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How businesses can use Twitter to their advantage
A Framework for Analysis and Action
© Richard Caelius 2009
Is it too early for businesses to adopt Twitter?
USA 157m Internet users
GERMANY 42.5 m Internet users
78K-300K Twitter users (EST)
8.5m Twitter users
Source: eMarketer.com / twitter.com / webevangelisten.de
© Richard Caelius 2009
Twitter is currently used by Innovators and Early Adopters but is quickly making its way into the mainstream
Source: wikipedia.org, wsj.com
Is it too early for businesses to adopt Twitter?
© Richard Caelius 2009
It might be too early for your business to use Twitter, but its time to consider the options available
• Twitter has shown enormous growth and adoption over the past six months
• Now is the time to evaluate the best uses of Twitter for your business – But there may be none (right now)
• Twitter can be used as a communication, research and engagement tool, or any combination of these
• Firms need to choose a Twitter strategy that fits with their brands, products, culture and business objectives
• As Twitter matures and grows, firms must re-evaluate this strategy regularly and, if necessary, adapt over time
• OK, How do we get started?
© Richard Caelius 2009
How can Twitter communication be classified?
4
„Fresh bread just out of oven now“
Automatic
• Data Push and Automated Interaction with Customers / Customer Systems
Business Uses
3
„What are you missing?“
Promotional
Business Uses
• Channel for new form of promotion
• Organise / Promote Events
1
„What has your attention?“
(„What are you doing?“)
• Monitoring & Customer Service
• Market research
• Emotional bondB2C, B2E, E2E
Business Uses
Personal
2
„What‘s the latest news (about that
company)?“
• PR / Corporate communications
• Demonstrate expertise by sharing knowledge
Business Uses
Informational
© Richard Caelius 2009
Broadcast Listen Engage
Communication forms and typical uses in a corporate environment
Primary Flow of Information
Primary Flow of Information
Conver-sation
• Publish recent news about the company
• Advertising of Events / Activities / Products and Promotions (Own and Affiliated)
• Automated broad-cast of events rel-ated to business
• Trend research based on analysis of Twitter datafeed
• Ask customers questions & market research tool
• Collect ideas, innovations and improvements / complaints from social network
• Use Twitter as a customer service and retention tool
• Humanisation and emotionalisation of brand / increase staff retention / build team spirit across distributed teams
• Expert exchange
CategoryOccasion CategoryOoccasion CategoryOccasion
Informa-tional
Promo-tional
Informa-tional
Informa-tional
Informa-tional
Auto-matic
Informa-tional
Personal
Informa-tional
© Richard Caelius 2009
Rationale (Negative)-Example
Some basic rules to consider before using Twitter in a corporate setting (details depend on the usage scenario)
•Rule 1: Be Recent„We‘re having this special sale in 2 weeks http://bit.ly/13tRl3“
Twitter is a constant stream of current information – Twitter is NOW
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•Rule 2: Be Relevant (To your Target Audience)
„Big choice in used cars – gotta see to believe http://bit.ly/13tRl3“
Twitter is Opt-In, if content is perceived as Spam, irrelevant or not useful, you‘re going to get unfollowed
•Rule 3: Pay Attention (To what customers say about you)
Twitter offers very simple search for keywords in realtime – e.g. Plane crash, competitor A, B, C
Comcast scans all tweets and blogpostings to detect its metions and has reaction processes /people in place
•Rule 4: Follow relevant People / Organizations
Twitter identity is in part your Bio, your picture, tweets and your followers
Example: AdidasRunning „follows“ known runners; SiemensEnergy follows customers, other staffers and other Siemens accounts
„Short sleeve status: short“ oder „Throw out Relationship and go pirateship! #dating #advice
•Rule 5: Be Original / Authentic
At the moment Twitter is still fresh, and originality, eloquence and authenticity are valued highly
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+
+
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© Richard Caelius 2009
With the things that I have learnt about Twitter, how should I now use it for my business?
• That depends on the type of business and type of brand, its competencies / capabilities and core values:
• In general if you have a business where the brand has an emotional component (e.g. you’re a fashion brand, a hotel or a celebrity) – then consider using Twitter as an engagement tool (and maybe for customer service)
• If you have products or services which change quickly, e.g. an airline with constant price changes and where customer demand is driven by promotions, then consider using Twitter as a promotional tool for short lived NOW promotions
• If you can combine more than one aspect promote, engage, automate and inform the better you are making use of Twitter
© Richard Caelius 2009
Examples
© Richard Caelius 2009
Dell on Twitter
Alltags-Problem-Wettbewerb
Case Study Dell: Broad offering of Twitter-accounts with various differing types of content for Customer Opt-In
Best Practice
• Main use is an additional channel for Promotions • Twitter as a type of free permission marketing, in
particular for discounts, specials and coupons
Implementation and Motivation• In total 33 Twitter accounts• Special offers and promotions (by segment and
geography), Special interest engagement groups and imformation channel
• Top 10 accounts have more than 98% of the followers, top account (DellOutlet) has more than 90%. Median is 618 followers
Flow of InformationType of Comms
Promotional
Personal
Infor-ma-tional
Auto-matic
Analysis & Frameworks
Broad-cast
En-gage
Listen
© Richard Caelius 2009
Type of Comms
Case Study: ComcastCares, a combination of marketing and customer service
Analysis & Frameworks
Flow of Information
Broad-cast
En-gage
Listen
• http:twitter.com/ComcastCares as a central customer Serivce Account (with several personal additional accounts – real names)
• Twitter is not a replacement for Phone and Email • Its a faster interaction than traditional channels• Twitter is more personal, less formal and more interactive
(which some users find more attractive)
Implementation and Motivation
Best Practice
• Fast uncomplicated customer service via Twitter is/was a differentiator for Comcast
• Customer Service group has the experience, competence and is empowered to trigger solutions quickly
Promotional
Personal
Infor-ma-tional
Auto-matic
© Richard Caelius 2009
Flow of InformationType of Comms
Promotional
Personal
Infor-ma-tional
Auto-matic
Implementation and Motivation AlbionsOven (Der Bäcker Ofen)
Case Study: BakerTweet, a combination between marketing and automation
• Keeping Customers informed / engaged about current „status“ of product / service
• Timeliness is an important aspect of the product – the „fresher“ the better – Realtime matters
• Product is low absolute margin / can‘t affort large spend on realtime promotional channel (other than email – not suited)
• Increase Demand and Customer Loyalty
Best Practice
• Makes best use of realtime / neartime component of Twitter
• Messages are not only informative but witty and original
Analysis & Frameworks
Broad-cast
En-gage
Listen
© Richard Caelius 2009
Backup
Contact Details:
Richard Caelius
Twitter: @rcaelius
Email: twitter (at) caelius (dot) com
© Richard Caelius 2009
Motivation – Why use Twitter?
Share information / experiences in realtime
Create snowball effect (to virally spread messages)
Service and Engage with Customers
Ask social network questions or help
Build reputation and self realization
Marketing / Advertising / Promotions
Build and extend social Network
Entertainment
„Discovery“ – stumble across new information and people
„Ambient Intimacy“ (Build an emotional link with geographical distance being irrelevant)
Recency of News and Information
Being part of a story / helping it spread
Forecasting and trendspotting
Reasons to Listen Reasons to Send
Research (Trends / Market Research)
Watch / Analyze