Although Twitter lists have been around since 2009, most people still do not know what they are or simply do not think they would provide any value to their social media strategy… wrong! Twitter lists are just as important as the other benefits of social media for business, they aim to improve your profile and should not be ignored. Listen up, because we are about to tell you how Twitter lists can change your life (social media life anyway).
In basic terms, Twitter lists are a way of organising your follow list into similar groups. Condensing the list into smaller lists which will appear on a specific timeline, only showing those who are on that list. This is particularly useful for those who follow lots of accounts. Lists can either be private, therefore only seen be you, or public where anyone can see the list you have created.
Say for example you follow 10,000 people, most of those who you are following will be lost in the timeline as there will be SO many tweets each day, each hour, each minute. A good way to keep track of who you follow is splitting them into smaller groups, e.g. you may want a timeline only of sports-related profiles, you can put all related accounts into a list then when you want to see them you go onto that list and it only shows you sports related profiles on that timeline. This saves time and means you are more productive when looking at tweets. You could choose to make this public so that others can benefit from only seeing those accounts.
Another great way of using lists is keeping watch on your competitors. By putting all your competitors into one list you are able to keep track of exactly what they are doing on Twitter without it being lost on your main timeline. Doing this can help shape future marketing campaigns, target audiences and generally keeping watch of your competitors’ progress. The great thing about lists is that it is anonymous, the accounts will not be notified that they have been put into a list, therefore cannot deny being a part of it. This list can be made private so that nobody will know you are watching your competitors, or even who your competitors are.
There is the option to subscribe to a list if it is public. When you subscribe you are saying that you are interested in the list topic and would like to be associated. Twitter has made a limit to the number of lists you can subscribe to, 20 to be exact. However, you do have the option to unsubscribe at any time. Or, you can follow a list. This means you can look at and follow a list, without having to be a part or subscribe to the list.
Same with other social media sites for business, Twitter lists will be as effective as you make them. If used correctly they can open your eyes to a whole new way of networking and engaging with customers, clients and followers. You are able to create your own community, either benefiting you directly or positioning yourself as a thought leader as you have put a group of people with similar interests in one area. The basis of social media is about building a sense of community and engagement, therefore Twitter lists can both help develop community and be more strategic in your social media marketing.
For further insights and guidance, we invite you to explore our blog at 07hm.co.uk/blog. Here, you’ll find a wealth of information tailored to the needs and challenges of SMEs navigating the digital landscape. Additionally, if you have specific questions or need personalised advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email at info@07hm.co.uk or telephone on 01702 410663.
