Step Away From the Twitter or I'll Shoot

Stop it. Just…stop it.

I’m talking to you, Mr. Business Owner. I see you creating a Twitter account over there. Step away from the Twitter or I’ll shoot.

Who told you Twitter was a good idea?

Oh, that’s right. I did. We did (we, the social media enthusiasts). The newspapers did. Oprah did.

You don’t need a Twitter account. Not yet. What’s the game plan here — Tweet about yourself all the time, rack up a ton of Twitter followers, tell them to buy your stuff?

Meh. Boring.

I get it: Sales are down. It’s a recession — we’re all suffering. But blitzing people with “come try me” messages is a bad idea, even if you use the shiny new tool to do it.

It didn’t work when you dabbled in cable TV ads for a month.
It didn’t work when you tried it via email.
It didn’t work at the Chamber of Commerce when you talked about yourself all night.

So, I’ll say it again: Step away from the Twitter…or I’ll shoot.

Go read Amy Mengel’s post Five Reasons Corporations Are Failing at Social Media (hint: Corporations aren’t the only ones screwing the pooch).

Next, complete these exercises:

Write down three things you want to accomplish with social media. Now, crumple up your list. Throw it out. Next, write down 10 things your customers want to accomplish with social media. How are you helping them achieve those goals?
Answer this: If you didn’t exist — I mean, plain ol’ didn’t exist — what would your customers care about? (The “if you didn’t exist” routine is designed to help you stop thinking you’re what customers care about. You’re not. I promise.)
Describe your content strategy in 30 words are less. Content strategy? You do realize there needs to a be a topic of conversation, right? What will your audience talk about? Are you creating content? Sharing someone else’s content? Is it text? Video? Photos? Links?
At the next staff meeting, ask employees how many have blogs. Ask how many are on Facebook. Ask if any of them use Twitter personally. Now ask yourself why you didn’t seek their ideas when you hatched your social media plan.

I’m being a little glib here (what would a blog be without complaining, after all?), but you get my point. “Fire, ready, aim” is a desperate approach.

You want to boost business, and that’s cool. But please, have a plan. Have a sustainable plan. Invite your customers to a conversation they want to be a part of. Let’s talk and see if we can come up a plan, okay?

Then you can have your Twitter back.

http://www.B2WE.com RoyMorejon

Great takeaways as always Scott: “Have a sustainable plan. Invite your customers to a conversation they want to be a part of.”
http://roymorejon.com/ RoyMorejon

Great takeaways as always Scott: “Have a sustainable plan. Invite your customers to a conversation they want to be a part of.”
ginidietrich

Hilarious analogy, and you are so right! Whenever I speak on the topic, I ask people what they do when they go to a networking event. After the “get a drink” or “sit in a corner” smarty pants are finished, we get into how you build relationships with PEOPLE in real life. It's no different online. The only difference is you're behind a computer screen and I don't know if you haven't brushed your teeth. Have a plan. Figure out what your passion is. Build a community. Let others talk about how great you are.
http://www.thinkpassenger.com/ Sarah

Great post. We help brands talk to their customers every day and trust me when I say the customers have a LOT to say. Understanding their needs and taking the time to listen goes a really long way. Our most successful communities not only focus on the client's strategic objectives, but also the value proposition to the customers/community members.
It's better to fight against a boss rushing for you to join this “twitter thing” and spend the time understanding how it will benefit your customers and why they will follow/friend/care about you.
ginidietrich

Hilarious analogy, and you are so right! Whenever I speak on the topic, I ask people what they do when they go to a networking event. After the “get a drink” or “sit in a corner” smarty pants are finished, we get into how you build relationships with PEOPLE in real life. It's no different online. The only difference is you're behind a computer screen and I don't know if you haven't brushed your teeth. Have a plan. Figure out what your passion is. Build a community. Let others talk about how great you are.
http://amymengel.com amymengel

Hey Scott, thanks for the link. Your four exercises are great – especially because they focus on the customer and not the company. How can you be HELPFUL to your customers through social media and the content you create? What are their problems and what do they care about? And I love that you include employees – not only can they be a goldmine of ideas, but they also have to be on board culture-wise for a company's social media strategy to really flourish.
http://www.thinkpassenger.com/ Sarah

Great post. We help brands talk to their customers every day and trust me when I say the customers have a LOT to say. Understanding their needs and taking the time to listen goes a really long way. Our most successful communities not only focus on the client's strategic objectives, but also the value proposition to the customers/community members.
It's better to fight against a boss rushing for you to join this “twitter thing” and spend the time understanding how it will benefit your customers and why they will follow/friend/care about you.
http://amymengel.com amymengel

Hey Scott, thanks for the link. Your four exercises are great – especially because they focus on the customer and not the company. How can you be HELPFUL to your customers through social media and the content you create? What are their problems and what do they care about? And I love that you include employees – not only can they be a goldmine of ideas, but they also have to be on board culture-wise for a company's social media strategy to really flourish.
http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

Thanks for the feedback, Amy. It's interesting to see which companies allow their people to emerge from anonymity. Push through the awkward phase and watch what happens when a vibrant, dynamic ecosystems emerges around your company!
http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

Sustainable is a big deal. We saw what happened with blogs: Everybody started one, then 90 days later, they were gravestones littering the Web. Let's hope Twitter accounts and Facebook pages (or whatever bauble you buy into) don't become the same.
http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

Thanks for the feedback, Amy. It's interesting to see which companies allow their people to emerge from anonymity. Push through the awkward phase and watch what happens when a vibrant, dynamic ecosystems emerges around your company!
http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

Thanks for the feedback, Amy. It's interesting to see which companies allow their people to emerge from anonymity. Push through the awkward phase and watch what happens when a vibrant, dynamic ecosystems emerges around your company!
http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

Sustainable is a big deal. We saw what happened with blogs: Everybody started one, then 90 days later, they were gravestones littering the Web. Let's hope Twitter accounts and Facebook pages (or whatever bauble you buy into) don't become the same.
http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

Sustainable is a big deal. We saw what happened with blogs: Everybody started one, then 90 days later, they were gravestones littering the Web. Let's hope Twitter accounts and Facebook pages (or whatever bauble you buy into) don't become the same.