Pass the 70-20-10 test
How can you write social media messages that are relevant, valuable and interesting to friends, fans and followers?
Pass educational consultant Angela Maiers’ 70-20-10 test. That is:
1. Share 70% of the time.
Give readers information they can use to live their lives better by linking to valuable information — new research, tipsheets and tools
That’s what Guy Kawasaki does. Kawasaki makes himself a go-to guy with interesting, valuable tweets like these:
- Forget the press release http://sbne.ws/r/qvP
- Top Twriters: 25 writers to follow on Twitter. http://adjix.com/n83r
- Research on the cause of the gender earnings gap http://sbne.ws/r/qkG
- Social media’s 10 commandments http://is.gd/vmcKjd
- 5 tips for power tweeting http://is.gd/FoA5J2
Tweets like these have earned Kawasaki a spot on Hubspot’s Twitter Elite — tweeters who have the highest power and reach in the Twitter community.
2. Engage 20%.
Put the social in social media: Connect, converse, ask questions, answer them, respond to people who mention you and generally help out your online connections.
You’ll find this approach on Southwest Airlines’ Twitter feed. Sample tweets:
- Hey everyone, if you have a good winglet pic or airplane window photos @cnnireport wants them! Info here: http://on.cnn.com/PlFJzx
- @BlessNDress I’m sorry to hear you are having trouble. Please follow & DM your info. & additional feedback. I’ll see if we can help.
- Alright, NYC locals … tourist attractions are great, but what are your favorite hidden gems? What would you do in one day in New York City?
This engaging Twitter style landed Southwest’s Twitter feed on Time magazine’s list of Top 10 corporate tweeters.
3. Chirp 10%.
In one in 10 tweets, Maiers suggests, go ahead and chit-chat about yourself.
Because the bulk of his tweets inform instead of meforming, the late Zappos CEO Tony Hsei can get away with the occasional chirp like this:
“Swam in Silverton mermaid aquarium on my birthday! Wore costume b/c they don’t allow birthday suits. http://twitpic.com/3fpe9r”
Hsei is another honoree on Time magazine’s list of of Top 10 corporate tweeters.
But beware: A little chirping goes a long way. Too much can veer into corporate narcissism.
How can you write content readers want to read?
There’s a lot of ME in social MEdia. And there’s a great big I in TwItter. No wonder social media thought leader Brian Solis calls content marketing the egosystem.
Unfortunately, talking about yourself and your stuff on social channels works about as well as it does at a cocktail party. But watch your social media reach and influence grow when you deliver relevant, valuable, useful content.
Learn how to identify what content readers want to read at Get Clicked, Liked & Shared, our content-writing workshop.
You’ll learn to position your company as the expert in the field. Find out how to make sure your posts are welcome guests and not intrusive pests. And discover the power of the most-retweeted word in the English language.
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