The business world is beginning to embrace the online world much more now. Many businesses were slow to jump on board because this was a world that business owners did not understand. Now that most businesses are online, they are starting to see and hear about even more “things” they don’t understand. Lately, social media related tools are being used for business. Again, there are those businesses that are slow to jumping on because they just don’t understand what it is and how is something like “Twitter” going to help me?
The question, Why should I tweet?, is being asked very often lately. A typical non-business owner doesn’t have to ask the question, they see people and here the buzz, so they jump in. For some reason, people who manage business want to know, WHY? Why should I, or the other managers in my company tweet? Not only are there many explanations of why you should Tweet, but there are facts that’s will give you very good reason to do so.
Why Top Management of a business should Tweet? Is actually the same as Why anyone should Tweet. This is something for each individual to answer on their own! But to each of you asking the question, whatever you and your employees do or don’t do affects how others are able to interact with you and how you’re able to interact with your world. Just like phones, faxes, email, etc., Twitter is just the latest technology to help us extend the boundaries of the world with which we can interact. If used correctly, managers who tweet create another social resource for themselves, just as book clubs, friends, network meetings, events, etc.
The specific reasons of why management of a company should Tweet is fairly easy. But let me say, you shouldn’t do it because it is cool/trendy/hip. Here is a list of benefits you can gain from tweeting.
- Management should Tweet so that they can give out timely information such as new product releases and events. This will keep your followers up to date on the latest and greatest from your company.
- Management should Tweet updates on your company. Talking about your new products and services can generate conversation to help you tailor your company, products, and services to what your customers really want. Doing so will allow you to get instant feedback from peers and potential customers.
- Management should use Twitter to scan the environment. You can monitor what people are saying about you, your company, your products, your industry, your competition, etc.
- Management should Tweet so that they can establish themselves as industry experts. By tweeting information on an industry or specialty, others can begin looking to each individual for answers. Also, the company as a whole builds a reputation for having these experts.
- Twitter is a*mass* vehicle to communicate your original relevant content (assuming that you are creating interesting original content)
- Last but not least, you can befriend members of the press and bloggers and encourage them to write good things about you and your company.
As for as Facts from Tweeting, evidence from the past year’s financial data of the world’s Top 100 Brands shows that the only brands that have increased their profitability in the past 12 months are those which are heavy users of Twitter. (Which You can read here: http://www.engagementdb.com/downloads/ENGAGEMENTdb_Report_2009.pdf) This in itself should tell you a lot. These companies understand that if you are not in the face of your audience, you won’t make any money.
Twitter is something that every business person should understand. If you don’t, you will appear to be stuck in the 20th century, unable to move to the 21st. Make sure that you have a plan and policy in place for how your management and general employees should use twitter. Like any written piece of communication, you must think before you write and then read it again before posting. The end of the matter is this: As long as you are putting the good stuff In, you can expect to get some good stuff out.
