Would You Rather Buy from a Person, or a Brand?

We thought so. Most people would rather feel like they’re engaging with real people than with a faceless, nameless “brand.” That’s especially true in social media, where people readily express their opinions and personalities.

So, how do you stay human on Twitter? Don’t be afraid to BE a human being on Twitter. Even if your company’s Twitter account has your company’s name, you can still project some personality.

Notice that TravelOregon promotes its own content, while also responding to people and re-tweeting other people’s comments. That makes TravelOregon’s Twitter stream seem like a real person is writing it, and conversing with the account’s followers. It doesn’t read like a stream of pre-scheduled, rote tweets, or automatic tweets from the organization’s blog.

Need an example of a boring, un-engaging Twitter feed? Here you go:

This is a pretty typical business-account feed. It’s just a series of automated tweets from the company’s blog – no personality, no variety, and no conversation.

You may be thinking this is unfair. How interesting can a foreign-exchange company’s tweets possibly be? Well, let’s look at another example. Groceries are kind of boring, right? Maybe, but Safeway’s Twitter feed is engaging and feels like a real person is writing it. Note the two tweets to @Jonspach at the top that clearly indicate a real conversation is going on:

Make People Laugh, or Catch them Offguard

It’s okay to be funny on Twitter, and when a big brand shows some humor, it’s refreshing. Just take a look at Southwest Air’s Twitter feed:

Note that Southwest Air attributes its tweets to actual people by using the ^ character and someone’s initials. This is a great way to show that several different people are manning the account.

Try bringing a more human touch to your tweets. I bet you’ll pick up more followers and get re-tweeted more often. That gives you a much bigger audience, and more opportunity to win new customers. And you’ll probably have more fun!

Have you seen a company with a great Twitter presence? Share it with us on Twitter by mentioning @AboutUs or @AlizaEarnshaw and the handle of the company or brand you think is doing a great job.

Aliza Earnshaw is vice president of business development at AboutUs. A former business reporter and editor, Aliza still indulges her love of great writing and working with creative writers while pursuing business opportunities for AboutUs.