This is based on a letter I wrote to a client who is jumping in to the social-media jungle. Hopefully it can help others too.
Dear Executive:
I was just saying to a friend that Twitter at the end of 2008 reminds me of the state of the Web in 1995: early adopters eagerly watch as companies embrace Twitter by the month. Soon, maybe every company will be on Twitter as they are on the Web?
Why Enter The Jungle?
So you’re considering joining Twitter, and maybe some other social networks. Social media can be a scary place for an executive. You don’t have the same control as in the physical world.
Why should you? In short, because your customers are either already there or moving in that direction.
It’s becoming increasingly necessary for companies to develop social-networking strategies, because their customers are already using these sites. With social-media tools, customers have new power to talk about you and to you. People aren’t shy about telling you when they’re unhappy.
Consider this from the book Groundswell:
“If you have a brand, you’re under threat. Your customers have always had an idea about what your brand signifies, an idea that may vary from the you are projecting. Now they’re talking to each other about that idea. They are redefining for themselves the brand you have spent millions of dollars, or hundreds of millions of dollars, creating.”
But not only can you move defensively in the social-media space, you can enhance and grow your company.
Here are some tips:
Knowing the Rules
There are a whole set of rules… that you’re just sort of supposed to know (for instance: I try to (but don’t always make it) to Tweet about nine other sites/topics/etc to every one about me).
Reading about how other companies use social media tools like Twitter is especially helpful.
- Here’s a guide that helps me a lot: “8 Ways To Be Extraordinary Online“. This is one of my favorite lines: “Be patient. Listen and read a lot more than you tweet and write.”
- Beth Harte offers some excellent advice for businesses. My favorite is rule #4: “Let everyone be authentic. Twitter isn’t about just tweeting news about your company or promotional deals. It’s about developing relationships. If you or an employee loves music, let that come through too.”
- Ari Herzog’s 14 Ways to Describe Twitter is a great collection of ways that people view and use Twitter. To me, it’s adaptability is one of its strongest selling points.
Ari’s Why I Decided to Follow my First 25 on Twitter is also an excellent post that could help you decide whom to follow. This list of corporate social-media examples offers some lessons on ideas that have worked.
The Benefits
Once you start Tweeting, talk about people and their ideas, as well as your own. One way to do this is by “retweeting” someone else’s post. By re-tweeting someone else’s tweets, you can help yourself a great deal:
- The person who you retweeted will notice, and may start following you
- If you Tweet when you are reading a Web page, the owner of that site may notice you
- And, when you retweet quality information, you will gain followers and enhance your status as a thought leader in your field.
This is how I think of it: How many other people are on Twitter with relevant, accurate information on your area? (Use search.twitter.com to see who else is discussing your topics).
It’s also worth noting that your Tweets are indexed by Google. My Twitter page has a higher Google Page Rank than my own site, for instance.
So how do you effectively manage Twitter into your day? We’re all busy. I have yet to meet someone who just has a few hours a day to spare to Tweet.
Social Media Tools
My favorite tool to navigate Twitter is TweetDeck. Here’s why I like it:
- You can have several searches (up to 10 panes) at once.
- It alerts you when someone Tweets about you or a topic you’re monitoring.
- In my case, I have a pane for the (few) people who I want to see every time they Tweet (I call this my “peeps” pane).
As you start to develop your online profile, you may want to see how you rank. Keep in mind that all of these tests are subjective, but they can help you (or make you feel proud of your progress).
- Twitter Grader: This service from HubSpot in Boston ranks profiles.
- Twitterank: Another ranking service… don’t spend too much time worrying about this…
Also, have you read “Groundswell” or “Tribes” by Seth Godin? I’ve found both to be great guides as well.
Good luck! I’m looking forward to talking with you on Twitter!
What other advice would you offer businesspeople interested in social networking? Please let me know.