SM Report
- 1. Examining Risks and Policy Guidelines on Twitter
- 2. Twitter: A Brief OverviewTwitter is a social networking and microblogging service which enables its users to send and read messages called tweets. The messages are composed of 140 characters or less and displayed on the user’s profile page in real time. Businesses use Twitter to quickly share information with interested people about their products and services, gather real-time market intelligence and feedback, and build relationships with customers, partners and influential people. From brand lift, to CRM, to direct sales, Twitter offers businesses a chance to reach an engaged audience.via Twitter.com
- 3. Your Organization and TwitterTwitter is different from other social media platforms because public commentary can’t be regulated.Organizations holds more of a risk NOT engaging in the conversation on Twitter.Why? Engagement gives your organization the opportunity to have a voice and respond to negative feedback which may lead to a positive outcome but most importantly, establish a relationship. Not doing so only lets the situation drag and potentially escalate.Being visible and providing provocative tweets will aid in establishing your organization as a thought leader.
- 4. Setting GuidelinesWhen establishing a presence in social media, unless the speech is defamatory, violent, racist, etc., deleting is bad policy. Ignoring the problem only extends the situation.It must be understood that when deleting or ignoring comments, one can’t build a community. A community emerges, in part, when one develops a relationship with the guy who doesn’t agree with your messageTruth: You can’t directly control what’s being said about you on Twitter whether it’s good or bad. The trick is “The Art of the Response”Case Study: Kevin Smith and Southwest Airlines
- 5. Setting GuidelinesIt’s not necessary to respond to every negative comment, nor should you. So how do you determine what’s important?While situations vary on a case-by-case basis, CarMax generally looks to see if respondents have a threshold of 500+ followers. The more followers, the more urgency to respondThose with fewer than 500 followers have less influence than an individual with 50,000.The greater the followers, the greater the chance that comments will be re-tweeted and circulated
- 6. Setting GuidelinesManaging RisksIf most of the information is not sensitive, are there really any risks in being on Twitter?While there is the potential for negative and malicious feedback, users still have the opportunity to post their opinions whether your organization is present or not. It’s better to be present & combat the opinion than to let it fester potentially turn into a crisis.LISTEN!!Before creating a presence on Twitter, create the Twitter handle and take time to quietly listen to what people are saying. Don’t post anything, just listen.
- 7. Excerpt: “The 9 Worst Ways to Use Twitter for Business” by Diana Freedman1. Be Overly Self-PromotionalInstead of having a Twitter profile full of self promotional news or links to your own website, share other interesting, educational, or even funny industry news from websites other than your own2. Only Include Links to Your Own BlogIt only takes 10 minutes a day to contribute to valuable content on Twitter. Give to get; these bloggers may reciprocate and share your content as well.4. Don’t Establish a PersonalityYour company page shouldn’t just be a corporate Twitter page; this exudes a stuffy tone that nobody wants to follow. Some top brands put a face to the person. Personal touches attract more followers rather than hiding behind a corporate logo.5. Don’t Interact with Other Twitter UsersPeople want to follow people who might actually interact with them. Twitter isn’t only about sharing one-sided content. It’s about sharing other people’s content and engaging in conversation about the content.9. Only Tweet Once Per WeekIf you tweet only once per week, it will be hard to get noticed in the Twitter streams of people who follow thousands of even hundreds of users.For the full article, click here.Check user commentary as well for additional suggestions
- 8. Who Needs a Courtesy Review?Scheduled, pre-approved tweets relating to campaigns and events may be incorporatedBUT…You can’t tweet in real time if it needs to go through several levels of approvalAppears static and robotic; Doesn’t leave opportunity for timely responsesWill only be practical on occasion; Goes against the principle of TwitterMany big-name companies approach Twitter with this method – the majority fail in effectivenessDevelop specific guidelines to maintain consistency and establish a toneHow frequently will it be utilized?The more regular, the better; PredictableIt may be useful to consider social media training before going live
- 9. Twitter & the MediaJournalists are not on Twitter for pitches. For corporate material, they typically visit the company’s newsroomRead: 25% of journalists visit the newsroom dailyEngage in conversations and exude personality to demonstrate authenticityIf you’re solely pushing news releases and business information, it isn’t going to attract journalistsThey want real people, real conversations, authenticityOn Twitter, journalists don’t only look for information but observe the relationships companies build with their audienceIs Twitter the right tool?Also consider that while it’s important to be in the conversation, if it’s not intended to enhance engagement, it may be helpful just to improve the newsroom
- 10. Don’t Forget the “Social” in Social MediaWhen your organization establishes a presence on Twitter, it’s inevitable consumers will seek answers about its services and expect an outcome. Responding is not only part of reputation management, but demonstrates reliabilityA response does not mean having an answer. Directing a consumer to the right department is appropriateExamples: State Farm, CarMax, JetBlueIt may be useful to post a disclaimer emphasizing that this is not a customer service account to deter questions relating to customer serviceLook to Facebook pages, such as “Genworth Celebrates…,” and observe the conversational toneWhy? The Caregivers & Parents pages have roughly 14,000 fans each & engage with new, conversational updates often with positive sentiments about the companyIt’s important to maintain a conversational tone to keep the targeted audiences engaged and interested.
