The Twitter Revolution
We know social media is here to stay. However, it’s not only here to stay, it is a marketing source to be reckoned with. Just because you or your business aren’t on Twitter doesn’t mean it is something you can ignore, because millions of people, including your fans and customers, are not. Celebrities, professional athletes, companies, and individuals are learning that Twitter is yet another reputation management tool that can help or harm in a big way.
Like Facebook, anyone can join for free, create a handle and start posting comments 140 characters at a time. Unlike Facebook, Twitter uses “hashtags” in the form of the # symbol to tag names, phrases and pictures so they are easily searched and grouped. If I search #britneyspears for example, I will find all tweets made from public profiles or profiles I follow that have mentioned her in their tweets. This can be a very good or very bad thing, depending on the nature of the comments. Twitter even has a section for trending topics, highlighting the most tweeted about phrases that day. So, positive as well as negative press can spread like wildfire within seconds.
During the NFL game where the Denver Broncos upset the Pittsburg Steelers, the phrase Tim Tebow set a record by having his name mentioned in 9,420 tweets per second. This surpassed tweet traffic for the royal wedding, death of Osama Bin Laden and even death of Steve Jobs. This is media coverage that before Twitter was un-fathomable. Now, tweets are not submitted and checked for accuracy before posting so naturally it is also a breeding ground for rumors, false accusations and negative attacks. Many people have been on the receiving end of this negative attention and experience the need for massive reputation damage control.
Twitter for Business
How can businesses use this messaging system to their advantage? Being aware of all the media attention surrounding a certain topic is getting harder and harder with multiple media channels being added every day. There are so avenues for people to express their opinions that it may seem impossible to control your image in this changing environment. However, being proactive is much better than reactive, today. Not only can you join the conversation on these social media sites, you can start it. Be proactive about your business, put news out that you want heard, address negative attention right away, correct any injustice or mistake as soon as you can, and be active on your profiles on a daily basis; not just when you want to sell something. Though Twitter has grown to be a powerful force of damage for some, it can also be one of unlimited reach for free positive marketing.
