Network Solutions Learning Lunch: Part 3–Twitter for Business March 4, 2009 Steven Fisher

What the Hell is Twitter? Interesting Uses of Twitter…so far Why and How Could Corporations Use Twitter Corporations Using Twitter How Network Solutions Currently Uses Twitter Twitter Do's and Don'ts Setting Up Your Own Twitter Profile Additional Resources and Take Aways The Art of Customer Service with Twitter Agenda:

What the Hell is Twitter?

Interesting Uses of Twitter…so far

Why and How Could Corporations Use Twitter

Corporations Using Twitter

How Network Solutions Currently Uses Twitter

Twitter Do's and Don'ts

Setting Up Your Own Twitter Profile

Additional Resources and Take Aways

Interesting Twitter Facts: Twitter receives over 6 million UMVs, doubled from Sept 08 with an average daily growth of approximately 10% from September to January 2009. An average of over 50% of Twitter traffic are repeat visitors. According to Time Magazine, males make up over 60% of the Twitter demographic. Usage is 40% in the United States and of the remaining 60%, 39% of that is in Japan Twitter's largest age demographic is 35-to-44-year-olds who make up 25.9% of its users. Source: (This is up from a Jan 2009 Compete report) What the Hell is Twitter? Twitter is a microblogging platform composed entirely of 140 character answers to 1 simple question: “What are you doing?” or rather , “What are you interested in right now?”

Interesting Twitter Facts:

Twitter receives over 6 million UMVs, doubled from Sept 08 with an average daily growth of approximately 10% from September to January 2009. An average of over 50% of Twitter traffic are repeat visitors.

According to Time Magazine, males make up over 60% of the Twitter demographic.

Usage is 40% in the United States and of the remaining 60%, 39% of that is in Japan

Twitter's largest age demographic is 35-to-44-year-olds who make up 25.9% of its users.

Source: (This is up from a Jan 2009 Compete report)

Twitter is a microblogging platform composed entirely of 140 character answers to 1 simple question: “What are you doing?” or rather , “What are you interested in right now?”

Interesting Uses of Twitter …so far. Free yourself from an Egyptian Jail.

Free yourself from an Egyptian Jail.

Interesting Uses of Twitter …so far. Report on a hurricane or earthquake… while you are in the middle of one.

Report on a hurricane or earthquake… while you are in the middle of one.

Interesting Uses of Twitter …so far. Upload the first pictures of airplane rescue on the Hudson River (with TwitPic)

Upload the first pictures of airplane rescue on the Hudson River (with TwitPic)

Interesting Uses of Twitter …so far. Up to the minute reporting of Terrorist Attack in Mumbai

Up to the minute reporting of Terrorist Attack in Mumbai

Interesting Uses of Twitter …so far. Campaign for and Elect a President.

Campaign for and Elect a President.

Interesting Uses of Twitter …so far. But don’t try and spam…

But don’t try and spam…

Interesting Uses of Twitter …so far. You will be reported…

You will be reported…

Interesting Uses of Twitter …so far. And you will be deleted…

And you will be deleted…

Why and How Could Corporations Use Twitter? Tweet company news in short, manageable pieces – an effective strategy for reaching multi-tasking customers with ever shortening attention spans. Tweet special offers or discounts for your Twitter “followers” to drive sales. Tweet from company and industry events to provide real time updates. Tweet questions or ideas about your business to get immediate feedback from customers following you. Seek out customers tweeting about good and bad experiences with your company. Thank your happy customers and try to resolve negative issues. Tweet about things that interest you, and have fun with it! Your customers might appreciate getting to know you as a real person, not just a brand. At Dell, for example, they’ve generated more than $1 million in sales by posting consumer, SMB and DellOutlet offers on Twitter. TIP: Be sure to create separate Twitter accounts for sales- generating activities and general company or employee news.

Tweet company news in short, manageable pieces – an effective strategy for reaching multi-tasking customers with ever shortening attention spans.

Tweet special offers or discounts for your Twitter “followers” to drive sales.

Tweet from company and industry events to provide real time updates.

Tweet questions or ideas about your business to get immediate feedback from customers following you.

Seek out customers tweeting about good and bad experiences with your company. Thank your happy customers and try to resolve negative issues.

Tweet about things that interest you, and have fun with it! Your customers might appreciate getting to know you as a real person, not just a brand.

At Dell, for example, they’ve generated more than $1 million in sales by posting consumer, SMB and DellOutlet offers on Twitter.

TIP: Be sure to create separate Twitter accounts for sales- generating activities and general company or employee news.

Why and How Could Corporations Use Twitter? Other Ways: Customer Relations Crisis Management Corporate Reputation Management Event Activation Issue Advocacy Product Promotion and Sales Internal Communication @comcastcares Frank Eliason at Comcast started @comcastcares in April 2008 in response to the customer conversations he and his team found on Twitter through monitoring. Offers customers specific troubleshooting tips, online resources, new product info and a key customer relations personality (i.e. Frank’s).

