how to #TwitterSmarter.
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES: Hotsuite, Tweetdeck, Twitter analytics, Mention, Twitter lists and hashtags are among the most popular.
A1: At Buffer, we use @sparkcentralHQ to monitor Twitter mentions. I use @Tweedeck and @Mention too! 🙂 #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A1b: There are so many great tools out there! I definitely advise testing and finding what works best for you. 🙂 #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
@MadalynSklar A1: I use TweetDeck and regularly check my Twitter analytics to see who’s following me & how it’s changing. #twittersmarter
— Stuart.fm (@StuartFM7) October 29, 2015
A1c) Also like @warblealerts to keep us up to date on who’s sharing content from our site on Twitter #TwitterSmarter
— David Boutin (@dmboutin) October 29, 2015
A1: I use Hootsuite + combination of lists/streams based on keywords to listen #twittersmarter
— Liz Da Ponte (@lizdaponte) October 29, 2015
A1b) @SproutSocial also has some great features to alert us of Twitter folks we’re not connected with yet #TwitterSmarter
— David Boutin (@dmboutin) October 29, 2015
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES: Feedback (on content, products or services) which tells what is working and what isn’t.
A2: I’ve personally discovered the incredible power of community from listening and engaging. #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A2b: We have received really helpful product feedback from our audience, too! #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A2: I’ve learned so much about being apart of a community. As well as overall social/digital best practices #twittersmarter
— Liz Da Ponte (@lizdaponte) October 29, 2015
A2: I’ve learned not everyone appreciates the flood of tweets during a Twitter chat. #twittersmarter
— Jason Quach (@jasonctquach) October 29, 2015
The initial tweet is never as important as the follow up. Even just a thanks goes a long way. #twittersmarter https://t.co/y0MkEzKhho
— Scott Colesby (@SoCalledSomeone) October 29, 2015
A2: My audience keeps me updated on the latest news and trends and helps me adapt through insightful conversations #TwitterSmarter
— Micah-Sage Bolden (@SageBolden) October 29, 2015
A2) Engagement (or lack thereof) from our audience let’s us know if we’re on the right track w/content or not #TwitterSmarter
— David Boutin (@dmboutin) October 29, 2015
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES: Unexpected engagement and highlighting that puts them front and center and makes them feel like they matter.
A3: Surprise-and-delight means going above and beyond in a meaningful way. #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A3b: This doesn’t mean more expense; just a bit more thought and care in your interaction. #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
@MadalynSklar A3: To highlight them, their thoughts, and their content. To shine the spotlight back onto them & give value #twittersmarter
— Stuart.fm (@StuartFM7) October 29, 2015
@MadalynSklar A3. Take their feedback, listen & react. Showing that their voice matters. #TwitterSmarter
— Danielle Speciale (@DeeSpeciale) October 29, 2015
A3 Go beyond. Anticipate consumers’ needs before they know they it’s a need. Go one further, do one better #twittersmarter
— LUCYrk (@LUCYrk78) October 29, 2015
A3: It’s when you engage with them and further the conversation. Ask questions. Provide encouragement and gratitude! #TwitterSmarter
— Natalie Bergen (@NatalieBergen) October 29, 2015
@MadalynSklar A3: One way to surprise and delight your community is to randomly engage when they’re not expecting it #TwitterSmarter
— Craig DesBrisay (@craigthusiast) October 29, 2015
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES: Trello, Hootsuite, Google Docs, and Tweetdeck are just a few of the favorites.
A4: We use @trello @typeform @zapier to collect addresses for sending hand-written cards and gifts. #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A4b: We track tweets with swag mentions and pics in @hackpad to show ROI 🙂 #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A4) Google docs are a simple solution, easy to share with a team #TwitterSmarter
— David Boutin (@dmboutin) October 29, 2015
@MadalynSklar A4: Using @Trello @Toggl @Buffer and @TweetDeck of course! #twittersmarter
— Stuart.fm (@StuartFM7) October 29, 2015
A4: Can’t go wrong with @SimplyMeasured! #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/4oGRmfKObP
— Alanna Honigman (@AlannaHonigman) October 29, 2015
A4. I use Twitter Analytics and @hootsuite #TwitterSmarter
— Jelisa Beaty (@LisaLovesSocial) October 29, 2015
A4: @HubSpot is great for tracking, responding and analyzing. #TwitterSmarter
— Karen Kurtzweil (@Rsikarenk) October 29, 2015
A4) Facebook pixel conversion tracker seems good, haven’t tried it yet, but on my overwhelming list #TwitterSmarter
— David Boutin (@dmboutin) October 29, 2015
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES: Social media acknowledgement (shout outs), items in the mail (handwritten notes, notebooks, cards, t-shirts etc), a discounted or free service.
