How to Attract More Subscribers on Twitter with Storytelling

This is a guest post from Teena Thach, Social Media and Marketing Specialist at Socedo. Socedo is a demand-generation system that empowers marketers to discover, engage with and qualify prospects through social media to generate revenue at scale. We’ve teamed up with them to bring you this week’s #EmailChat.

Each day, millions of people share posts on Twitter. So why not attract some of those social media users to your brand?

Before you can get started, it’s important to acknowledge that Twitter users want to interact with authentic, engaging companies that they can relate to. Creating content gets people to connect with your brand doesn’t just bode well for them; people who feel more engaged with your brand are more likely to end up on your email list as well.

And what better way to connect than through storytelling?

How to tell your brand story

There are lots of ways to tell your company’s story within a 140-character framework. Think of each tweet as a mini story; a snapshot of what’s happening in the lives of social media users.

A1. The goal of storytelling is to let your audience know who are you as a brand, what you stand for, and how you’re different. #emailchat

— Socedo (@SocedoApp) September 1, 2016

Taking it to the next level, think of the carefully-crafted six word memoirs inspired by the painful and terse “For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn” attributed to Ernest Hemingway; concision can be powerful. However, you don’t necessarily have to condense your organization’s message into six words or fewer to tell a story.

One easy way to get the most out of your Twitter space is to offer a tantalizing teaser and share a link. Buffer Social says tweets with a link are 86 percent more likely to get a retweet, which is perfect, considering this is a great way to drive traffic – and interest – to your brand. Not sure what to link to? Try linking to video posts or blogs on your website.

Be sure to also include photos in your tweets, as these are also more attractive to users. And you know what they say about what a picture is worth when it comes to storytelling.

So what kind of content should those video posts, blogs or photos include? That’s where storytelling comes in.

Keep it relevant

How you tell your story may not be as important as sharing it in the way that works best for your company and shows off your style.

American Express Open Forum explains that your story is the best currency you have; it convinces people they want to do business with you.

Your stories don’t have to be complex, either. Share only the information people need to understand what you’re all about – in a world of short attention spans, you don’t want people to lose interest.

Engage your community

Letting someone else tell your story can be powerful. One way to do this is by letting your employees tell your story. Have them share a story about what they do and why they like working for you. Or, interview them in their workspace to give an exclusive glimpse of your company. Or maybe you can show your employees participating in community events or volunteer work.

This doesn’t have to require video, either – a series of shared photos on Twitter will do just fine.

A1. Storytelling creates a one to one connection between your brand and your people. You're writing this narrative together! #EmailChat

— Olivia Dello Buono (@oliviadello) September 1, 2016

Sharing your company culture – an important part of your story – is a way of showing the Twitterverse what you’re all about and building authenticity for your brand. That works even when you’re sharing your company in a tongue-in-cheek way.

The Wisconsin-based insurance company Acuity, for example, produced elaborate 1980s-style MTV-like recruitment video, and another that featured employees after a zombie apocalypse. The company also made an extended version showing the making of the video, including makeup prep work.

A2. It's your opportunity to show off your brand personality and interact with your community. #emailchat

— Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) September 1, 2016

At the end of the day, people simply connect with human stories. Southwest Airlines has been building a culture of storytelling throughout its company for the past 10 years. And they do this by not only featuring employees throughout its organization, but also by featuring traveling customers.

A2. Plus, storytelling is all about getting your audience involved. And there's no better place to do that than social #emailchat

— Monica Montesa (@missmontesa) September 1, 2016

Questions to consider as you tell your story: How does your product or service impact the people you serve? Why do you do the work that you do? And don’t forget to feature your company leader: Who’s the man or woman behind the curtain? What’s important to him or her?

Work in progress

Post planner suggests offering a series of consecutive tweets that build anticipation. Do you have a new product or offering coming out? Offer a behind-the-scenes peek at the product in the making. What were your goals? What were the challenges? How did you overcome them? Develop a story about your product’s upcoming release and share it in parts, building anticipation among your followers.

A4. Easily tap into your community, customers can easily generate their own content, tag your brand or hashtag.
#emailchat

— Socedo (@SocedoApp) September 1, 2016

This is a great way to use photos to tell your story, with or without links. Post photos in daily tweets leading up to the product release, featuring a different aspect of the development, the people who made it happen and your company at work. You might even consider making a video that shows your new product being made, developed or delivered.

Be sure to also follow up with news about the release and success stories after the fact. Once you engage your followers, they’ll want to know how everything turned out.

Keep the content coming

Part of the authenticity that attracts followers is consistency. Here at Socedo, we suggest ensuring that visitors to your blog have a way to subscribe to continue receiving content and stay updated via the email list you’ve built your new contacts.

A7. Tweets have such a short lifespan. You need to keep a regular content cadence and provide value. #EmailChat

— Olivia Dello Buono (@oliviadello) September 1, 2016

After all, the best stories are the ones that never end. And if yours is compelling enough, it will help keep your followers engaged.

A8. Be authentic! As you stay true to yourself, your followers will be able to trust & connect with you more. #emailchat

— Monica Montesa (@missmontesa) September 1, 2016

Sign up for the free brand story course

A good brand story lets you connect with the right customers because it conveys your unique purpose and benefits, aligns them with your goals, and influences them to make a purchase.

How are you using Twitter to tell your brand story? Let us know in the comments!

The post How to Attract More Subscribers on Twitter with Storytelling appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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