Electric Artists' Tracking Twitter Blog

Three Things Brands Should Consider When They Create a Twitter Feed

"Keep it light and fun, don’t over sell, engage in dialog with the customers (not just one way communication – we do that today in radio, TV, and print)"... Popeye's Chicken

"Be quick – never take longer than a minute to think about what you’re going to write. Be honest. Speak in your own voice."... Innocent Drinks

"(1) Be real (2) Have fun (3) Connect with people who have the same interests as  you".. Rubbermaid

"Variety: You know that guy on the street that hands you a flyer that you toss into the trash 5 minutes later? Never become that person! In addition to insider info on our programming, I update the feed with animal news, photography, songs and we even have the occasional giveaway so that our followers don't feel spammed or inundated with tune-in reminders.  Don't Forget the Little People: Everyone in the twitterverse with a large following has a smaller and very loyal niche group of followers. Get to know them, they are your greatest advocates and part of the reason for your growth. Thank them by RTing & giving them #followfriday (or in my case #woofwednesday) shout outs.  KISS (Keep it shorter silly!): Just because twitter allows you 140 characters doesn't mean you have to use them. Try to keep your tweets as short as possible so that they are both easy on the eyes & RT friendly."... Animal Planet

"A lot of brands on Twitter have it right. It’s important not think of this as a job. You want to be on Twitter because you care, want to connect, and have fun in the process. And it always helps to have complete buy in from your senior management."... Hertz

"(1) Monitor – Be aware of the customer content that is being generated. (2) Mingle – Don’t manipulate. Participate in discussions and provide value. (3) Measure – Visibility to the effectiveness of the various initiatives is critical."... Tasti D-Lite

"Be honest and transparent, 2 - Have fun, 3 – Offer meaningful content to encourage mutual conversation with other Tweeps"... FIJI Water

Twittter and Customer Centric Companies

"What one characteristic will all successful brands on Twitter share?

They’ll all be customer focused companies.

This might appear to be simplistic, but it shouldn’t.  All companies say that they’re customer focused. But most are not.  Years ago when I began developing marketing strategies for the music industry, I quickly realized that the record labels not only were not customer centric, they actually had disdain for music fans.  It was only the bands themselves, through touring and interacting with fans on a nightly basis, that embraced their customers.  

Those companies waiting for an ROI to be proven before experimenting on Twitter aren’t customer focused. Customer focused companies don’t require an immediate and quantifiable return on every interaction they have with consumers. They invest in tools that bring them closer to their customers even if they the result isn’t something that can be measured on a spreadsheet.

Smart companies realize that on Twitter it’s impossible to separate marketing and pr from customer service.  It’s all intertwined.  You can’t do one and not the other.  Those companies that embrace the blurring of the lines between marketing and customer service - like Zappos, Whole Foods, and others - will absolutely succeed.  Those that don’t will most likely fail.  

One thing is clear - successful brands on Twitter are going to be the ones that truly celebrate their customers. They will be the ones that make it more about “them” then “us”.   On Twitter, brands have to be active participants. They can’t just hide behind the corporate name and sit on the sidelines. Not only do they have to engage and interact with customers, they have to be comfortable doing it.

Is Coca-Cola or Pepsi a customer centric brand?  In all honestly, I have no idea.  But to me, their Twittter feeds will prove if they are or not.  And this is why I think brands – at least the best ones - should be embracing Twitter. Currently there’s no better channel to show the world that you’re customer centric than Twitter.  And in this age, when the internet is becoming more and more “social” every month, getting closer to customers needs to be priority number one.

So who are some of the brands that have impressed us on Twitter as being customer focused (besides Zappos)?

Eli’s Cheesecakes
Innocent Drinks
Dunkin Donuts

to name just a few."

.... Marc Schiller, CEO of Electric Artists @MarcSchil

New York, New York

Twitter Best Practices by Brands: Animal Planet

One of the "verticals" we've been watching very closely on Twitter is the cable and broadcast industry.  One of the first companies to experiment on Twitter is Discovery Channel. Last week we posed a few questions about the Animal Planet feed to Grace Suriel, a Marketing Specialist in the Interactive Digital Media team at Discovery.

Electric Artists: How would you describe the value that Twitter provides Animal Planet?
 
