Twitter 101
You've probably heard about Twitter, but
you find yourself not really understanding what it is, how to use it, or
if it matters to you and your business. Twitter (twitter.com) is the
latest internet craze, allowing users to send short messages known as
"tweets." It's based on the idea of answering the simple questions,
"What are you doing?" in messages with140 characters or less.
Twitter is free. You update your
account with a status message or a "tweet" and it is sent to other Twitter
users who have opted to "follow you". You in turn get tweets from
people or companies that you are following.
Although Twitter was originally intended
for communication among individuals, a number of organizations have
begun to actively participate on the platform. However, not all
companies are using Twitter in the same way. Some are tweeting, some are
just listening, and some really savvy companies are doing both.
Before any company employees start
tweeting, it would be a good idea to remind them that the same rules
that apply to other web participation (like blogging, for example) also
apply to Twitter. "As Twitter is a public forum, employees should
understand the limits of what is acceptable and desirable," says Jeffrey
Mann, research vice president at Gartner. "If organizations have not
defined a public Web participation policy, they should do so as quickly
as possible."
There are three basic ways that
businesses are using Twitter:
Direct
Using Twitter as a marketing or public
relations channel, like an extension to their corporate blogs. They post
about corporate accomplishments and distribute links that take people
back to corporate web pages, press releases, and other promotional
sites.
This method seems to be the easiest way
to get started with Twitter, but companies need to be aware of the
risks. Followers can post on your Twitter profile, and they can post
negative experiences with your company or exactly what they think of the
management. You have to be ready to handle the negativity in a way that
won't damage your image and brand in the Twitter community. Several companies who have successfully been able to tweet and respond
are Starbucks, Dell and Ford.
Caution when using this approach: A
number of self-serving, self-promotional tweets can actually damage your
reputation - Twitter folks like a personal touch.
Indirect
This approach has companies having their
employees tweet instead. As the employees use Twitter to enhance their
own personal reputations, the company's reputation is also enhanced by
proxy.
Employees twittering away with
excitement about their work, developments in their industry, new
products, or other interesting tidbits, even if unrelated to the company
itself, can promote positive feelings for whichever business they
(indirectly) represent.
Listening
Some companies are using Twitter to keep
an eye on what's being said about the company. So they aren't posting
tweet, or following anyone. They are using desktop applications like
TweetDeck or searching Twitter for their company name, products or their
industry. Smart companies are tuning in to these micro-conversations to
get early warnings of problems and to collect feedback on product issues
or ideas.
Conclusion
If your company is thinking about
jumping into Twitter, it's best not to do so blindly. Do your
homework. Research the etiquette to using Twitters, read about how
other businesses are successfully using Twitter before developing your
strategy.
Here is a list of
companies who are successfully using Twitter: Home Depot, Comcast, Ford,
Whole Foods Market, Starbucks and Jetblue. Create an account and check
out what they are doing right.
And lastly, here
is a link to get you started: "50
Ideas on Using Twitter for Business"
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