How businesses can use Twitter to their advantage A Framework for Analysis and Action

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

Twitter is currently used by Innovators and Early Adopters but is quickly making its way into the mainstream Is it too early for businesses to adopt Twitter? Source: wikipedia.org, wsj.com

Twitter is currently used by Innovators and Early Adopters but is quickly making its way into the mainstream

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?

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?

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 bond B2C, 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

Data Push and Automated Interaction with Customers / Customer Systems

Channel for new form of promotion

Organise / Promote Events

Monitoring & Customer Service

Market research

Emotional bond B2C, B2E, E2E

PR / Corporate communications

Demonstrate expertise by sharing knowledge

Communication forms and typical uses in a corporate environment Broadcast Listen Engage 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 Category Occasion Category Ooccasion Category Occasion Informa- tional Promo- tional Informa- tional Informa- tional Informa- tional Auto- matic Informa- tional Personal Informa- tional

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

Some basic rules to consider before using Twitter in a corporate setting (details depend on the usage scenario) Rule 1: Be Recent Rationale (Negative)-Example „ We‘re having this special sale in 2 weeks http://bit.ly/13tRl3“ Twitter is a constant stream of current information – Twitter is NOW - 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 - + + +

Rule 1: Be Recent

Rule 2: Be Relevant (To your Target Audience)

Rule 3: Pay Attention (To what customers say about you)

Rule 4: Follow relevant People / Organizations

Rule 5: Be Original / Authentic

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

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

Examples

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 Information Type of Comms Promotional Personal Infor- ma- tional Auto- matic Analysis & Frameworks Broad- cast En- gage Listen

Main use is an additional channel for Promotions

Twitter as a type of free permission marketing, in particular for discounts, specials and coupons

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

Case Study: ComcastCares, a combination of marketing and customer service Type of Comms 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

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)

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

Flow of Information Type 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

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

Makes best use of realtime / neartime component of Twitter

Messages are not only informative but witty and original

Backup Contact Details: Richard Caelius Twitter: @rcaelius Email: twitter (at) caelius (dot) com

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

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

Research (Trends / Market Research)