Transcript

360

Digital Influence

Twitter for Business6 Ways for Brands to Use TwitterJune 2009

Twitter-genda

What is Twitter and Why to Use It?

Twitter Strategy: Customer Relations

Twitter Strategy: Product Promotion and Sales

Twitter Strategy: Event Activation

Twitter Strategy: Crisis Management

Twitter Strategy: Corporate Reputation Management

Twitter Strategy: Issue Advocacy

Additional Resources and Take Aways

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What is Twitter?

Highly popular with celebrities, media and executives, Twitter is a microblogging platform composed of 140 character answers to 1 simple question: “What are you doing?”

Highly popular with celebrities, media and executives, Twitter is a microblogging platform composed of 140 character answers to 1 simple question: “What are you doing?”

As of May 2009, Twitter received nearly 20 million UMVs, growing by over 400% in the past year. Growth in traffic increased by approximately 1% in the past month.

As of May 2009, Twitter received nearly 20 million UMVs, growing by over 400% in the past year. Growth in traffic increased by approximately 1% in the past month.

A study from Sysomos shows the top 10% of Twitter users make up for more than 86% of the total Tweets – pointing out that the more followers a person has the more frequently they are likely to Tweet.

A study from Sysomos shows the top 10% of Twitter users make up for more than 86% of the total Tweets – pointing out that the more followers a person has the more frequently they are likely to Tweet.

New Harvard studies show that approximately 60% of Twitter users sign up and only use it once. However, with the exponential growth in visibility, Twitter is still on the rise.

New Harvard studies show that approximately 60% of Twitter users sign up and only use it once. However, with the exponential growth in visibility, Twitter is still on the rise.

Business Opportunities• While the recent phenomenon of Twitter has hit mainstream news, media

and especially Hollywood, there are still a number of opportunities to use Twitter as a tool to help meet the needs of a corporation or organization.

• Twitter allows businesses a new mode of customer communication that can be tailored to match their customers’ preferences.

• Identify what Twitter strategy works best for your company or client.

• Customer Relations

• Crisis Management

• Corporate Reputation Management

• Issue Advocacy

• Event Activation

• Product Promotion and Sales

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Top Twitter Strategies

Follow>Create>Engage

Customer Service

Anyone who has customers – B2C, B2B, G2B, G2C, etc... – can use Twitter to quickly listen and respond to customer feedback before problems escalate and to activate brand ambassadors….

@comcastcares

Frank Eliason at Comcast started @comcastcares in April 2008 in

response to the customer conversations he and his team found on Twitter

through monitoring. Offers customers specific troubleshooting tips,

online resources, new product info and a key customer relations

personality (i.e. Frank’s).

Product Promotion and Sales

A successful sales and promotion plan is based on identifying your audience, providing useful content, and being prepared to engage in the conversation. When done right, your followers will not only become loyal customers, but also evangelists for your brand and your promotions.

TwitterMoms

Brands like CVS, Lands End, Jose Cuero, and more, are working with TwitterMoms, a

network of over 16,000 moms on Twitter and/or blogging, to help promote their products

and services and drive sales. TwitterMoms hosts Twitter parties and contests, giving its

community a reason to post about and share product information with their followers.

Event Activation

The real-time ability to connect with others and share experiences makes Twitter a great platform for individuals, or companies, to use during a major event.

Live-Tweeting an event can be used to create a completely new channel of conversation and a way to enhance the physical experience of the event. Combining Twitter with blogs, video and other social media efforts provides more ways to interact with the content and experience you’re creating.

@fordfiesta

To build buzz around the upcoming launch of the Ford Fiesta in the 2010 US market, Ford

developed the Fiesta Movement - recruiting 100 online influencers to receive a new Ford

Fiesta with the instruction to complete a series of missions, or challenges, throughout the

course of a year with their Fiesta. To build momentum and allow these drivers, as well as

the larger general audience to interact with Ford, the @fordfiesta Twitter handle and

#fiestamovement hashtag were created, to publish challenges, get updates from drivers

and engage in an ongoing conversation around the Fiesta Movement.

Crisis Management

Using Twitter for Crisis Communications is as much about preventing an isolated issue from becoming a full-blown crisis as it is about communicating to the public once a crisis has hit.

Twitter is the fast way to respond and maintain an open channel.