Other Ways:

Customer Relations

Crisis Management

Corporate Reputation Management

Event Activation

Issue Advocacy

Product Promotion and Sales

Internal Communication

@comcastcares

Frank Eliason at Comcast started @comcastcares in April 2008 in response to the customer conversations he and his team found on Twitter through monitoring. Offers customers specific troubleshooting tips, online resources, new product info and a key customer relations personality (i.e. Frank’s).

How Network Solutions Currently Uses Twitter Customer Service Customer Feedback Customer Outreach @netsolcares Shashi Bellamkonda at Network Solutions started @netsolcares in Sept 2008 to provide a new customer service channel

Customer Service

Customer Feedback

Customer Outreach

@netsolcares

Shashi Bellamkonda at Network Solutions started @netsolcares in Sept 2008 to provide a new customer service channel

How Network Solutions Currently Uses Twitter Customer Service Customer Feedback Customer Outreach @netsolcares Shashi Bellamkonda at Network Solutions started @netsolcares in Sept 2008 to provide a new customer service channel

Customer Service

Customer Feedback

Customer Outreach

@netsolcares

Shashi Bellamkonda at Network Solutions started @netsolcares in Sept 2008 to provide a new customer service channel

How Network Solutions Currently Uses Twitter Sales Offers Expired Domain Alerts Domain Tips @domains_feed This was recently set up to post expired domains for sale.

Sales Offers

Expired Domain Alerts

Domain Tips

@domains_feed

This was recently set up to post expired domains for sale.

How Network Solutions Currently Uses Twitter Blog Post Announcements Drive Traffic to NetSol Blogs Personally promote sales or deals

Blog Post Announcements

Drive Traffic to NetSol Blogs

Personally promote sales or deals

Twitter Demo

Twitter Do's and Don'ts DO: DO see what other businesses are doing on Twitter DO use Twitter search engines for keyword searches around brands, products and topic of interest. DO follow Twitterers with similar interests to establish a brand presence within conversation DO use Twitter to start a conversation DO be dedicated to Twitter. Having more than one employee on Twitter will ensure an ongoing company presence. DO ask questions and get feedback from your followers DO engage consumers in co-creation and get constructive insights for future company developments or publications Source: Ogilvy Twitter Webinar

DO:

DO see what other businesses are doing on Twitter

DO use Twitter search engines for keyword searches around brands, products and topic of interest.

DO follow Twitterers with similar interests to establish a brand presence within conversation

DO use Twitter to start a conversation

DO be dedicated to Twitter. Having more than one employee on Twitter will ensure an ongoing company presence.

DO ask questions and get feedback from your followers

DO engage consumers in co-creation and get constructive insights for future company developments or publications

Source: Ogilvy Twitter Webinar

Twitter Do's and Don'ts DON’T: DON’T use Twitter to push ads or brand messaging. Don’t just Tweet but also follow others to join in or start a conversation. DON’T use Twitter to tell your everyday tasks, make sure your Tweets are resourceful, entertaining and/or valuable to your followers DON’T be boring! DON’T panic if you are “Twitter-Jacked“, where other Twitterers use your identity within their Twitter handles, instead contact the Twitterers and find out their reasoning before taking action (they could turn out to be your biggest fans) DON’T I REPEAT - DO NOT Tweet anything about clients, co-workers, friends, etc. that you would not want them to see - this is a good way to burn bridges and lose customers (not to mention make a bad name for yourself) Source: Ogilvy Twitter Webinar

DON’T:

DON’T use Twitter to push ads or brand messaging. Don’t just Tweet but also follow others to join in or start a conversation.

DON’T use Twitter to tell your everyday tasks, make sure your Tweets are resourceful, entertaining and/or valuable to your followers

DON’T be boring!

DON’T panic if you are “Twitter-Jacked“, where other Twitterers use your identity within their Twitter handles, instead contact the Twitterers and find out their reasoning before taking action (they could turn out to be your biggest fans)

DON’T I REPEAT - DO NOT Tweet anything about clients, co-workers, friends, etc. that you would not want them to see - this is a good way to burn bridges and lose customers (not to mention make a bad name for yourself)

Source: Ogilvy Twitter Webinar

Setting Up Your Own Twitter Profile

Setting Up Your Own Twitter Profile

Setting Up Your Own Twitter Profile

Additional Resources and Take Aways GREAT TWITTER APPS: Twitter Search http://search.twitter.com Twirl http://www.twitter.com Tweetdeck http://www.tweetdeck.com TwitPic http://www.twitpic.com GREAT LINKS: How to Use Twitter for Business: http://www.flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/08/06-twitter-for-business.php 50 Ways to Use Twitter for Business: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/ Advanced Twitter for Business: Conversation, Community, and Profit--140 Characters at a Time http://oreilly.com/pub/e/1207

GREAT TWITTER APPS:

Twitter Search

http://search.twitter.com

Twirl

http://www.twitter.com

Tweetdeck

http://www.tweetdeck.com

TwitPic

http://www.twitpic.com

GREAT LINKS:

How to Use Twitter for Business:

http://www.flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/08/06-twitter-for-business.php

50 Ways to Use Twitter for Business:

http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/

Advanced Twitter for Business: Conversation, Community, and Profit--140 Characters at a Time

http://oreilly.com/pub/e/1207

Questions?