Is Twitter,by changing our communication, changing how we conduct business?Munindra KhaundUniversity of Illinois Springfield

AgendaIntroductionPersonal and Business PerspectiveStatisticsUsing Twitter for BusinessBlending Business and Personal ActivityCEO’s and CTO’s Using TwitterTwitter Don’tsLesson LearnedResources2

IntroductionCreated on Wordle. Content from: History and Evolution of Social Media– Source: For WDD by Cameron Chapman3

What is Twitter?“You say what you’re doing, in 140 characters or less, and people who are interested in you get those updates… Twitter lets people share moments of their lives… momentous occasions or mundane ones.”Evan Williams, Co-founder of Twitter4

Twitter-speakTweet– A message on TwitterFollow – When you subscribe to messages from another individual, you follow the person on TwitterFollowers – Individuals who subscribe to your tweets@Reply – Public message sent from one individual to anotherDM– Direct message from one individual to anotherRT– Retweet [or re-send] a message that an individual has posted on TwitterHashtag – Allows a tweet to be easily searched and located5

Personal Perspective6

Personal Perspective#mumbaiVery large volume of tweetsTweets primarily in EnglishUp-to-date tweets due to access to incident zonesSeveral retweets of important resources – telephone numbers, websites, etc.Few incidences of finger-pointing but checks & balances in effect by tweeps#airfranceVolume of tweets is mediumTweets in several languagesMore reflective tweets due to location of incident zoneFew retweets of resources; only contact numbers are from Air FranceNumerous tweets that joked about the missing plane and its reference to “LOST”7

Business Perspective8

Statistics: Age DistributionComposition Index UVYounger US Demos 12% Less Likely to Tweet– Source: MC Marketing Charts9

Statistics: Benefits of SM MarketingMarketers' Top Social Media: Twitter, Blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook – Source: MC Marketing Charts10

Statistics: Business Operations Twitter to Move into Business Mainstream– MC Marketing Charts11

Statistics: Next Six MonthsTwitter to Move into Business Mainstream – MC Marketing Charts12

Using Twitter for BusinessExternalPurposeShareMake connectionsBe availableTry out new ideasGenerate leadsCustomer supportInternalPurposeBe authenticBuild relationshipsTrackProtect reputationGuidelinesCosts13

Purpose

Be authentic

Build relationships

Track

Protect reputation

Guidelines

Costs

Blending Business and Personal ActivityBusinessStart from the topDesignate account and personnelFollow guidelines and policiesIntellectual propertySecurityMessagePersonalJust beShare resourcesRTWatch and observeNo travel schedules14

Just be

Share resources

RT

Watch and observe

No travel schedules

CEO’s and CTO’s on TwitterPadmasree WarriorCTO, CISO SystemsPhil McKinneyCTO, HP Personal Systems GroupJohn EngatesCTO, RackspaceJim DowsonCTO, Global Services, EMCTony HsiehCEO, ZapposEvan WilliamsCEO Twitter15

Twitter Don’tsDon’t spamDon’t ignore genuine requests for informationDon’t forget to give credit to the original tweetDon’t launch initiative without guidelines/policyDon’t expect the tool to work by itselfDon’t post vacation schedules16

Lessons LearnedNever underestimate the value of watching and observingProvide valueFocus on quality rather than quantityUnderstand the importance of a hashtagA small act can make a big difference17

Resources: Getting StartedHow Twitter Started – Evan WilliamsTwittering Tips for Beginners – David PogueAll You Need to Know to Twitter – Paul BoutinBirds of a Feather Twitter Together – Walt Mossberg14 Tools of Highly Effective Twitter Users – Kenny HyderJust Tweet ItTwitter Bible: Everything You Need To Know About Twitter – C G Lynch18

Resources: BusinessTwitter 101: A Special Guide - TwitterTwitter’s Ten Rules for Radical Innovators – Umair Haque50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business – Chris BroganHow to use Twitter to Mitigate a Crisis – Denise ZimmermanCEOs' Take on Twitter – Douglas McMillanTwitter: How to Get Started Guide for Business People – C G Lynch17 Ways You Can Use Twitter: A Guide for Beginners, Marketers and Business Owners – DoshDosh19

Resources: Marketing and PR7 Marketing Mistakes to Avoid on Twitter – Rodney Rumford5 Marketing Tips for Tackling Twitter – Steve MulderHow Twitter and email can benefit targeted marketing – Simms JenkinsThe Journalist’s Guide to Twitter – Leah BetancourtWhy newspapers should manage more like Twitter and less like GM – Joshua Benton20

Resources: MiscellaneousSeventeen things that people are actually saying when they retweet others – Meg PickardMen Follow Men and Nobody Tweets – Bill Heil and Mikolaj PiskorskiTweeting Your Way to a Job – Laura M HolsonTweet CongressTweetGridTweetreeSocial Media @ Illinois Springfield – Office of Web Services21

@mkhaund22