Media in the New Millennium

posted by Doyle

I had the opportunity to discuss companies that use Twitter with Jessica Levco, a writer for Ragan.com. The resulting article has many great examples of companies using microblogging to reach customers. I’ve pasted the article below. Enjoy!

Making Twitter work for your company

By Jessica Levco
How to reach new and current customers—140 characters at a time

Twitter, definition No. 8: A state of tremulous excitement.

The mini-blogging Web site Twitter has certainly created that in the social media community, and businesses are now considering the practical applications—and guidelines—of “tweeting.”

Here’s what you need to know: In 2006, Twitter was established as a free site that lets viewers post and read updates about friends and family. Writing in 140 character blasts called tweets, people communicate with one another, sometimes as simply as: “I just ate an apple.”

Why would Fortune 500 companies want to join the Twitter dialogue?

By reaching out to thousands each day, companies can offer discounts, coupons, updates and customer service. Social media experts say tweeting can generate excitement and, ultimately, business traffic. It can also let them know what’s going on in the industry—who’s left one employer for another, or what firm might be planning layoffs, for example.

When companies first hear about Twitter, though, they can be skeptical.

Christine Major, an account supervisor at PerkettPR, said when she introduced clients to Twitter, they asked: “Why bother? That seems silly.”

Major said Twitter is all about building relationships.

“It’s a good way to get conversations going with potential customers,” Major said. “It’s a tool that can humanize the company; it gives people a real look as to who is working there.” 

Josh Rosenberg, Senior Vice President/Director of FirstWord Digital, said Twitter can help foment a meaningful relationship between a brand and a consumer, if “the brand is committed to fueling the conversation over time in a way that is transparent and genuine.”

Companies can establish Twitter feeds for different reasons. H&R Block’s Twitter feed will be useful in April when people have questions (or gripes) about taxes. Spud Brothers, a restaurant in Colorado, advertises special discounts for Twitter users. Southwest Airlines updates customers with weather conditions and airline discounts.

Twitter feeds can be monitored by one or more people. Experts agree that giving the feed a human face is critical. (Take a look Comcast’s Frank Eliason athttp://twitter.com/comcastcares). Managing a Twitter feed doesn’t have to be a full-time job, and companies need not respond to every tweet. And Twitter requires a commitment from the company’s team, whether it’s from the IT staff or marketing team.

(Learn how GM uses Twitter to communicate and build relationships with its customers and the public.)

Giving up control of the conversation is the biggest struggle companies deal with, said Doyle Albee, director of new media practices at Metzger Associates in Colorado. He said controlling a Twitter conversation—or any type of conversation—is an illusion. 

“There’s always a conversation going on, and sometimes it’s in a living room, within four walls,” Albee said, “but with Twitter, you can join the conversation, listen and enhance.”

He said when a company first joins Twitter; they should behave as if showing up at a cocktail party: “Be a little quiet, absorb and talk to some people.” Etiquette is crucial—companies don’t want to be “that” guy. “If three people are having a conversation about food, you wouldn’t run up to them and start shouting about your new car,” Albee said. “Your Twitter feeds shouldn’t read: Here’s our new product! Click here!”

Opportunity knocks

What happens if somebody is complaining about your company? Doyle said that if you reach out, you can turn that complaint into a compliment.

Doyle shares this example of how EMBARQ, a communications company, handles a complaint on Twitter: 

Customer: I am sick of Embarq playing with my DNS requests. Opting out weekly is not a successful opt-out solution. Is it even legal?

EMBARQ response: Sorry to hear you are not happy with your Embarq service. Can I help? Send me a DM with details, and I’ll see what I can do.

Seems simple, but a direct response can work wonders, Doyle said. It’s important for companies to address the problem and thank the customer for pointing it out. Companies can monitor what is being said about them by signing up for at scoop.com, tweetscan.com, TweetBeep e-mail alerts or manual searches at http://search.twitter.com. 

Even if companies don’t have a Tweeter feed, that might not stop individual employees from starting their own. Companies should remind employees not to dish out trade secrets and financial information, said Bryan Person, the social media director at LiveWorld in Texas. Treat employees like adults, but let them know the consequences of tasteless tweets. A personal/work life on Twitter can co-exist, but tell employees to be careful if they start talking about their job, Pearson advised.

“With a Twitter feed, almost anybody can be the de-facto spokesperson for the company,” Pearson said. “You never know when somebody could ask an employee about a company product. And you don’t want your employee to be blindsided by questions.”