Twitter: the undeniable force that all businesses must address in one way or another. Some view it as the mecca of human connectedness, while others feel it’s yet another foray into the day-to-day details of your personal and professional bubbles. Whether you’re a tenacious tweetaholic or an avid avoider, as a business you are forced to make a decision on what to do with the persistent little blue bird.
Since Twitter isn’t a perfect fit for every business, this article is meant to quickly guide you through two key questions and, if nothing else, get you thinking about it’s proper place in your customer service and marketing efforts.
Twitter is all about influence, communication, and information; business is about providing a service or product in a way that makes your customers’ lives better. All businesses need influence (ex. brand perception) to succeed; the question becomes one of whether or not Twitter is a channel through which you should develop and nurture the influence, i.e. the relationship, you have with your customers.
Consider the following:
If your customers are active on Twitter, it’s an optimal way to nurture your relationship with them through timely communication, product and news updates, promotional deals, and customer service. In particular, if you are a consumer-facing brand, it is a valuable tool to find out what people are saying about your products and their experiences with your company. Then you can directly (and publicly) address any concerns or aggregate opinions to make your products and services better, provided you’re tuned in to what they’re saying.
As a consumer, I’ve had some very valuable and poignant experiences with brands I interact with that greatly affected my perception of them. A few examples: I’ve gotten free products by checking Twitter feeds while in close proximity to retail locations, had convenient and timely customer service responses to complaints I’ve tweeted, and received valuable updates on services that greatly reduced personal inconvenience and irritation.
Many consumers find similar value in following brands they use on Twitter. If those brands had not been tuned in or actively adding value via content and promotions, my, and other consumers’ perceptions would not have been positively affected (and in some cases, perceptions may have been damaged).
Assuming you can add value to your customers’ experience, you will want to carefully consider how to manage this channel of communication. As you opt into the Twitter-sphere, make sure you are using it in a way that reflects your brand well.
Consider:
Being purposeful and attentive to this growing communication channel, you can continue to build influence and positively affect your brand perception online.
More helpful resources:
January 4, 2011
October 27, 2010
October 15, 2010
October 10, 2010
How Consumers Interact with Brands on Facebook
January 6, 2012
To Tweet or Not to Tweet?
January 25, 2011
Getting the Most Out of Your Advertising & Marketing Agency
January 4, 2011
Four Web Coding Rules to Maximize ROI
November 21, 2010
Staying in Front of Your Customers
October 27, 2010
Jim Umberger Makes 40 Under 40 List
September 22, 2010
