When I tell friends and family that not only do I have a Twitter account, @CMcGurn, but that the company that I work for, @BorensteinGroup, does as well, I usually get a response along these lines:
“Twitter is so stupid. I don’t care if you are sitting in traffic, or that you are going to Chipotle for lunch. Why do I need to know what you are doing every single minute?”
For many who have not yet adopted Twitter (either for personal or business use) this is their main complaint: that Twitter is an indulgent, self-centered waste of time. What is amusing is that most people who fall into the “Twitter is Stupid” camp have never actually Tweeted, and thus do not recognize the benefit and value that Twitter can provide to an individual or company.
Much more than simply a way to inform people about the inertia of your daily life, Twitter is an enormously useful tool for communicating, sharing information and building relationships that can further a business’ long term goals and raise a company’s awareness and profile among an engaged community. In recent weeks and months, I have learned more about the contested Iran election and the Washington, D.C. Metro crash via Twitter than I did through traditional news outlets.
As Twitter continues to become more and more popular, many of our clients are asking us for guidance and suggestions on how to properly use the social networking platform. I recommend companies adhere to the following guidelines:
- Be open and honest
- Be authentic. Avoid corporate-speak and marketing buzzwords
- Keep it PG-13 rated at the most
- Give credit where credit is due
- Stay engaged
- Participate in conversations
- Learn by doing
- Don’t spam!
It is important for any company to remember that with Twitter, the more you invest in it, the more you will get out of it. People are looking for conversations, news and information on Twitter. In order to become an influential thought leader within the community, a company needs to be fully engaged, and participate in conversations regularly, rather than just using the service to push out its latest press release.
Twitter is a platform on which individuals and other companies can further interact with a brand, preferably in real-time. Being present, providing relevant and useful information while demonstrating your corporate culture goes a long way in the Twitterverse. When done correctly, corporate Twitter accounts can inspire brand loyalty for years to come.
Tags: Social Networking, Twitter