Date :
27/11/2013
Restaurants, attractions and accommodation providers are certainly not complaining about the opportunity.
Exposure to 800,000 followers isn’t exactly bad for business. Which is where the appeal lies. Never mind the need for 140 character messages, anyone can follow anyone else, and be part of the conversation - any conversation - by tweeting and using the #hashtag.
This opens up a world of discovery. Find subjects you’re interested in from ancestry to wildlife, chat to businesses or brands, find a hotel or a service; follow what’s going on at conferences, join in conversations such as Scottish tourism and travel chat #ScotlandHour.
This popular monthly Twitter chat has built and engaged a thriving Twitter community of Scottish tourism businesses, travellers and Scotland fans from around the globe, who chat, network, and share travel tips about the best things to see and do in Scotland, by using the #scotlandhour hashtag.
November’s chat celebrates St. Andrew’s Day and December is a Hogmanay special, showcasing social media extravaganza #blogmanay –you too can join the #blogmanay team of international Travel Bloggers and tweet, facebook, photograph and share your Hogmanay experience by sending your content using the #blogmanay hashtag.
Monthly Twitterchat #ScotFood is another great example of food lovers and producers getting together and spreading the word; with different Scottish regions hosting the chats.
Despite the myriad of hashtags and shortened links, if having a blether about things you like, at the same time as promoting your business sounds like a useful way to attract new custom, then Twitter and social media is for you: being ‘social’ is key.
Edinburgh visitor attraction The Scotch Whisky Experience does just that, sharing its visitors’ feedback, chatting to whisky fans about its products and activities. It has also hosted travel tweet-ups, where travel tweeters meet up, tweet and create a buzz by their Twitter conversations.
You can set up a Twitter account for free in no time, using your own photos to create a personal or company profile with links to your website. Even complete beginners can learn all they need to know, right from the Twitter help pages.
Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person, and engage in the art of the retweet. Andy Marjoribanks who runs bespoke tour firm (@EdinburghCabTrs) uses Twitter to build awareness of his services. He re-tweeted tweets from tour company @scottishroutes and immediately began gaining followers.
“All you have to do is engage,” Andy says.
Learn all about how to create a buzz for your business and more in our Shine Online Guide. Read our ‘At Your Service’ guide for top tips on getting your food and drink business in tip top shape in real life.
Integrating your social media into your online presence is easy and worth the effort. You can tweet all about it in no time, but don’t forget to follow us.