Tapping the groundswell with Twitter

Chapter 10 Summary: Tapping the groundswell with Twitter

Image Source

Hi everyone,

Thank you for following along my mini-blog series on the groundswell.

For first-time readers welcome, in previous posts, I have discussed the importance of listening and talking, as well have covered strategies for tapping, and how connecting with the groundswell transforms your company.

This week’s blog posting spotlights a popular social media site people all over the globe are flocking to and shines a light on how you can use it to tap into the groundswell. The topic of this week’s blog assignment will cover information on tapping the groundswell with Twitter.

Did you know that there’s more to Twitter than meets the eye? Twitter is a free and open online social networking service that connects people around the world enabling users to instantly send and read short 140-character “tweets” to each other.  Twitter is a great way to stay connected and up to date with the latest news, events, and happenings around the world.

In chapter 10 of the Groundswell, Li and Bernoff explain how Twitter is rapidly becoming a key component of the groundswell by driving and extending activity in everything from blogs to social networks. So much so that the social media site is now at the center of a whole ecosystem of interactions (Li, Bernoff, 2011).

Li and Bernoff identify the following as a few elements of that ecosystem:

Followers –Twitter allows anyone to follow and instantly connect with anyone else, that is unless you get blocked. Some Tweeters have developed followings in the thousands or hundreds of thousands, such as celebrities or just those who share interesting content.

Hashtags and searches – All Twitter updates are public; therefore, they are searchable. Hashtags mark a tweet as referring to a topic and are indicated with a #. For example, #yegfoodtrucks or #groundswell. Because the person who used the hashtag intended for it to be searchable, it becomes easier to find as searches on hashtags are more precise in comparison to other searches.

Mentions and retweets – There is an easy way to reply or reference other Twitter users. Simply use the @ symbol before their username, for example, to follow me on Twitter search for user @JonnyAnvil. Retweeting is a nifty feature in which you can easily retweet info to your followers, and is a means by which a popular idea or tweet can spread virally.

Links – Tweets often include links to various sites on the web. This gives these short 140 character messages power, you can drop a direct link to anything on the web and write an accompanying note recommending the site to followers.

Lists – Back in 2010, Twitter allowed users to create lists of people they follow, which could easily be shared with others. So, if you were looking to follow influential entrepreneurs, there is likely a list out there already. Explore, see what you can find.

Apps and tools – Since Twitter feeds are open, there are numerous tools that tap into it for both individual twitterers and companies. Everyone probably is aware of the Twitter App available on most mobile devices such as the iPhone, but there is also TweetDeck, a free application and is one of the best tools for Twitterers and companies. TweetDeck organizes everything into columns in a full-screen interface, I have provided a screenshot of my TweetDeck (See below).

(Li & Bernoff, 2011).

 

The Social Technographics Profile of tweeters

Referring to the Social Technographics Profile, as seen in the diagram below, “People who tweet are highly socially connected. Even those who read tweets from others have a high level of social activity” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 200).

Image source (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 200).

 

You might be wondering what Twitter is good for, however, you should be pondering what you really want to use it for. Li and Bernoff offer suggestions on how to use Twitter for each of the five groundswell objectives.

1. Listening to Twitter: When it comes to Twitter Listening is Essential.

 

2. Talking to Twitter: It’s easy to Talk on Twitter, rather than posting boring content, think about what you can contribute that will get retweeted by others.

 

3. Energizing with Twitter: Seek out the people who like your products and amplify their voices. But remember the key to energizing is listening first.

 

4. Supporting with Twitter: If you create a company Twitter account for support, people are going to expect you to respond when they tweet their issues to your company. Present or not, people are still going to talk about your products and your company.

 

5. Embracing with Twitter: Collaborating with your customers is the most challenging of groundswell objectives, even more, testing is doing so within the constraints of 140 characters. One quick way is to use Twitter to draw customers to surveys, however, the best method to embrace with Twitter is to engage customers in dialogue.

(Li & Bernoff, 2011).

 

The only way Twitter will be effective for you or your company is if you set a clear objective and develop a strategy aimed at reaching that objective. Any Twitter tactic needs to consider what happens when a company starts utilizing Twitter. “Twitter is in many ways the visible face of the company in the groundswell” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 210).

When executing a Twitter strategy for yourself or your company, Li and Bernoff suggest the following advice:

 

1. Lock up your handle –“If you don’t tweet from that handle you’ll look bad – but if you let somebody else get your handle, you’ll look worse” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 210).

 

2. Listen first – “Know what people are tweeting about you before you start posting” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 210).

 

3. Be ready to support people – “Customers will expect your Twitter handle to support them- especially angry customers” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 210). Establish a procedure that identifies and directs consumers to the right supports.

 

4. Follow others – It’s free to follow users, and you’re not obliged to pay attention to all their tweets, however, “Twitter’s rules require that you follow people if you want them to send you private “direct messages”, a best practice for providing support where people need to share personal information” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 210).

 

5. Be ready for a crisis – “When something goes wrong…people will look to your Twitter accounts to respond” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 210-211). Regardless if the company account is to tweet deals or help with hiring, there is the need for a plan that allows your PR representatives to use the Twitter handle as an information channel (Li & Bernoff, 2011).

 

6. Respond, retweet, and link – “An effective Twitter campaign normally includes all the elements of the rich Twitter experience: responses to people tweeting to you; retweets of tweets or mentions that your followers will find interesting; links to interesting material on your site, in news articles and blog posts, or anywhere on the Web; and links to photos and videos” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 211).

 

7. Staff it – “Twitter needs to be in people’s job description, even if it’s not necessarily their full-time job” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 211).

 

8. Check with legal and regulatory staff – Don’t forget that Twitter is a public speech. “Any statements that would be inappropriate to publish… are inappropriate on Twitter” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 211).

 

9. Having gathered a following, don’t waste it! – “If you’re building interest in an account, create a plan for what to do once you’re “done” with it” ” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 212).

 

According to the authors, “Twitter may well be among the simplest, most powerful social tools you can use. Just make sure you integrate it with the rest of your social channels” (Li & Bernoff, 2011, p. 212).

It’s true, the Twittersphere is a simplistic, user-friendly online community that has a tremendous amount of influence for helping you communicate with your followers, or with your company’s customers. It’s also a place where your customers talk about you, regardless if you’re part of the conversation or not.

To get the most out of tapping the groundswell with Twitter, integrating your Twitter account by linking it to your other social media channels, such as Facebook or Instagram.

Thanks for taking the time to read. If don’t already, I hope you will follow me on Twitter!

 

Cheers,

Jonny Anvil

 

References

 

Li, C., Bernoff, J. (2011). Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.