If you’re not sure what “Twitter Lists” even are, let’s start there. Twitter Lists, as stated by Twitter, are “a curated group of Twitter users.” As a Twitter user you have the ability to create your own lists of users that fit a specific criteria that you choose or to subscribe to a public list created by another user. To see more details onhow to create a twitter list visit the support section of Twitter.
So, let’s ask the question, “What Twitter Lists should I make as a business?” I’ve come up with 8 lists that will work in any industry. These lists are going to keep you organized, help you to connect with the people you actually want to see on Twitter, and increase your Twitter effectiveness.
1. Your Team
If you’ve got employees, contractors, consultants and other team members who are also on Twitter, create a list to keep up with them. Supporting your employees and turning them into advocates for your business online is a powerful tool. Engage with your team through Twitter, retweet their content (as it applies to your business), and feature them as you can.
2. Your Customers
Your customers are the only way you stay in business, right? So stay connected! Create a Twitter List where you can tweet them back, and reward them for engaging with your company. It’s up to you whether you make this list public or private. My suggestion would be to keep this private so you can engage with customers but your competitors can’t swoop in and engage with them. We don’t need to make it easy for them!
3. Industry Influencers
Every industry has thought leaders and influencers that help move us forward. This Twitter list will help you keep up with what they’re tweeting about, help you to easily engage with their tweets, and get on their radar if that’s a benefit to your company. Keep this list public so that others can easily subscribe and you’ve now become a resource center on Twitter for your industry.
4. Your Partners and Affiliates
This would be another private list to keep but it’s an important one to make. Partners and affiliates that support your business should be on a list all their own so you can not only support their efforts but also look for additional ways to partner based on their tweets. For example, a partner of mine tweeted that she was looking to start adding more services for her customers and needed to brainstorm with someone who offered something similar. I was able to see it even though it had been tweeted several hours prior. If I didn’t have that list, her tweet would have been lost to me and I would have missed an opportunity to help out and increase our affiliation.
5. Your Competitors
We always want to know what our competitors are up to in the Twitter-verse. This list should absolutely be kept private and it’s not meant for you to engage with these profiles. Use this list as research to see what your competitors are tweeting about and who is engaging with their tweets.
6. Networking and Event Attendees
Personally, I’ve had great success with networking and event attendees lists. This list is typically public and allows you to keep up with people you meet in real life back on Twitter. Create a list of people you meet at a local networking group and also at large conferences. This helps you follow-up after the event is over and stay top of mind with them as you actively engage. You can also be a resource for other event attendees by keeping the list public and tweeting the list link to others to let them know it’s there to help them out.
7. Content to Curate
A Twitter List with content you can curate is a huge perk for businesses because it will help you to never run out of content. For example, if you are a Realtor, create a Twitter List that is full of real estate related resources that are credible like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. You might also include Twitter feeds that are location based so you can curate content that showcases local events and happenings.
8. People Who Retweet You
When people retweet your content, add them to a list so you can keep up with them. If someone has shared your content once, they are more likely to do it again! Add them to a list, follow them if appropriate, and keep engaged so they will continue to share your content with their followers.
Twitter lists make the fast-paced world of Twitter slow down so you can catch your breath! There are a lot of options when creating Twitter Lists for business (and even personally) so experiment with what works for you. Do you have a Twitter List you can’t live without? Share your idea in the comments below or follow the Twitter List we’ve made for you!
