How to use Twitter lists effectively

The recent Twitter Masterclass (YouTube) raised a question about creating Twitter lists, and how they can benefit your business.

Twitter lists can be used in many ways

Here’s what we’d suggest.

Competitors

One of your lists could be for your competitors:

• See what they are up to
• Be alerted to new products or services
• See what events they are attending
• See what people are saying about them

Industry

One of your lists could be for your industry:

• Be alerted to industry news
• See when your industry is mentioned in national or local news

Clients

One of your lists could be for your clients (under a private list so competitors can’t see your client list):

• People that have bought a certain product or service
• People that are /should be interested in a certain product or service
• People that you want to work with

Location

One of your lists could be for your location:

• Your town / city
• Your county
• Your country

Problems / solutions

One of your lists could be for common problems your products / services solve:

• People looking for a solution
• People asking questions about the sort of thing you do

Keyword

One of your lists could be for keywords relevant to your business:

• Industry keywords
• Industry products
• Industry services

Product names

One of your lists could be for product names:

• Your product names
• Competitor’s product names
• Industry standard product names
• Leading product names

Thought leaders

One of your lists could be for thought leaders:

• In your industry
• In other industries

Others in your industry

One of your lists could be for other people in your industry:

• Employees at other companies
• Management or senior staff
• Those doing the same job as you elsewhere

Suppliers / clients

One of your lists could be for your suppliers (again, under a private list so that others don’t approach you):

• Your accountants
• Your solicitors
• Your delivery firm
• Your manufacturers and suppliers

Events

One of your lists could be for relevant events for your industry, location or interests:

• Awards
• Exhibitions
• Expos
• Workshops
• Training

List of people in your company

One of your lists could be for keeping tabs on employees in your business:

• See what different people are doing and retweet it
• Ensure that people know what’s going on in the business
• Potential customers might follow people rather than your main company account

Conclusion

There are many reasons and ways to use Twitter lists, and creating lists can prove to be a quick and invaluable way to find out more about your products, your reputation, your people and your competitors.