According to Wikipedia a promotional campaign is defined as "An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). Advertising campaigns appear in different media across a specific time frame." Therefore, those who are considering how to improve promotional campaigns on Twitter should keep these five steps in mind:
1. Series of advertisement messages
A series of messages means that there should be a similar message in the advertising message. Series as defined by Princeton is "similar things placed in order or happening one after another...". Hence placing a similar message across several tweets will help a business get their message across to their audience. An example of this would be "free information about freelance writing", "freelance writing information for free" and "finding freelancing information free". These messages are all similar and could be considered a series;
2. Finding the relevant keywords
Once a business has determined what their message is going to be, they must locate the relevant keywords. In the example shown above, chances are that there are opportunities for several relevant keywords including free, freelancing, freelance writing and information about freelance writing. The keywords all relate to the campaign and may be used throughout the campaign;
Most people who have experience with Twitter understand that the proper use of hashtags can be very helpful. Hashtags help Twitter users locate specific information and can help a business identify what is working for them and what is not. Finding the right hashtags is as simple as searching to see how many people are looking at a group of keywords;
4. Identifying a target
Twitter allows users to use several options for targeting users. Businesses who are setting up a promotional campaign can target users by location (using Twitter Places) or they can target users by searching for specific categories. For example, to see who is using the keyword writers on Twitter simply type "writers" into the search field. This can help add punch to a promotional campaign;
5. Do not spam
Perhaps the biggest problem with promotional campaigns is the spam factor. All too often, in a quest to get the information out on Twitter, businesses will offer unlimited access to affiliates and others who wish to help promote a specific program. This method of promotion can harm a business and result in a loss of credibility. Keeping a campaign limited can be far more beneficial in the long run.
Setting up a promotional campaign on Twitter can help take a business to new levels. Effective promotional campaigns have a standard message, they are relevant and the links that are provided will help promote a business in a positive manner. Keeping these key factors in mind may help improve promotional campaigns in Twitter.
This is all you need to get started using Twitter effectively to promote your Hubs and other blogs, articles or for sharing other people's work. In future Hubs, we'll talk about how to set up your Hubs for easy sharing, how to use some of the automated programs and more.
