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Friday, October 23, 2009
Tweeting is all about relationships
Business First of Buffalo - by David Bertola
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If your company is considering creating a presence on an online social network, think about starting at the end and working backwards. Brett Burnsworth explained this concept at the Oct. 6 Business First Power Breakfast. “Start out with your goal and where do you want to be, and why do you want to be on social media,” said Burnsworth, who runs Zoodle Marketing Group. “Then work your way backwards and develop your
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strategic plan.” Rather than saying, “We need to be on Twitter,” he suggests asking, “Why do we need to be on Twitter?” Burnsworth was joined by Mary Beth Popp of Eric Mower and Associates, Brad London from J. Fitzgerald Group and Adrian Roselli of Algonquin Studios. They shared thoughts on how companies should build and manage a presence on such sites, which include blogs. They talked about the value of doing so, and the power of building relationships with customers through them. “If you can’t put out a press release on a regular basis, you should consider whether you need to be on social media,” said Roselli. Building off this idea, London said quality content is king. “Great content attracts people,” he said, adding that how a company’s customers find them. Of content, Burnsworth added, “It should be relevant to one specific product or service item, don’t try to mix all different kinds of things onto one page.”
Getting started: Perhaps try ‘listening’ first
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“I learned almost everything I know about online social media by following smart people on Twitter, then attaching to their blogs, and interacting with them one on one,” said Popp, who referred to this technique as “listening.” Popp has developed and managed public relations programs with online social media incorporated into them. She monitors social networks at www.netvibes.com, a feed reader site. It gives her a view of blogs and other social networking sites she keeps tabs on. This way, she can see what’s being written online about her clients without having her email inbox overflow with updates. To describe its ease of use, she said she doesn’t consider herself tech savvy. “If (netvibes) was difficult for me to use, believe me, I wouldn’t be on it,” she joked. If a question is asked or comment made on Twitter or elsewhere, she’ll log on and insert herself into the discussion. She’ll introduce herself as the public relations representative of the company, and talk directly to the person who had the inquiry. This new public relations tactic, instant one to one interactions versus the traditional one to many, signals the way online social networking sites have changed how companies can
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Burnsworth likened online social networking sites to being at a party. As a conversation takes place around you, decide whether you want to add to it. And as it wouldn’t be natural to lead with “I sell widgets” at a party, he advises that for the most part, you should follow this same rule on Twitter or other sites where, Popp said, “Personal relationships can lead to selling.” London said effectively monitoring a brand and interacting with customers through online social networking sites means gaining a better understanding of trends, and what’s being said about your product or company. “Try to engage in some of these (online) discussions, and include a signature that can link back to your web site; this can increase revenue opportunities for your business online.” He gave an example of someone who had their Web site go down, and sent a message via Twitter to the hosting company. Within 10 minutes, that company tried contacting the customer three different ways: by phone and email, which were unresponsive, and then on Twitter, called a “Tweet.” The customer eventually posted his positive experience on a blog, which has gotten noticed, and talked about. Added Burnsworth, “I often tell people social media is not about making money, it’s a byproduct of building relationships with people and building your brand. If you can master that, you’ll end up making money (by using) these kinds of tools.”
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