Twitter and Your Brand

If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to work Twitter into your online brand and reputation monitoring efforts. While you’re at it, you may want to think about actually using Twitter as a way of engaging your customers.

Not so long ago Twitter seemed like it might be a passing fad. Recently, the service has matured to become a nearly indispensable social media tool. With Twitter’s regular outages (mostly) a thing of the past, usage is skyrocketing. As a result, the service is branching out beyond alpha-geeks and into the general population. More and more regular people are embracing Twitter as a way of communicating with friends and expressing their opinions to the masses. Frequently, those opinions involve complaints of some sort — some of those complaints may even be about your brand.

A few companies are starting to realize the value of monitoring Twitter. When TechCrunch blogger Michael Arrington tweeted about his frustration with his Comcast internet service, a company executive contacted him within 20 minutes attempting to resolve the problem. Comcast apparently tracks Twitter as part of a comprehensive effort to monitor the social media space.

A proactive monitoring approach is bound to save a lot of grief in the long run. It doesn’t take much for a Twitter meme to carry into the blogosphere, and once that happens there’s no telling where the story might go next. Just ask Dell.

It’s no surprise that Dell is already on the case with multiple Twitter accounts. The company has been proactive in its approach to social media ever since blogger Jeff Jarvis watched his Dell Hell complaint turn into an internet phenomenon.

As Read/Write web reports, Dell is not alone, being joined on Twitter by Southwest Airlines, among others.

One company that doesn’t seem to be monitoring Twitter is Washington Mutual. A user named WaMuWhooHoo has begun posting regular tweets touting WaMu’s $33 overdraft fee. In one tweet the user compares WaMu’s fees to other banks and notes “we suck less”. I somehow doubt that’s an official WaMu marketing slogan.

If you’re just getting started, here’s your action plan:

• Create a Twitter account: At a minimum you’ll want to create an account using your company name (before someone else does).
• Monitor Twitter for your brand and key terms: I’ve written about monitoring your brand in the past. Twitter should be added to the list of social media outlets that you track regularly. Use Tweetscan to search for all of your key names and phrases, then save the RSS feeds into your aggregator of choice.

  You might also learn a lesson from Comcast. When your search turns up something of substance, respond back via twitter as appropriate.

• Consider using Twitter as an official customer support channel: If your monitoring efforts turn up a substantial amount of commentary, it may be an indication that you need to devote official support resources to Twitter. While Twitter users may only be a small percentage of your customer base, chances are they’re a vocal and influential group. Providing them with support on their platform of choice could generate a substantial amount of good will.

  You may also find Twitter to be an efficient tool for support. What other support system limits a customer’s feedback to a mere 140 characters?

Technorati Tags: Twitter, Reputation, Reputation Management