Segmenting and Tracking your Audience Using Twitter Lists

Ever go to the grocery store, only to return home and realize you forgot to buy milk, when milk was the only thing you really needed?

It happens to me, probably more than it should. That's why I started writing out shopping lists.

Lists are great, they help you to stay organized and remind you of things you would otherwise forget.

Have you ever considered using lists to keep track of key people you're connected with on social media? If you haven't you should look into it creating Twitter lists for segmenting and tracking your audience.

You don't want to miss the opportunity to engage with your audience.

Two Key Benefits of Twitter Lists

Twitter Lists are appropriately named, as they will help to better organize your Twitter experience.

Twitter Lists are a list that you have created of Twitter accounts that you follow. Lists have been a feature on Twitter since 2009, but they have never gotten the attention that other features do (like Hashtags).

Recently, this underused gem has made the news again as Twitter increases the number of lists you can make from 20 to 1,000 and the number of accounts on each list from 500 to 5,000.

Using Twitter Lists for Segmenting

Segmenting the accounts you follow on Twitter can be helpful for a variety of reasons. You have different reasons for following different Twitter accounts. These differences should guide you in your list creation.

For example if I created a list of people who I follow because I read their content; then when I wanted to look for blog inspiration I go directly to the list rather than looking at my entire Twitter feed. By looking at the content that's in each list, I tend to stay more productive, rather than when I'm looking at my general feed.

For me, lists make it less likely to be distracted by other things. Like seeing Mashable tweet about the return of Twinkies.

Don't worry, your lists can be either public or private.

By creating lists that provide you with value, you have the potential to help others.  A high quality public list, can provide people with a directory of accounts related to your interests and needs you might want to consider following.

Consider creating lists for:

• Employees

• Coworkers

• Influencers

• Industry experts

You are also establishing yourself as a leader. The people you put on the lists will probably appreciate it if you help them to grow their following. They may even put you on their lists in return which can help to grow your following.

HubSpot has created a variety of public lists. If someone wants to follow everyone who works at the company, they can look at the HubSpoters list.

You can also view the lists that accounts have been added to by others, which can be helpful if you are looking for similar companies to follow.

For example, HubSpot is a member of a Marketing/Social Media list which consists of accounts run by leaders in social media and content creation.

Using Twitter Lists for Tracking

By segmenting your customers into lists you can better track their activity. Giving you better insight into your buyer personas.

You can also create private lists comprised of your customers. You can even go one step further by segmenting your customers based on different demographics or by different services you provide them. Once those lists are created you can then use information you've gathered from what they are posting, or what they are interacting with, to modify your strategy to ensure that you're effectively communicating with them.

Taking the extra time to create Twitter lists can help you create a more effective Twitter strategy. Start creating lists today to improve your organization and productivity.