A5: Cards and stamps are super reasonable and so fun to send! #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A5c: Sometimes small things like notebooks or a coffee mug are fun! #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A5d: Logoed items are not required 🙂 You can think outside the box! #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A5: Make a personalized trophy graphic and publicly thank members of audience as a gift for consistent engagement #TwitterSmarter
— Micah-Sage Bolden (@SageBolden) October 29, 2015
@MadalynSklar passing on this one too, I’m still not at that level … maybe things like vouchers for your services? #TwitterSmarter
— Bouchra Rebiai (@brebiai) October 29, 2015
A5: We just got great T-Shirts to send, but handwritten notes go a long way 🙂 #twittersmarter
— Mike Kawula (@MikeKawula) October 29, 2015
A5: Mine also like free classes and/or troubleshooting sessions. #twittersmarter
— Kim Shivler (@KimShivler) October 29, 2015
A5: Make a quick video shouting out to particular followers and share it on your network #TwitterSmarter
— Micah-Sage Bolden (@SageBolden) October 29, 2015
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES: Thoughtful gifts, discussions, chats or other forms of actual engagement, passes to events or gift certificates.
A6: Some of my favorite stories are here: https://t.co/to2dmrEiGF #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A6b: I’ve really enjoyed digging in and looking for gifts for perhaps family members/pets 🙂 #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A6: Candid and goofy behind-the-scenes! #TwitterSmarter @MadalynSklar
— EFM Agency (@efmagency) October 29, 2015
A6. Discussions, chats sharing something unique like quotes. I enjoy tweeting #Mpy on various prompts with others. #TwitterSmarter
— Mohini Puranik (@mohinipuranik) October 29, 2015
A6 Gifting them exclusive passes for events or surprise gifts based on contests #twittersmarter https://t.co/vkDi4mtS9u
— Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) October 29, 2015
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES: Automate the parts of the process that can be automated then seek help from team members with the rest. It also helps to determine where to focus efforts based on goals or the stage of the relationship.
A7: This is a bit of a tricky one. Automate the processes you can (collecting/storing info). #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A7b: It’s okay that sending hand-written cards is a bit hard to scale. It’s personal! #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A7c: Could you bring in other team members to help with your efforts? Sending cards is fun! #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A7 You have to tier interactions, IMO. Have goals = how you gauge where to focus your efforts on surprise and delight #twittersmarter
— LUCYrk (@LUCYrk78) October 29, 2015
A7: I scale according to where the relationship is and where it could be. And I give without expectation of a return. #TwitterSmarter
— Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) October 29, 2015
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES: Buffer, Applebees, Hootsuite and many others (see responses below).
A8: Joel and Leo initially sent cards to early users of Buffer, and they have long been my inspiration! #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A8b: @producthunt, @trello and @cloudpeeps are so great at these personal touches! 🙂 #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
A8c: One powerful example would be Taylor Swift sending Christmas gifts to her fans. #awesome #twittersmarter
— Nicole M. Miller (@nmillerbooks) October 29, 2015
@MadalynSklar A8: I’m impressed by @ReverbNation and @cdbaby. They really do care about musicians! #twittersmarter
— Stuart.fm (@StuartFM7) October 29, 2015
A8: @buffer of course!! And I am not being biased. I’ve worked with lots of companies. They go above and beyond. #twittersmarter
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) October 29, 2015
A8) @buffer @Applebees immediately come to mind #TwitterSmarter
— David Boutin (@dmboutin) October 29, 2015
A8. Always there to help and guide. @hootsuitehelp . Also, @Shareaholic and @buffer #TwitterSmarter
— Mohini Puranik (@mohinipuranik) October 29, 2015
A8 I’m impressed with @buffer, @CornerBakery @Spread_PB and how hard they work to ensure customer happiness… #twittersmarter
— LUCYrk (@LUCYrk78) October 29, 2015
A8: I liked what @TD_Canada did! Sometimes you just want to say thank you #TDThanksYou https://t.co/5UfTLma1d8 via @YouTube #TwitterSmarter
— Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) October 29, 2015
A8: @MasterCard and its #PricelessSurprises is a good example #TwitterSmarter @MadalynSklar
— EFM Agency (@efmagency) October 29, 2015
For more tips, advice and resources to help you master Twitter and grow your business be sure to follow @MadalynSklar and join us every Thursday on Twitter at 1pm ET | 10am PT for #TwitterSmarter.
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As a freelance copywriter, Anna eats, breathes and dreams up story-centric copy for her clients at www.focusonthestory.com. Otherwise she likes to spend time drooling over other people’s well-crafted sentences. She’s also passionate about forming connections, social media and branding. Say hi to her on Twitter!