Animal Planet: The overall value is immeasurable. We are now able to connect with and inform fans faster and more frequently than ever before, while also reaching out to new people. Something I particularly enjoy is that we can actually incorporate their thoughts and opinions when tweaking our other social media portals (ie: YouTube & Facebook).  Also, those that engage with us feel more valued, empowered and connected to the brand than ever before.

Electric Artists: What’s Animal Planet's goals with Twitter?
 
Animal Planet: Originally, it was another means of engaging with consumers to build brand awareness but it has evolved into so much more than that -- it's about conversation, community, relevance.  It's not just a marketing tool but a two way dialogue that gives us the ability for direct feedback from consumers nearly instantly.  Of course, my personal agenda is to have Anderson Cooper follow us...he's dreamy!

Electric Artists: How much time do you dedicate for Twitter? Are there more than one people managing the Twitter feed?

Animal Planet:  It's difficult to pinpoint an exact amount of hours. I basically keep our feed open all day and tweet whenever something of interest comes up. I also installed 'Tweetie' onto my iPhone so that I can tweet on the go. I'm the only one that updates the feed; however, I am in constant communication with our Public Relations, Marketing & On-line teams. They make sure I stay updated on anything and everything Animal Planet.

Electric Artists:  Currently, you have about 3212 followers on Twitter. What are your thoughts on managing scale once your follower-base reaches tens of thousands?  

Animal Planet: We can't wait for that day!  It will be a challenge to manage a community that large but something I feel we are perfectly capable of doing.  As opposed to @replying or DMing everyone that has a comment or question, we may take FAQs and address them on a wider scale with new content ranging from blogs to YouTube videos.

Electric Artists: What are your top thre best practices on Twitter that others can learn from?

Animal Planet:  Variety: You know that guy on the street that hands you a flyer that you toss into the trash 5 minutes later? Never become that person! In addition to insider info on our programming, I update the feed with animal news, photography, songs and we even have the occasional giveaway so that our followers don't feel spammed or inundated with tune-in reminders.  Don't Forget the Little People: Everyone in the twitterverse with a large following has a smaller and very loyal niche group of followers. Get to know them, they are your greatest advocates and part of the reason for your growth. Thank them by RTing & giving them #followfriday (or in my case #woofwednesday) shout outs.  KISS (Keep it shorter silly!): Just because twitter allows you 140 characters doesn't mean you have to use them. Try to keep your tweets as short as possible so that they are both easy on the eyes & RT friendly.

Pepsico Launches Pepsicozeitgeist Leveraging Twitters' Open API

At Electric Artists, we're constantly advising our clients about the importance of developing branded utilities:  tools that provide real value to users. 

A good example of a branded utility hit our radar this morning: To deepen their sponsorship with the SXSW festival, Pepsico has launched a site called Pepsicozeitgeist which, using Twitters open API, pulls in and organizes real-time discussions about about what's happening at SXSW.

Bonin Bough, Pepsico's director of social media was quoted today in Brandweek today saying that the goal of the site is to "enhance festival-going" and to co-create with digital influencers."

We love what Pepsi has done here.  They've taken their sponsorship of the festival and gone beyond it being just a logo at the event. They've delivered to attendees a tool that they can actually use.  Our hope is that more people follow Pepsico's lead in this area

You can follow Pepsico's activities on Twitter @pepsicosxsw

(Note: Currently the site seems to be a bit buggy, but our hope is that performance will improve over the coming days)

Twitter Best Practices by Brands: Hertz

If you were to ask us to single out one company that we think is currently using Twitter most effectively, it would certainly be Hertz. The Hertz Twitter feed blends useful information with links to special offers which you might not know about, with a personal touch that truly makes you feel more connected to the brand. With Twitter, Hertz has embraced the blurring of the lines between marketing and customer service and has  opened up a new channel to customers that truly presents a personal "face" to the Hertz brand.

One example of how  Hertz "gets" Twitter can be seen in a very simple Tweet from this morning. 

"If you are headed to SXSW# this year, you may be able to use this Free One Wknd Day Offer http://bit.ly/7Rld in our +12 locations in Austin"

Why this post is important to single out is that Hertz understood that in the coming days thousands of active Twitterers will be descending on Austin Texas for the SXSW festival.  By adding the # mark with SXSW, Hertz ensures that those people searching Twitter for information on SXSW will see Hertz offer.  It's a simple thing to do, but it's also extremely effective.

