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.
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Keep it fresh, relevant and real. “Twitter’s power is in its immediacy and authenticity,” says Nelson.
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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.
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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.
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Integration is key. @MythBusters became part of all marketing, press and online experiences, says Nelson.
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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.