Twitter

I recently unfollowed a couple of people from Twitter. The first I unfollowed because of spam. I stopped following the second person because most of her posts are laden with profanity and followed up with “Don’t like swearing? Too bad. Don’t follow me then.” Well ok. I don’t follow people for the sake of haiving a large pool of followers, anyway.

I’m not a prude.  Though cursing doesn’t hold the same pleasure for as it did during my teens, I’ve been know to throw out a bad word now and then, particularly if pain is involved. However, I’m of the belief that creative people can get their points across without resorting to profanity or vulgarity.

You are what you Tweet. Whether you use Twitter for business or pleasure, folks have to think about what they put out there. Employers are cruising Google and the social networks to see what employees and potential employees are up to. Maybe some people don’t think about this stuff - or even care. I do. I care how my community sees me and the example I put forth.

The folks I meet on Twitter are friends, colleagues and even perhaps important business contacts. Why turn them off? I’m not saying not to be you, but it’s always a good idea to take some time out and think about what we’re tossing out there.

When you use Twitter, does it matter to you what your followers think?

Tagged as: Community, social media, social netwowrking, Twitter

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I have a friend who’s a big muckety muck at a major phone/Internet provider. I haven’t seen him in a few months, but I keep remembering a conversation we had over the summer. I won’t bore you with all the minor details, but the bottom line is he (and many of his counterparts) don’t care for bloggers or social networking outlets because it’s harder for complaints to be swept under the rug  or handled quietly. They’d rather not have their flaws made public. I get it. Who wants that kind of negativity? I don’t agree though.  I feel having an online presence is good for business instead of the other way around.

Our conversation began when I mentioned how another blogger complained on her blog about a defective product and poor customer service. The day she posted, a representative from that same company commented saying he would take care of her problem, and he did - immediately.

Soon after that I learned my cable company was being switched to a well-known brand. I asked on Twitter of others’ experiences with this company and lo and behold….a representative of that company reached out to answer my questions. I dug the vibe.

So my friend, the big muckety muck at the phone network ,hates the idea of bloggers talking about their services or folks complaining to The Consumerist or other blogs. Again, I get it. Who wants to look bad?

But…

Consumers are frustrated by a lack of customer service, what other choice to they have?  What happens when you navigate a phone menu to nowhere, or get put through to fake supervisors who don’t help at all? Shouldn’t the folks paying for a service get the best service possible? That’s why I have more confidence in a company with a heavy online presence than with one that chooses to sweep all the bad stuff under the rug.

Should businesses monitor social networks?

Absolutely! It’s important to not only understand what folks are saying and why, but to reach out and offer assurance. In fact, I’d much rather pay extra for a company that rocked the customer care than support anyone who doesn’t put their clientele first and foremost at the top of the priority list. Moreover, if I see someone else having issues with a certain company and see said company reaching out to make amends, it will give me more confidence and maybe even encourage me to do business with them.

Just because a business doesn’t have an online presence doesn’t mean folks aren’t going to talk. Isn’t it better to monitor what they’re saying and reach out to fix the issue than to pretend it doesn’t exist?

Tagged as: Customer Service, social networking, Twitter

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A little less than a year ago, I was making my rounds on Twitter when I came across a tweet from Darren Rowse. He was traveling back to Austrialia from SXSW, and his reserved seat was of the uncomfortable variety.  He wanted to know if anyone had a connection at Qantas who could help him with an upgrade. Why, yes. Yes I did. My childhood friend Linda now lives in Australia and works for Qantas. We Tweeted back and forth throughout the night regarding seat preferences (Darren prefers aisle) and reservations. No emails were exchanged except between Linda and I. By the time Darren was ready to board his flight he had a coveted exit row seat. We couldn’t swing first class, but we got the next best thing. In fact, when he got to the desk, the attendant asked him who he knew at Qantas to get that seat.

As we tweeted the details back and forth I realized this Twitter is a very cool tool. Can’t find something? Throw it out on Twitter. Need a contact person? Throw it out on Twitter. Need an upgrade? Throw it out on Twitter. Looking for a job? Check Twitter. Want to see how folks feel about your business? Search Twitter.

Tweeting Up a Pirate Ship

I came across another cool Twitter story yesterday at Chris Brogan’s blog. Chris and his fellow “pirates” Justin Levy and Colin Browning wondered if they would be able to get their pictures taken aboard the famous Pirate Ship “The Song” at the Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas. Chris and Justin asked around on Twitter to see if anyone knew anyone who could arrange a photo op on the pirate ship. Brandie, who handles interactive marketing at the Luxor, reached out to the small band of pirates and made the magic happen. There was a little more involved than a tweet, there were calls and explanations to be made, but it was Twitter that got the ball rolling and made a dream come true.

Not only is this a testament to the power of Twitter, but it also shows the importance of businesses getting on board this whole social media thing. The Luxor, Treasure Island and even Las Vegas, got some great free publicity from this one photo. Plus it gives the organization this whole warm and fuzzy “we get it” vibe.

Twitter and the Job Search

Here’s another Twitter story. When I learned I was in the running for my Community Manager job, I did a Twitter search, among others. I like to read up on the place where I may work as I find this helpful in the interview process. I also followed the CEO and several other members of the team on Twitter.  During my second interview, the CEO told me he was impressed that I found him on Twitter and followed him. Apparently I was the only candidate to do so.

Every day I see job opportunites shared on Twitter. I see folks networking and schmoozing. I even applied to some awesome opportunities I wouldn’t have found on my own. I’m still waiting for the first Twitter job interview, it’s bound to happen sooner or later. Twitter rocks as a job search tool.

How will YOU use Twitter?

The morale to this story, boys and girls, isn’t how many followrs you have on Twitter or how funny your Tweets are (though I do love Twitter for its entertainment value). It’s about how one small thing can unite the world. It’s about using social media to make contacts and connections. It’s about making the world a smaller place, one tweet at a time.

Now it’s your turn. Tell us your Twitter stories.

Tagged as: Chris Brogan, Qantas, Treasure Island, Twitter

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