I just finished reading Lauren Modeen’s post on “Twitter as a Focus Group;” if you’re marketing-inclined, a must read (especially if you’re like me and grappling with using Twitter to better promote a company). I have been on Twitter for a while now, and much like posting photos on Facebook, enjoy updating my ‘tweeps with regular thoughts and ideas. How, than, to move my firm, Computech, into the twittering community? And, more importantly, for what gains?
While I would like nothing more than to tweet out witty posts every few hours, I am “haunted” by an old marketing axiom: “know your customer, and give them what they want.” In the case of Twitter, we have to guess our audience’s preferences for information. News? Humor? Job Openings? The followers of our IT firm are not our customers (yet), and rather than simply tweet out our open positions or recent news, I believe Twitter can — and should — be used to show people how our firm thinks about customer valuation. In an era where exceptional customer service and consistent customer care are essential — especially as brand loyalty becomes more exchangeable for customers — we intend to use social media channels like Twitter to harness the creativity of our company and our followers. Are there challenges? Of course (e.g. encouraging all 175 Computech staff to set themselves up with a Twitter account!). But I’m confident we will find our way because we need to find our way, as “people today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past.” (WSJ)
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/aldominick
P.S. — here’s an interesting take (from a HR-perspective) on “the Facebook” generation that ran in the Wall Street Journal last week. Just came across my TweetDeck and thought to pass it on the link and first 2 paragraphs:
“The experience of growing up online will profoundly shape the workplace expectations of “Generation F” – the Facebook Generation. At a minimum, they’ll expect the social environment of work to reflect the social context of the Web, rather than as is currently the case, a mid-20th-century Weberian bureaucracy.
If your company hopes to attract the most creative and energetic members of Gen F, it will need to understand these Internet-derived expectations, and then reinvent its management practices accordingly. Sure, it’s a buyer’s market for talent right now, but that won’t always be the case—and in the future, any company that lacks a vital core of Gen F employees will soon find itself stuck in the mud.”
Al,
Intersting. We used to call it customer service. Know the person, talk to them, remeber them. I guess “Gen F” feels the web is real. They want to be engaged but not SPAMed.
I see your point. A company that calls or keeps in touch with customers will keep their loyalty longer than a company that ignores its customers.
BTW – its cheaper to keep a customer than to find a new one.