There are two core mantras about social media that we will say to anyone who will listen. The first is: “It’s called social media because you have to be social!” The second is: “social media never sleeps.” Recently we demonstrated the importance of both by hosting a Twitter chat on behalf of a client.

If you’re not sure what a Twitter chat is or why these are important to businesses then we’d like to gently nudge you towards one of our previous blogs here. If you’re feeling lazy however, the key benefits boil down to these: free brand awareness; online networking opportunities; humanises your business; and ultimately, establishes you as an expert in your field.

Our long-term client Furniss Biscuits was approached by weekly chat Cream Tea Hour (@CreamTeaHour) to hop into the hosting chair as a guest host – needless to say we jumped at the chance! Cream Tea Hour aims to celebrate everything to do with the indulgent Afternoon Tea – from scones, jam and clotted cream through to the hundreds of tea varieties and, of course, baking. A perfect opportunity for a business who pride themselves on baking delicious Cornish treats from traditional recipes.

The important thing to remember when either hosting or participating in Twitter chats is: this is not a sales pitch. While hosting Cream Tea Hour acting as Furniss Biscuits we of course talked about biscuits, but kept it light and conversational, rather than showcasing their range of products. From asking people about the biscuits that bring back childhood memories and what biscuits they would serve with the perfect afternoon tea, we welcomed people to share the stories and engage with Furniss Biscuits, which naturally led on to them wanting to know more about their products, as well as their biscuit expertise.

During Cream Tea Hour we engaged with a number of Twitter users who didn’t already follow Furniss on social media; from across the UK and from as far afield as the US, who all showed a great interest in Cornwall and Furniss’ Cornish treats. We achieved over 15,000 impressions, endless engagements and lots of new followers; not bad for an hour’s tweeting!

From just one Twitter chat there has already been an increase in brand and product awareness, as well as cementing the Furniss name in the minds of those who joined in the conversation.

The majority of Twitter chats take place in the evenings, Cream Tea Hour included; another reason why we say that social media never sleeps. Hosting Cream Tea Hour for Furniss shows the importance of engaging with potential customers outside of office hours. Our Out of Hours service covered this session for Furniss Biscuits, why not take a look at the rest of the features it offers?