- 11. Excerpt: “Do Fortune 100 Companies Need a Twittervention?” Research FindingsPersonality, Activation, OwnershipMany Fortune 100 companies recognized the importance of safeguarding their brands on Twitter, even if they weren’t yet convinced about its value to their business. Notably, 41 accounts appearing to represent Fortune 100 companies were brand-jackedThey were not included in the total 540 accounts held by Fortune 100 companies
- 12. Excerpt: “Do Fortune 100 Companies Need a ‘Twitter’vention?” Research FindingsTwitter EngagementThese best practices were not followed by most of the Fortune 100 accounts examined. Half of those accounts had fewer than 500 followers, while more than half did not meet engagement metrics (e.g. number of links, hashtags, referencesThree-quarters posted fewer than 500 tweets. This indicates either a lack of engagement by many companies with their followers or new established accounts that haven’t yet started sing the platform to build relationships.
- 13. Excerpt: “Do Fortune 100 Companies Need a ‘Twitter’vention?” Research FindingsTwitter Account PurposeAmong the fortune 100 companies examined by Weber Shandwick, 26 percent of their Twitter accounts were primarily used as one-way flow of information that offered no engagement with followers. Tweets did not provide opinions or encourage discussions. This contradicts the value of Twitter as a two-way dialogue to build relationships with customers and advocates.
- 14. Excerpt: “Do Fortune 100 Companies Need a ‘Twitter’vention?” Conclusion:For the majority of Fortune 100 companies, Twitter remains a missed opportunity. Many of their Twitter accounts, examined by Weber Shandwick, did not appear to listen or engage with their readers, instead offering a one-way broadcast of press releases, company blog posts and event informationWeb Shandwick prescribes a Twittervention to help:Create a companywide engagement strategy; a set of guidelines with best practicesDemonstrate consistent and comprehensive brand presenceBuild a dialogue that paves the way to new relationships with customers and advocatesGenerate loyalty among new and existing communitiesTo maximize the benefits of Twitter, companies should offer opinions and encourage discussions, reach out to their communities of customers and advocates, build relationships with new customers and look for untapped supporters.The full report can be found here.
- 15. TakeawaysVisibility and provocative content is a great way to establish thought leadership on TwitterIgnoring negative feedback, even if it’s consumer generated, not only appears passive but elongates the conflictAlso know it’s not necessary to respond to every negative commentConsumers are not the primary audience, however it’s still important to maintain a conversational tone; Two-way communicationWhile keeping the media and investors informed is top priority, it’s conversations which keep them engaged and dedicated followersMost Importantly: Don’t solely push information about the company. Post questions, interact, and re-tweet other content relevant to the industry. Engage!
- 16. Additional ContentFortune magazine“Trouble @Twitter” by JessiHempelMackCollier.com“New research proves that RESPONDING to negative feedback online benefits companies” by Mack CollierMashable“Audi Has the Most Engaged Fans on Facebook” by Todd Wasserman“The Journalist’s Guide to Twitter” by Leah Betancourt
- 17. Works Cited"About." Twitter. 2011. Web. 03 May 2011. <http://twitter.com/about>.Approved. Photograph. Social Media Edge: Plugged to Online Business. Active Rain. Web.5 May 2011. <http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/6/4/5/9/ar12564101595467.png>.Do Fortune 100 Companies Need A Twittervention. Rep. Weber Shandwick, Nov. 2009. Web. 3 May 2011. <http://www.webershandwick.com/resources/ws/flash/Twittervention_Study.pdf>.Freedman, Diana. "The 9 Worst Ways to Use Twitter for Business." Internet Marketing Blog | HubSpot. 29 Sept. 2010. Web. 03 May 2011. <http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6696/The-9-Worst-Ways-to-Use-Twitter-for-Business.aspx>.I'm a Thought Leader. Photograph. Services Marketing Blog. Web. 5 May 2011. <http://www.servicesmarketingblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Im-a-thought-leader.gif>.Photograph. Baby Steps: Navigating My Way through Life's Inconviences. Blogger, 19 Mar. 2011. Web. 5 May 2011. <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sq16XBdnZwA/TYS1gZ3BsLI/AAAAAAAABYQ/gwujTMRwSNM/s400/ignoring-makes-louder.gif>.
- 18. Works CitedPhotograph. CEOWorld Magazine. 27 Sept. 2010. Web. 3 May 2011. <http://ceoworld.biz/ceo/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Southwest-Airlines-logo.jpg>.Photograph. Social Networking: Influence, Followers, and 'nexus Leaders' ZDNet. Web. 6 May 2011. <http://i.zdnet.com/blogs/social-networking-influence-followers-and-nexus-leaders.jpg>.Photograph. WARNING: New Twitter Worm Rofl This You on Here Phishing Attack. CEOWorld Magazine, 24 Sept. 2009. Web. 5 May 2011. <http://ceoworld.biz/ceo/2009/09/24/warning-new-twitter-worm-rofl-this-you-on-here-phishing-attack>.Sebastian, Michael. "Study: 25 Percent of Journalists Visit Online Newsrooms Daily | Articles." PR Daily News: Public Relations News and Marketing in the Age of Social Media | Main. 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/Study_25_percent_of_journalists_visit_online_newsr_7878.aspx>."Twitter." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 3 May 2011. Web. 03 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter>.