It needs to be part of a broader strategy, with all of the (social) media channels you use to listen and share with your customers, clients, and industry.

@jetblue

The guys at JetBlue established a handle in a effort to humanize their

brand and prevent any future reputation and sales crises resulting from

customer complaints or corporate mishaps. Responds to customers with

information and suggestions in their own quirky personality.

Corporate Reputation Management

Twitter offers a new channel and outlet for your brand’s personality and humanity. A Twitter handle is created to share the brand personality from real-live people behind the messages being Tweeted.

It’s easy to see what others are saying about your brand and topics of interest and create a strong presence within those conversations.

@Zappos

Started originally to “help build company culture” for employees outside

of the office. Now, with over 121,000 followers, provides customers with

an inside look at the company and core values, industry news, thought

leadership, useful resources and product promotion.

Issue Advocacy

Twitter’s ability to connect people with similar interests can be harnessed for the greater social good with non-profits and issue advocacy organizations creating a community and providing useful information to those they serve, volunteers, donors and other supporters.

@LiveStrong

Led by @lancearmstrong and @livestrongceo, the LiveStrong Foundation

spreads the word about about cancer and provide people with the tools they

need to “live life on their own terms.” The Twitter handle is aimed to provide

communication and support to those dealing with cancer, while also building

awareness and raising funds for the foundation and cancer research.

A Strategic Approach to Using Twitter

ENGAGECREATEFOLLOWSTRATEGY

Customer Relations

Crisis Management

Corporate Reputation

Management

Event Coverage

Product Promotion & Sales

Issue Advocacy

Your customers and potential customers

Content relevant to your customers: tips, company info, etc.

Answer questions, respond to comments about your brand

Your brand, products and relevant issues

Direct to additional resources, updated information, explanation

Answer questions, respond to comments, raise issues, provide info

Industry leaders, similar interest groups, news/media

Insights, expertise, become a thought leader

Jump in the conversation. Be transparent and add value

Current and potential customers, those interested in similar products

Event information, updates, behind the scenes coverage

Set up Tweet-ups, talk to attendees, ask and answer questions

Those interested or attending event, media

Links to online promos, insider info on upcoming sales, discount codes

Check replies and DMs, answer questions, provide info when needed

Those interested in your cause, industry leaders, news

Added value: health tips, disaster alerts, fundraising info

Know your followers, thank them for support, get them involved

Useful Twitter Tools

• Search.Twitter (f.k.a Summize): Complete an advanced search around key phrases, within specific dates, and from specific handles. (Often broken, Google search is the best back up!)

• TweetDeck: A desktop app that lets you organize your followers into specific categories (i.e. industry leaders, customers, potential customers, etc.)

• TwitPic: Provides a bridge from your camera phone to Twitter. Pictures can either post to the Twitter public timeline from phone via email or through the site.

• Tweet Later and CoTweet: Allow you time your Tweets to be created now and published later.

Useful Twitter Tools

• HootSuite: a shared Twitter platform allowing multiple users, pre-scheduled tweets, and click statistics including charts and your most popular tweets.

• TweetVolume: Find out what keywords to use based on their popularity and conversation volume on Twitter.

• TweetBeep: the Google Alerts for Twitter, allows you to monitor conversations that mention you, your brand, related/competitor products, and links to your website/blog. Alerted as keywords appear, reducing the need for a manual search.

• Twitterholic: Find out who has the most followers and who can be an influential asset to your campaign.

• ExecTweet: Find and follow top executives on Twitter.

Useful Twitter Tools

• TwitterGrader: Measures the relative power and authority of a Twitter user by calculating number of followers, power of network of followers, pace of updates and completeness of a user's profile.

• Twhirl: Centrally manages activity, messaging, and updating for Twitter and other platforms (FriendFeed, Identi.ca, and Seesmic).

• TwitScoop: Tells you “What’s hot right now?”, presenting trend comparisons and volume of conversation.

• Twitterberry and TwitterFox: Downloadable Blackberry app and Firefox plugin for Twitter.

Additional Resources

http://delicious.com/360DI/twitter

CONTACTJohn H. BellManaging Director | 360°

Digital InfluenceOgilvy Public Relationsp 202.729.4166e [email protected]

Kristin Parrish Digital Influence | 360°

Digital InfluenceOgilvy Public Relationsp 404.881.2324e [email protected]