Twitterati: 5 Traits of Successful Business Accounts on Twitter

Old Spice's Twitter profile. A great example of adding personality. View full size image

First there was the "glitterati,” now there’s the "Twitterati." The Twitterati are those who use the free social marketing tool to its best advantage, have thousands of followers and generate considerable buzz — and biz — with their tweeting efforts.

While not everyone will embrace Twitter to its full potential, those who develop a thoughtful tweeting strategy will be well on their way, says communication strategist Ben Grossman of the marketing agency Oxford Communications.

[Tweet, Tweet:  9 Steps to a Successful Twitter Account ]

“Businesses are quickly finding themselves on Twitter … and falling flat ," Grossman told BusinessNewsDaily. "Taking a look at and drawing inspiration from other successful small businesses is a great way to improve your own Twitter strategy."

He recommends checking out the Twitter accounts of @BigGayIceCream, @Boloco, @ComcastCares, @Dominos, @OldSpice and @Zappos_Service, all of which he believes flourish on Twitter because they exemplify these characteristics:

Trait 1 – Solid sense of self: Brands that have unique character and are sure of their personality, value proposition and actions do very well on Twitter. If users sense weakness, some tend to take advantage and others will ignore. Twitter is like a cocktail party, so think about the people you like to interact with in social settings. Do they have distinctive personalities, or are they wishy-washy?

Trait 2 – Good listeners: Twitter will bring you closer to your consumers than you ever have been before. How well do you know them? Will you take the time to get to know them even better? Are you willing to respond to their requests? Successful businesses on Twitter are consumer-obsessed .

Trait 3 – Empowered: Twitter users love exclusivity. Have you empowered the person manning your Twitter presence to care for consumers in ways that nonusers would drool over? Are you committed to taking action based on user feedback and requests? If consumers take the time to talk with your brand on Twitter, they expect you to take action … and successful brands have.

Trait 4 – Surprising: Successful businesses on Twitter have set themselves apart from the pack with radical differentiation. What can you do on Twitter that no one else has? How can you pleasantly surprise your consumers by letting them know you’re listening and rewarding them for speaking?

Trait 5 – Consistent: Twitter is never off. It doesn’t come and go with day and night or weekends and weekdays and it definitely doesn’t stop and start with marketing campaigns. Successful businesses have developed strategies that allow them to be consistently engaging but always evolving.

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Reach BusinessNewsDaily staff writer Brian Anthony Hernandez at Bhernandez@TechMediaNetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BAHjournalist.