The original intention of sites such as Twitter may have been purely social, but like many Web 2.0 tools, it has evolved in the hands of its users.
This time last year, the Canadian Marketing Association saw Twitter as a new toy for the tech savvy Millennial, “an easy, non committal way to keep tabs and staying emotionally
close to our friends with low effort, risk and intrusion.” Within a few
months, however, that tune had changed to How Tweet It Is.
As a channel of communications that manages to be both public and personal at the same time, Twitter holds a natural appeal for any organization seeking to reach and engage an Internet audience.
Recent articles at BusinessWeek urge businesses to “lose their inhibitions over using the microblogging tool to get closer to customers,” and look at case studies where a Twitter account has helped to build a brand:
It’s not just audience size that draws brands. People who use the
site are likely to hold sway over others. A single Twitter
message—known informally as a tweet—sent in frustration over a product
or a service’s performance can be read by hundreds or thousands of
people. Similarly, positive interaction with a representative of the
manufacturer or service provider can help change an influencer’s
perspective for the better.
Wondering how to put microblogging to work for your organization —
not simply as an amusement during coffee breaks, but on the
job, with real results to show for the time investment?
Take a tip from the corporations, entrepreneurs, associations, clubs and charities who use
Twitter:
- To announce new products, events, and other opportunities;
- To promote and grow traffic to a website or blog;
- To track customer/member comments and complaints about the organization;
- To build community through direct and informal one-to-one contact with customers/members ;
- To share information and resources with colleagues, ask questions, and brainstorm ideas;
- To keep up with breaking news, both via traditional media agencies like the Associated Press and through individuals on the spot;
and the list goes on.
Beth Bates (at Good Works Grapevine, part of the Nonprofit Blog Exchange) has rounded up a list of industry-specific Twitter guides
for everyone from artists and educators to realtors and recruiters. AcademHack offers suggestions for academics on Twitter, with a number of ideas that translate well to the world beyond the classroom. Clubs, associations, charities and other nonprofit organizations
trying to figure out the best way to make use of the microblogging
phenomenon, here are a few more resources:
-
Associations Using Twitter
(Association Marketing Springboard) — a detailed and useful response to
Bob France’s question: “Are any associations out there maintaining an
official association Twitterstream? I’m considering setting one up and
I’m looking for some successful practices…”;
- Social Media for Real World Change
— Leslie Poston looks at how people are using social media tools and
their social-media networks to bring about real change in the real
world;
-
How Can Nonprofits Use Twitter?
— Part of the Net2ThinkTank series at Netsquared.org, this is Britt Bravo’s valuable collection of posts about Twitter in the
nonprofit world — for which, appropriately, a number of comments came in
via Twitter!
There’s a real value to be found in “tweeting,” it appears. So, then, why do we so often hear Twitter (and other social media)
described as a “real time-waster” for many? The answer, I suspect, lies
in finding the right balance between personal chit-chat and cynical self-promotion.
The
“social” (chat) part of social media can help large organizations to
connect in a more personal way with the people they serve, and to show
a more personal face. And the “media” (broadcast) aspect gives smaller
organizations and individuals the potential for an audience they might
be unable to reach by more traditional means.
What do you think? If you’re using Twitter, or another of the social microblogging sites, what do you see working (or not) for your organization?
