Cross your T's, Twitter!

It's important to have both a Facebook and Twitter presence for your business. They are both very different outlets and you should be taking full advantage of them. A lot of folks like to incorporate both tweets & Facebook updates together, but in my opinion this is a bad thing to do. You want to have people follow you on both social platforms, but you don't want to feed them the same information twice. My suggestion is to rewrite your posts for each outlet - especially because twitter talk is so different from normal lingo.

The "F's" of Facebook:

• FULL MONTY: Facebook updates can provide your fan base with a lot of info - you can post photos, events, questions, links and video. And you want to do ALL of these, do not leave a stone unturned.
• FEED: You shouldn't overwhelm your followers on Facebook. Your fans want to hear from you, but not be bombarded with useless information - which is how they feel when they read your updates more often then from their BFF from college.
• FASCINATE: Engagement is key. You don't have to have a lot of followers to have excellent engagement - just interested fans. And you're in charge of keeping them interested! Facebook is a little more challenging when it comes to enchanting your audience, so it's especially rewarding when you succeed. 
• FORTIFY: Ask questions, and not just to poll kind. Your fans want to be part of a community and give you their knowledge and insight. Make sure you continuously give them the opportunity to do so.
• FLOURISH: Always respond to your fans when they write on your wall or updates. Even if it's just a click of a "like" button, make sure they know you are listening.
• FILL A VOID: Offer your fans something no one else does. For Hydrant, I update my fans about social media trends AND fun pet facts. My favorite segment is "Word at the Hydrant" where I give random pet facts. Make your page fun, think outside of the box.

And let's not forget the "T's" of Twitter:

• TEMPT: Tweets have to be done in 140 characters or less, make your followers want MORE! You can include a link with more information - short tweets usually see more engagement and clicks than long ones. And make it interesting, you want them to wonder and therefore click on your link: "Cross your T's, Twitter! LINK."
• TANTALIZE: You can send out more information than on Facebook, and get away with it! Twitter is happening so quicky, in bulk, you can get lost in the tweet clouds. Stay grounded with useful information and lots of interactions with your followers. Engagement is key, both TO others and FROM others.
• TRANSLATION: Twitter has special speak, get with the lingo! Know the basics: 
• RT is Retweet: Sharing a tweet someone else posted and giving them credit
• FF is Follow Friday: Showcase the people you enjoy hearing from most
• WW is Woof Wednesday: Showcase your favorite furry friends and organizations!
• # is a hashtag: use this to make a topic and it creates a link to the topic. "I love living in this beautiful city! #austin" so "austin" becomes a link, and when clicked anyone who hashtag's Austin will appear in a feed. 
• TWINKLE TOES: Twitter has the great capacity of being light. You don't have to put as much thought as Facebook, it's okay to update more frequently and even better to interact often.

How do you use Facebook and Twitter?