No Myths Here: 5 Twitter Lessons Learned From the Discovery Channel

Katherine Nelson, vice president of communications for the Discovery Channel, provides five key lessons learned from launching the network’s most successful Twitter account, @MythBusters.

1. Keep it fresh, relevant and real. “Twitter’s power is in its immediacy and authenticity,” says Nelson.

2. Don’t resort to gimmicks to gain followers. Strive instead for an engaged, passionate audience, says Nelson. The early goal of gaining 1 million @MythBusters followers was set without fully considering the audience, timeline and overall measure of success. “In the end, those tactics (which included a contest giveaway) built a segment of followers who were not that interested—and eventually un-followed,” she says.

3. Think long term. Nelson says true Twitter value lies in long-term growth and engagement. “360 degree support is key to building and keeping a social media fan base,” she says.

4. Integration is key. @MythBusters became part of all marketing, press and online experiences, says Nelson.

5. Mine Your Audience. Says Nelson: “Many of our best ideas come from the back-and-forth we have with our fans.”

PR News subscribers can read more about about the strategies behind the @MythBusters account in the case study: Multiple Twitter Touch Points Rocket Discovery Comms' @MythBusters Into the Engagement Stratosphere. 

June 8, 2011