How Twitter Can Further Your Public Relations Efforts

There is no single way to use twitter. Some users I know simply want to see what their favorite celebrity is doing. Others want to keep up on the latest industry news and trends. Others want to share their thoughts and activities with friends or family. Others are their to inform their followers on various issues or share their favorite links.

One thing about Twitter that is certain is that it is a communications tool. This means that regardless of why an individual is on Twitter, they are there to speak and be heard. As a marketer or public relations specialist, it’s your job to tap into your audience.

But how do you do this? You must balance the time you spend communicating to your followers with the time you spend listening to them.

Here are a few ways Twitter can further your public relations efforts.

• Consumer Relations - You can open the door to two-way communications by asking questions, answering the questions posed by others, and simply discussing news. You might get others involved by arranging meetings or simply asking for feedback. You have a forum for thanking and helping your customers. This allows your followers to connect with your brand and participate in it.
• Reputation Management – By monitoring mentions of your brand, you can see what others are saying about it. Recommendations and mentions by consumers and partners provide free exposure for your brand. If something isn’t right and someone says something negative, you now have a public forum to make it right. This demonstrates that your company does care about its consumers in a very public way.
• Media Relations – When it comes to bloggers and other media professionals, it’s becoming a common practice to communicate through social networking. Twitter can also be used to make announcements to the public and share business news.
• Journalism and Reporting – Twitter is often used to report on company events and involvements in public affairs. It can be used to keep listeners informed about events in real time, whether that’s conference events or speaking schedules. You can share your spin on news stories as well.