After reading my last post, 5 Reasons Why Your Company Should Twitter, you may be chomping at the bit to create your Twitter profile and get started connecting with others. But before you do, a word of caution: There are at least three unique approaches to corporate Twittering, and careful consideration is necessary before launching out into full-fledged Twitter marketing. The #1 most common mistake companies make in regards to social media and search marketing is launching half-baked strategies. This usually occurs when a senior level executive learns of a hot new technology and impulsively decides that the company must have a presence there ASAP.
To avoid wasted efforts and reputation snafus, let’s review each approach first and make you aware of the pros and cons to each BEFORE you staff up or hire an agency. Once you are equipped to make an informed decision, your chances of success exponentially increase.
Profile Type #1: Corporate Name
This is the most obvious method, and one which every company with a corporate blog should have. Sign up for a new profile under your company name. Add your company’s URL, as well as a brief bio summarizing your business.
Announce press releases, blog posts, product launches, executive promotions/hirings, quarterly earnings, community project involvement, and much more. Answer customer questions and position yourself as a company that cares.
Pros: Giving your company a chance to increase brand exposure directly and give people the opportunity to connect directly with the brand will strengthen brand loyalty and customer retention.
Cons: This is most effective if your company has a blog, publishes articles regularly, or issues press releases on a regular basis. Without regular fresh content, it’s harder to be interesting and relevant to your followers and customers. A stale and unused Twitter account is worse than a non-existent Twitter account. It’s all about perception. Not taking on Twitter as a strategy is a matter of choice, whereas inactivity on a profile portrays a lack of foresight and planning, and paints a negative picture of a company.
Profile Type #2: Employee
Another excellent method of increasing/enhancing brand awareness is through an employee. Just as Matt Cutts blogs and twitters for Google, your company could benefit from the presence of a strong employee advocate.
Pros: Gives your company a human face. Most effective for large corporations, where a human face is needed to lend some humanity and accessibility to the public’s view of the corporate giant.
Also great for industry conferences, trade shows, galas, and parties. People are more apt to connect on a personal level with a company that employs friendly, helpful, and accessible people. It’s a strategic method for earning lifelong loyal customers like the mom and pop shops do in their respective communities.
Cons: Employee retention. Many employers are worried about promoting their employees publicly, for fear of introducing them to headhunters and competitors who might offer more money to lure them away. Some employees who gain respect and recognition also find themselves tempted to go independent or start their own venture.
This method puts a lot of power into the hands of an individual, and therefore will only appeal to some. Companies who confidently take excellent care of their employees have little to worry about. But it will be a legitimate concern for some.
The final concern is one of appropriate behavior and disclosure. What are the boundaries for your spokesperson? What can be disclosed? What is off limits? What attitudes, beliefs, personality traits do you NOT want associated with your brand? An image consultant or reputation manager is needed to assist with these questions, to help you start your Twitter campaign from a position of confident strength rather than vulnerable weakness.
Keep in mind that nothing on Twitter is permanent if you catch it within a week or two. You can choose to delete old updates, so you can save a little face should a snafu catch you unsuspecting. Of course, anyone who has already read the update will already be affected, and reputation repair may be necessary. It never hurts to have a reputation manager on retainer for moments like these.
Profile Type #3: Fan
The third and most controversial method is the Fan profile. In this scenario, your company either hires or impersonates a fan of your company. As you can imagine, there are those who object to any type of social media marketing impersonation, i.e. fictitious identities.
The goal of this type is to employ a real or fictional non-employee to build a social network with people who fit in the company’s target demographic. The Fan promotes all sorts of normal hobbies and interests that their friends would identify with. The Fan then occasionally promotes the company, recommending it strongly from personal experience, and building the company’s reputation in the minds of his/her friends.
Pros: The power of recommendation. A person’s experience is one of the most powerful marketing forces on the planet. A personable physician. An excellent customer service department. A winning return policy. Whatever the case, people trust the recommendations of others. It’s the reason the terms “viral marketing” and “word of mouth advertising” exist. Finding a Fan can be a challenge, but the rewards of empowering these Influencers can be priceless.
Cons: Trust. Trust is reputation. A company who is considered to have deceived the people faces public outrage, lawsuits, reputation damage, loss of sales, and other potential consequences. There are some well documented cases of Fan imitation that have gone sour, and companies like Walmart have suffered for it. Then again, look at Walmart today. It is one of the few companies still earning profits quarter after quarter, even in a down economy. So obviously, even consequences may have minimal effect.
It may be well worth the risk to fake a few Fan accounts on Twitter to build your company’s reputation and promote products/services. If the general concept appeals to you, but the risk is too steep, consider an extensive hunting expedition. Find real Fans out there in social media and networking sites. Reward them for their kind words and recommendations. Gift cards, discounts, product samples, etc. Get creative. Even if you can’t employ the Fan, you can make it well worth their time to continue promoting your business.
Now, for the decision. Which approach is right for your business? Perhaps a hybrid mixture of two or all three. What should you budget for Twitter marketing? These decisions will establish the foundation of your campaign, and either strengthen or soften your implementation.
For a professional social media marketing consultation, contact MarketNet today. We’ll help you move in the right direction so you can begin strengthening your company’s brand in a down market.
Daniel Dessinger
MarketNet, Inc.
