It took me a couple months to “get” Twitter and to really understand why it can be a useful tool in one’s social media arsenal.
I won’t go into details on how to sign up or how it works – you can visit twitter.com for that information. What I want to explore is how Twitter can be an effective and powerful way to get your message out to an eager audience. Twitter can help companies extend their brand, and can even help executives develop their own personal brand.
Last summer I signed on, made a post, “followed” some people, got “followed,” then promptly forgot about Twitter for a couple of months.
Fast forward to October – with San Diego County experiencing some of the worst wildfires in its history. Since most of my family lives there I wanted up-to-date local news on areas where my family was located. I wanted to know specifically if they were being evacuated, if the fires were heading towards them and how big the threats were. The traditional news outlets weren’t cutting it. I needed fresh news with a targeted local focus.
Enter Twitter.
Local San Diego ABC affiliate KGTV launched a Twitter account that provided detailed and useful information on evacuation centers, where fires were, and how many fires were accumulating.
This was my personal “ah-ha” moment on the value of Twitter. With the San Diego fire example as a frame of reference, it was easy to see the value that Twitter held for companies, organizations and media that could use it to communicate with people hungry for specific information. Granted, the fire example is an extreme one with hundreds of posts in a 48-hour period; but it’s a good example of reaching thousands of readers with one, simple 140-character post.
Companies that want to extend, or even protect, their brand should view the San Diego Fire Twitter story as an example of the power of one-to-many communication that comes from Twitter. Twitter lets companies connect directly with their customers, broadcast their message to a massive audience, and even nip problems or rumors in the bud with direct and clear communication to those seeking it.
Here’s another example. Comcast recently started a Twitter account. Admittedly, they’ve had some brand issues with their customers. On Twitter, it’s open season. They answer customer’s questions, get praised and get nailed - all in a public space. To me, this says, “we know we’re going to get angry customers on Twitter but we’re also going to solve some other’s problems.” The ultimate message says, “We care about the quality of your service.”
The other possible option is to stay silent and have a one-dimensional Website. Or worse, have your customers tweeting about you and your problems as you stand on the sidelines, oftentimes unaware that conversations are even taking place about your company.
Another example of extending your brand through Twitter is a local collaboration software company here in Portland. The CEO tweets freely on all kinds of subjects: design, art, new products, and the company. The company recently unveiled a new brand mark and it was discussed openly on the Twitter account by the CEO. People were invited to give input, options were thrown back and forth and then the final brand mark was unveiled. Since the company specializes in collaboration software, do you think the company walks the walk of being collaborative? You bet. At least that’s what I gleaned from reading the Twitter account. That’s pretty powerful.
Jump in the pool
Here’s the deal: Very few people intuitively “get” the draw or potential impact of Twitter when they first sign on. Naysayers often argue, “It’s too macro – I don’t need to follow someone’s daily and boring tasks,” or wonder “Who would follow me?” or “Why should I follow people?” These are all valid points. Is someone you follow boring you to death with minutiae? Stop following them. That’s one of the advantages of Twitter: your connections and the information you receive from them are totally up to you. Follow and Un-Follow at will, there are no hard, fast rules on who you can be friends with.
My experience with Twitter has taught me a few ways to communicate better. Here are a few. Remember: experiences may vary.
Be your own news agency. What are you up to in the market? What trade shows are you attending? Are you launching a new version of your product? Twitter lets you easily broadcast important information to your customers.
Be transparent and be followed. Sure, your competition will probably follow you, but then again, you wouldn’t share sensitive trade secrets on Twitter or any other public forum. You know who else might follow you? Reporters and writers. It’s a good space to befriend media and in the least, keep them casually informed without clobbering them over the head with your constant updates.
Build a community and join one (or more). There are no communities to “join” or build per se, but many happen by default. An example? I tend to follow local Portland tech people [add twitter links] to see what they are up to. I’ve discovered ad hoc meetings, events and have had questions answered. I’ve even chipped in and answered a few questions. That’s a community.
Develop relationships. By answering questions, asking them and being a resource for information [for example, posting a helpful link] over time, Twitter lets you develop relationships with influencers in your industry. Imagine blindly emailing a stranger with a useful link or question. Awkward. But, when using Twitter, conversing is the norm and is expected.
Build a personal brand. Whether you are on Twitter as an individual or as an extension of your company, Twitter can let you strengthen your brand by using Twitter as another avenue to join the conversation. I’ve seen many CEOs post on Twitter from tradeshows, airports and their offices on what’s happening in their own world. It makes them more approachable, human and less like some big shot behind an iron curtain. In other words, more engagable.
It goes without saying that having a Twitter account shouldn’t be your only social media strategy, but rather piece to make the puzzle more complete and inclusive. Jump in the pool. Join Twitter. Follow me and let me know you found me from reading this post – which I will shortly Tweet about.
If you still aren’t interested in giving Twitter a try or have tried it and walked away, I’d be interested in hearing why.
