Microblogging is a form of blogging that limits posts to short sentences, typically no more than 140 characters. It began in 2006 with the launch of Twitter, which now has over 400 million users. Microblogging can be used to convey information or start discussions. Companies can use microblogging sites like Twitter to engage customers, build their brand, and track what is being said about them. Crafting an effective Twitter strategy requires regular posting of interesting, valuable content at optimal times while also responding to users and gathering feedback. TurboTax's use of Twitter helped them engage existing customers year-round and increased the likelihood of those customers recommending TurboTax.

1. Chapter 11: Microblogging
By: Mike, Aldo, Zeniyah, Kris

2. What is Microblogging?
• Microblogging is a form of blogging, with the
main difference being significant limits on the
lengths of posts, typically consisting of short
sentences.
• The messages are required to be short, most
often no more than 140 characters.

3. How Did It Start?
• It took off in 2006 with the launce of twitter.
• Twitter has over 400 million users.
• Tumblr is also an example of Microblogging.
• Microblogging sites offer varying features and
post guidelines, which draws a lot of different
demographics.
– For example, Jaiku draws 38% of its traffic from
Taiwan

4. Different Uses for Microblogging
• The uses are broken down into two main
categories: one is to convey information, and
the other is to start a discussion or to
participate in an ongoing conversation.
• The give-and-take nature of most
microblogging sites makes communication
available from many different directions.

5. Brand Building With Twitter
• One of the most powerful twitter features is
the ability to search users, posts, and subjects.
• Twitter is the largest and best known
microblog site online.
• Using the search function to navigate through
twitter is helpful for building a portrait of the
target audience.
• The profile page plays an enormous role in a
viewers decisions to follow someone or not.

6. Tweet Content
To be appealing:
• Interesting
• Fun
• Valuable (timely and relevant)
• Keep it fresh (varying content)
• Shortened URLs to links

7. Zappos on Twitter
How a company can effectively use Twitter:
• Employee Engagement
• Customer Engagement
• Transparent Brand Tracking

8. Build a Twitter Following
• Mass Follow
• Very difficult and unrealistic
• Equal Ratio
• Equal follower to following ratio—following all followers back (slow approach)
• Targeted Follow
• Following those with similar interests/ideas and amount of followers (better chance of
getting followers)
• Mentions (shouting out person you have followed)
• Purchasing

9. Crafting an Effective Twitter Channel
• Twitter can become an
extremely effective marketing
channel, but only when it is
used with forethought.
• Making a profile pay off over
time will require a commitment
of time, energy, and attention
to detail.

10. Self-Promote Cautiously
• Promote but not too much.
• To distinguish oneself from crowd of
advertisers, focus on relationships.
• Best Twitter advertising will come as a result
of mentions or recommendations by contacts
and followers, so making connections early on
by promoting others is key.

11. Choose Optimal Tweet Times
• People don’t always see your
tweets so post at reasonable
times.
• Recognize your audience and
when they are sleeping.
• Adapt the posting schedule to
allow more viewers to see and
react to each update.

12. Respond To Questions
• Quickly respond to consumer
questions and comments.
• Creates a sense of closeness.
• Providing useful information
can build a brand’s reputation
and thought leadership.

13. Gather Feedback
• Ask for opinions and product reviews is a
cheap and simple alternative to focus groups.
• Seek feedback whenever possible.
• New Twitter polls
• Acknowledge followers and don't leave them
unappreciated.

14. Turbo Tax Experts Take Over Twitter
( Case Study )
• Turbo Tax is a leading tax preparation software
whose maker is ‘Intuit”.
• They have won recommendations from the New
York Times, PC Magazine, and CNET.com
• They have a serious problem. They try to rewin
their customers each tax season.
• With a year round engagement, twitter happened
to provide a channel that was unexpected which
helped the firm retain their customers.
• Scott Cook and Tom Proulx founded Intuit
Incorporation in the year of 1983. The company
was on the road to success with a personal
financial management application called
Quicken.
• In 1990, Intuit was the leading US developer of
personal finance software because Quicken
became one of the “Best Selling Software
Applications” in the world.
• Intuits brands (including their “Powerhouse
Brand Turbo Tax”) created twitter feeds in 2008
by Seth Greenberg (the director of online
advertising and internet media at intuit), and his
team.
• He thought that twitter would be an “Ideal
Medium” for reaching consumers interested in
Turbo Tax because twitters audience is primarily
made up of “End Users”.
• In 2009, the company partnered with Google to
create display advertisements, which
incorporated tweets from the Turbo Tax Twitter
Feed.
• Twitters visitor counts went from less than 5
million in January 2009, to more than 15 million
in April 2009.

15. Turbo Tax Experts Take Over Twitter
( Case Study )

16. The Challenge & The Strategy
• Turbo Tax's customers find them very useful,
and are passionate about them, but only for a
short period of time.
• The company has to rewin their customers
annually. This is why they used their new
approach with Twitter.
• An excellent customer retention program was
created. The founder Cook created a concept
called “Follow Me Home”. He stood outside of
staples until people brought his products in the
beginning of Intuit’s history. He then went home
with them to see how easy or difficult it was for
the customers to use his products. Now Intuit’s
employees have that concept instilled in them.
• Turbo Tax now has 20 million customers
because of Twitter. The customers are interested
in the company every year.
• On Twitter, “The company
is able to engage with the
users who are interested,
and comment on their
taxes.
• Turbo found out that
because of Twitter,
customers can help each
other.
• The company has used
Co-Tweet to engage with
incoming customers.

17. The Results
• Turbo Tax found out that
most of the people who
needed help with their
taxes were existing
customers.
• Those customers were 71%
MORE likely to recommend
Turbo Tax because of their
interactions with the
company on Twitter.
• In Conclusion, “Turbo Tax’s
expanded efforts on Twitter
became a great Customer
Retention Program”.