Tweeting with the best of 'em

The potential for brands using social media is enormous. But what makes a great Tweet? Before you dive into Tweeting about your company, it's good to get an idea of what's already working well.

Last night I ate some waffles

As we've discussed before, using social networking takes a bit of thought. You need to show your brand in a good light, creatively. So there's more to it than simply updating your status with what you had for dinner last night.

• Design is key. A branded presence on your page will quickly and clearly show who you are.
• Background choices – you'll see empty space or scenic pictures on many businesses' pages. But a background is the perfect opportunity to creatively list your products, services or areas of expertise. Which means it's definitely worth getting the designers in to make everything work seamlessly.
• Next up is what you say. Your Tweets and messages need to be quick, engaging and precise. Making people smile helps too.

But the easiest way to know what you should be doing, as with anything, is to look at how others succeed.

10 brands doing it well

Now, just to be clear, we’re not telling you to be a copycat – we're simply giving you a little food for thought…

Creative ideas
Albion’s Oven Bakery
Albion is just a small bakery in London, but they're making big things happen. Namely, getting customers in as soon as they get their pastries out the oven – by putting baking updates on Twitter. Their design is simply branded with their logo, and their Tweets are beautifully entertaining. @AlbionsOven

Johanna Basford
Johanna is a prime example of someone who is making Twitter work for her. Her background design is simple – but her idea is immense. This Scottish illustrator has captured imaginations everywhere by creating a giant pen and ink illustration of everyone's Tweets to her page, over a (probably very stressful) 48-hour period. Not only has she made a beautiful print, but she's also hooked almost 900 followers* and has successfully advertised her illustration skills to the country. (Look out for the ifour robot on her Twitter Picture.) @JohannaBasford

More than one page
Dell
Dell does it well with lots of different Twitter sites for different users. For example, @DellOutletUK offers 'one of a kind' sales on refurbished Dell computers, whereas @DellHomeUK features the latest Dell products and offers. @DellOutletUK

A strong brand
The Guardian
Simple and recognisable. The Guardian's pages are bright and arresting with spot-on branding. As soon as you look at the page you know which company is talking to you. @GuardianNews

Making it personal
Honda
The beauty of Twitter is that when you go onto a company's page you're not getting the corporate babble that's usually marketed. You're actually in touch with real people. And that's precisely what Honda play on. @Honda_UK

Customer Services
easyJet
You'll see that quite a few large companies are actually using a picture of a 'real' person, instead of the company logo. Like Honda, easyJet's customer services page has a great look and feel and, by using their persona 'Paul', they can connect with customers on a personal level. @easyJetCare

Using the space well
Creative Review
One of the UK's leading design and advertising magazines. They've created a simple design that lists all the areas the magazine covers, including a funky cover-style illustration. It works perfectly with the flow of the screen. @CreativeReview

Stephen Fry
Just about everyone likes to follow Mr Fry (in fact, over 980,000 people**). And his page has been designed fantastically. It gives you some fun visuals to look at and constantly promotes his new book and website. @StephenFry

Virgin Media
Not only do they feature their logo on the branded colour scheme and a brief company intro, but they also list the useful phone numbers that customers may need. This is the perfect use of space as Virgin has really thought about why people will be following them. @VirginMedia

And of course…
Our very own Twitter design is keeping to the rules too. It shows what we do, it's eye-catching, it's simple, it incorporates our logo and it makes people smile. @ifourdesign

At ifour, we can design any social networking pages your company desires. And we even offer consultancy on how you can get the most from your content on social media too. So ask us anything about Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Bebo, MySpace, YouTube and any other social media sites you can think of.

Call ifour creative design agency on 01892 541111, or pop into our office (near Tunbridge Wells, Kent) , to find out how your business can get tweeting with the best of them.

* Twitter @johannabasford. Correct at time of publishing – November 2009.
** Twitter @stephenfry. Correct at time of publishing – November 2009.