This week we talked with Vish Malige, Hertz' official "Twitterer" for his thoughts on Twitter and how it is helping Hertz connect with customers.

Electric Artists: Currently how is Twitter providing "value" to Hertz?

Hertz: Twitter allows us to communicate and have a direct dialogue with our customers.  This unique opportunity also allows us to get valuable feedback to improve our products and services.

Electric Artists: Are there specific goals you have with Twitter?

Hertz: We're twittering in order to improve our relationships with our customers.  Twitter is a great platform to have a conversation. While it is a great tool for getting news and information out to followers, it also is a valuable vehicle to receive customer feedback, suggestions and even complaints.

We launched Hertz on Twitter in conjunction with the launch of our car sharing brand, Connect by Hertz.  A new and exciting product, Connect by Hertz taps into a mobile, technologically savvy audience and Twitter proved to be a logical tool to inform followers about Connect by Hertz and how it can meet their transportation needs.

Electric Artists: How much time are you dedicating to Twitter?

Hertz: Hertz dedicates a fair amount of time, including after hours and weekends, to Twitter. Exact hours haven't been measured, however it is a fun tool that enhances our overall communication with customers
and has proved to be a worthwhile pursuit.

Electric Artists: Currently, you have about 1500+ followers. As your followers may grow into the tens of thousands, how do you intend to scale your efforts to keep up with the volume of activity?

Hertz: Internally we have the resources and processes to handle such volume. In the long run, we believe there will be third party applications to support the interface between our processes and Twitter.  However, even without third party applications, we are confident Hertz will be able to handle the volume as our following grows.

Electric Artists: What are three things that other brands should keep in mind when they decide to create a Twitter feed?

Hertz: A lot of brands on Twitter have it right. It’s important not think of this as a job. You want to be on Twitter because you care, want to connect, and have fun in the process. And it always helps to have complete buy in from your senior management.

Twitter Best Practices by Brands: Tasti D-Lite

Ever since we launched our Tracking Twitter tool, we’ve been inundated with questions about Best Practices for Brands on Twitter. To respond to the growing dialog about brands on Twitter, we created this companion blog to our site so we could share our learnings and knowledge with the wider community. However, we think that to fully understand and provide better insights to our community, it is important that we are also learning from brands about their point of view, challenges and best practices about a Twitter presence.

And so over the course of several weeks, we will be featuring regular interviews with top brands and companies who we admire and think are doing a brilliant job on Twitter. Kicking it off is our insightful interview with BJ Emerson, Director of Information Technology at Tasti D-Lite and the Official Tasti D-Lite Twitter-er. 

Tasti D-Lite joined Twitter a year ago but chose to observe first and understand the etiquette and opportunity that existed for them on Twitter. “Once we were sure that we could extend our relationships with our customers in a way that was relevant and fun while respecting the spirit of the Twitter community, we jumped in,” says Emerson.  With about 530 followers, the Tasti D-Lite feed is still very nascent, but from what we have observed – they are doing it just right.

Let’s find out more:

ElectricArtists: How is Tasti D-Lite putting a "value" on Twitter?

Tasti D-Lite: Twitter allows us to interact in real time with our fans and proactively connect with individuals from a region or even more specific locale.  The response has been remarkable.  We have been warmly welcomed by those familiar with the brand and others following us just to see what we will do.

Electric Artists: What are your goals and objectives for Twitter?

Tasti D-Lite: Simply put, engage customers on their terms, be relevant and have fun.  When the customer drives the experience, the agenda goes out the window.  The customer experience is important to us and we enjoy finding creative and surprising ways to delight our customers.  Social media and Twitter in particular are great touch points. So far, our fanatical customers seem to agree.

Electric Artists: What kind of commitment (how much time) do you dedicate for Twitter?  Are there more than one people managing the Twitter feed?

Tasti D-Lite: We try to be creative with searches and the various twitter tools and respond as appropriate.  It usually averages no more than 30 minutes total per day but it is becoming more demanding.  I usually manage the account but have backup twitterers.  We now have a separate account @tastifranchise  focusing on franchise development news and updates.

