Taking Control with Twitter

Sure, it’s got a funny name, but Twitter is becoming a main communications method and a way to instantaneously connect with target audiences. Some social media experts say that engaging in social media is about losing control in a good way, but what makes Twitter valuable is that it’s an added public relations opportunity that is often faster and more easily controlled than working through the media. Let’s learn from a few success stories.

For Transparency:

Popular film director, Kevin Smith, recently Tweeted a play-by-play account of his removal from a recent Southwest Airlines flight for being “too fat to fly.” Regardless of your thoughts on the rights of overweight Americans, the real winner in this scenario is Southwest (@SouthwestAir), whose Tweets included the following not long after the incident:

Our apology to @ThatKevinSmith and more details regarding the events from last night - http://cot.ag/96KHC7 #Southwest 3:14 PM Feb 14th via CoTweet

Our conversation with @ThatKevinSmith - http://cot.ag/derOe8 #Southwest

Just as quickly as posts can be used to expose a problem, companies like Southwest are utilizing Twitter to set the record straight and create a direct line of communication and transparency.

Also remember that the first step to Twitter is identifying if it is the right fit for you. Here are a few examples of how Twitter worked for several of our clients.

For Event Promotion:

It’s a tough time for some association members to get approval for travel to continuing education conferences, so the Association for Convention Operations Management (ACOM), a group of convention services managers working at hotels, convention centers and convention and visitors bureaus, began live Tweets from their recent Annual Conference in Dallas (@ACOMTweets). This worked well to keep active members who could not attend in the know. Volunteer “Tweeters,” with the support of the CMA team, linked to Conference session notes and Power Point presentations, and provided attendees on-site with valuable up-to-the-minute information on room changes and added events.

For Media Attention:

Flip to CNN any time of the day and no doubt you will see “follow us on Twitter” followed by an easy to remember screen name flashing across the bottom of the screen. In addition to coverage on a media outlet’s website, their Twitter page creates another medium for your target audience to become aware of your company, event, or initiative—instantaneously. When CMA announced the finalists for the Audio Publishers Association (APA)’s Audies awards in February, the list of audiobook titles were Tweeted by Publisher’s Weekly editor, Diane Robach, in addition to being included in their daily e-newsletter, PW Daily, posted on their website and included in their print edition.

For Blog Traffic:

With space for only a 140 character post, Twitter is often used as a way to redirect traffic to a company’s website or blog. The Twitter post becomes a “teaser” to pique the interests of your followers enough to make them click through your link. To drive traffic to this very blog, our PR Manager, Kaitlin Friedmann and other members of our social media team have continually Tweeted about new blog posts. As a result, traffic to the blog increased by over 30% in the span of two months.

Remember, Twitter is self-policing, meaning that your Followers will leave if you do not hold their interest. Like any marketing investment, engaging in Twitter is simply about the commitment of time and effort to develop a program the right way, instead of simply jumping on the bandwagon. Find out how CMA can help you develop a social media plan that works.

Jeffrey Barnhart
President & CEO
jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com