Real Time Twittering Rewards & Risks

Question On Twitter, brands proactively follow users and reply to tweets that mention their brand name. Is this actually stalking? http://socialtoo.com/survey/view/2760 Hashtag #stalkertweet

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blast7/

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Mechanics Set up Twitter Search for your brand name Reply to tweets mentioning your name As soon as you engage, follow the user Stop talking to them, until they reply, then... - If they reply before/during a visit, offer help - If they reply after visiting, ask for feedback

Tone Be genuine and sound helpful and friendly Remember that the user might be creeped out, so remember DMs are available 1 or 100,000 followers? Talk to them either way

http:// www.flickr.com/photos/jayndori /

Rewards Visitors see an extra touchpoint to encourage visit Customer Service for those who don't like talking Feedback for the brand Brand Reach to new and (hopefully) engaged followers Better reputation among your existing followers

Question (slight return) “ A great example of a way in which cultural heritage orgs can see potential of new techs and use them to provide a richer experience? Or an illustration of the dangers of personal comms exploited by the commercial sector? The next time I tweet that I’m off to the pub, will I receive messages from lager companies?”

ReadWriteWeb “ It's kind of a modern day horror story, isn't it? Web 2.0's potential benefit for humanity tragically sold short by social media because it fell under a fog of marketing software” http:// budurl.com/machineeatstweets

ImpactWatch “ They may only respond to influentials’ complaints, negative comments, or to sales opps. That’s not engaging in a “real” conversation. The main concern is the motivation of companies who engage in social media.” http://www.impactwatch.com/2009/is-social-media-monitoring-creepy/

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Risks Intruding into “private” conversations Claims of “stalking” and “scaring” users Stoking a hornet's nest of bad publicity In essence, is the average user ready for this level of interaction yet?

Motivation Are you looking for a short-term, free, (probably) sales-led opportunity? or Are you looking for a long-lasting, no-strings attached, engaging relationship with the customer that they can end at any point?

Takeaways Establish motivations to get in touch Produce a loose code of conduct Engage proactively with visitors Reflect the values of yourself and the brand And remember that it's not a sales opportunity; endeavour to support and assist

Final thought Will this type of interaction become the norm for the social web in some shape or form? Probably, depending on how the risks and rewards play out.

Question On Twitter, brands proactively follow users and reply to tweets that mention their brand name. In light of this talk is this actually stalking? http://socialtoo.com/survey/view/2760

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