Electric Artists: Currently, you have about 500 followers on Twitter. How do you plan on managing scale when you have tens of thousands of followers?

Tasti D-Lite: As we open new Tasti D-Lite locations in other areas of the country, we may need to localize twitter accounts to maximize effectiveness.

Electric Artists: What are your top 3 best-practices as a leading brand on Twitter?

Tasti D-Lite: (1) Monitor – Be aware of the customer content that is being generated. (2) Mingle – Don’t manipulate. Participate in discussions and provide value. (3) Measure – Visibility to the effectiveness of the various initiatives is critical.

Electric Artists: You mentioned ‘Measure’ as one of your best practices. How are you measuring yourself on Twitter? What metrics are you using?

Tasti D-Lite: I’ll keep the details a secret, but from a business intelligence standpoint the Twitter initiatives are part of a larger strategy, the elements of which are measureable.  Having the right infrastructure in place and creating and monitoring the right data points is key.   As a simple example, you should be able to tell when certain twitter postings are outperforming similar Facebook Ads.

Is It Real?

How do you know if a celebrity you're following on Twitter is actually the real person?

It's not always that easy.

For example, popular feeds for Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, and the Dali Lama all proved to be fake.  If you're interested in finding out if a specific feed is the real thing or not, check out a new blog called Valebrity.

Twitter 101: Using Hashtags

Next week, when you tune in to watch Dancing With the Stars, log onto Twitter and search #dwts.

What you'll find is that hundreds of people, all watching the show just as you are, are using Twitter to share their opinions and thoughts, live, in realtime with other viewers and fans from around the country.

For brands and marketers, the hashtag (#) has become an essential Twitter tool.

The hashtag provides a good example of how Twitter is as much a product of its users as it is of its makers. Twitter users first started creating their own response system to address each other and have conversations with other Twitter users by prefixing usernames with the @ sign. Twitter responded by hyperlinking the usernames.

In the next obvious evolution, Twitter users began using hashtags to add context to their tweets. Similar to tagging, hashtags make it easier for Twitter users to sift and search through the vast repository of Twitter users worldwide and track exactly the kind of content they want.  The value of Hashtags comes from the collective Twitter community adapting and using it. While the hashtags are not yet hyperlinked, they are invaluable when it comes to searching for content or specific tweets on search.twitter.com
 
As Twitter gains more prominence, the value of hashtags will only increase. Hashtags are a terrific tool to also search for what, if anything, is being said about your brand/ company or event in realtime, as it happens. For entertainment and television networks, hashtags are your key entry into Twitter as Twitter users are now using hashtags to discuss TV Shows and movies live. (Search for #slumdog or #heroes on search.twitter.com to track conversations about these entertainment entities)

Further reading:
http://twitter.pbwiki.com/Hashtags

Forbes' Andy Greenberg on "Why Celebrities Twitter"

In "Why Celebrities Twitter" Forbes.com writer Andy Greenberg takes a look at the benefits the celebrities receive from Twittering.  He writes:

"These celebrity tidbits shared in 140-character blurbs on Twitter were once the paydirt of paparazzi who make their careers selling evidence of the bizarre and banal lives of the rich and famous. Now, the explosive growth of the microblogging platform means those starmongers have a new source of competition: the stars themselves.... That kind of sharing may seem like self-inflicted privacy invasion, but it isn't a mistake, says Laura Fitton, a social media consultant and one of Twitter's most-followed users. In some cases, it's savvy media control.

"It's more about controlling your privacy than giving it up," Fitton says. "When Britney shares her details on Twitter, it's not going to stop paparazzi from stalking her. But it devalues the stuff they're able to steal from her. She's actually reaching in and taking back a piece of the paparazzi economy."

You can read the full story here.

Tip: Track Clickthroughs With Bit.ly

Because every tweet is limited to 140 characters, URL shorteners have become very useful in taking long URL's and condensing them into just a few characters. 

For those of you who are interested in tracking click-throughs inside your Tweets, we suggest that you use bit.ly to shorten your URLs. When you add a "+" to the end of any bit.ly URL you can see full stats - in realtime - of click-throughs on that link.  Bit.ly currently analysis on clicks, referrers, locations, and conversations.

And best of all - it's free.