Tweet Them Right: 3 Steps to Increasing Customer Loyalty Via…

Q: How can I use Twitter to boost customer loyalty?

A: Long Island, N.Y.-based social marketing strategist Ted Rubin says companies should use Twitter to engage, respond and add value to their customers. “Twitter is so great,” he says, “because you can put out content rapid-fire, and you can see what people react to.” Rubin knows of what he speaks: He has 278,000 Twitter followers of his own.

Engage. Don’t just “produce content,” start a conversation. “Look for what people are talking about,” Rubin says. “The best content is conversation.”

Respond. When a follower asks a question, even one disapproving of your company, answer it publicly. “When someone criticizes me, I will share their criticism,” Rubin explains. “That makes it very authentic. That builds loyalty.”

Add value. As an example, Rubin cites Duane Reade, the ubiquitous New York City pharmacy chain (and a former client): “They do a lot of things about New York City events. [Those Tweets] have nothing to do with Duane Reade, but everything to do with being a New York City brand that a lot of people relate to.”

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Christopher Hann

Christopher Hann is a freelance writer in Lebanon Township, N.J., and an adjunct professor of journalism at Rutgers University.

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