Get off the Bandwagon
For some, Twitter has been a godsend for all Advertising and Marketing agencies. It has been a blank canvas for all creative and strategic marketers to do as they please – from repositioning brands to trending worldwide, Twitter has changed the way we wear our marketing caps.
Yet, for every successful campaign the Redbull’s and Coca Cola’s of this world run, spare a thought for the smaller and slightly naive brands. You know the type of brands I’m talking about – the real tragedies of Twitter, the ones who follow more than they get followed, and the ones who consistently send out bland promotional messages to a vague audience.
The reason for this is simple – using Twitter like this just isn’t going to work for you. And that’s ok. You don’t have to be on Twitter just because ‘it’s the thing to do’. The best comparison I have for a plumbing company doing it horribly wrong on Twitter is a drunk uncle quoting Lethal B at your house party shouting DENCHHH at the top of his voice (and if you didn’t understand that, sorry, it’s because your just not cool enough). So in order to avoid embarrassing yourself and having your Twitter page more lifeless than the contestant’s on X Factor, here are some reasons on why to give Twitter a miss if you’re not going to do it properly.
Is anyone there?
In the right hands, Twitter can transform a brand. It can make you the coolest thing since the Mo-Bot (that died out quick hey?) But some might ask, what’s the business value in this? It depends on your business. If you’re priority is chasing sales leads and you don’t have the time to build an engaged audience with your followers I suggest you give Twitter a miss.
Damage Limitation
We have seen in the past year what an amazing tool Twitter can be in terms of PR and customer service. There is no better example than what O2 did when they’re networks went down and their unique witty approach to customer service. They basically turned abusive customers telling them to go hang themselves to a customer service masterpiece. The point I’m making is if you get twenty volatile customers complaining that their electric garage door is stuck, have you got the capacity and the skill to handle it for the world to see? If not, you could end up with a Twitter disaster like Susan Boyle, who decided to promote her new album by tweeting %susanalbumparty. Read it carefully.
Pick a Channel
Simply, you can’t be everywhere at once. So if you run a business and have spectacular visuals of your showroom, art work or unique products, get it on Facebook where it will jump off the page and really benefit your business. If you want to update your customers with latest news and offers, get on Twitter. The key is to use each channel effectively, using each platform in various ways to give out your message.
What’s next?
However it’s not all doom and gloom. There are plenty of examples of how Twitter and Social Media can transform brands– small, medium and big IF it is used correctly. A healthy social media campaign starts with an honest assessment of yourself. Are you just doing it because you heard that it might help? Or do you actually want to engage with your customers, reinforce your brand positioning and produce mind blowing creative campaigns that offer benefits to your market. If it’s the latter, then Twitter is for you.
Twitter can be an influential and powerful tool, so be mindful of this and be careful on how you utilise it.
November 23rd, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this after our chat about your course a few weeks ago, Sania. As for the exhibition? I say: GO FOR IT! I’m right behind you