Twitter: How a Little Blue Bird Became a Communications Juggernaut
[By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications]
Among the many distinctions for which the election of 2016 will go down in history, the sustained use of Twitter to mobilize voters will no doubt be among the most notable. Indeed, perhaps not since the pamphleting campaign of the American Revolution, of which Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” is the best known example, has there been such a successful effort to communicate directly with constituents in order to motivate action. (For those interested, Paine’s collected writings, including Common Sense, can be found here.)
With 317 million monthly active users, Twitter is a tool with immense power, despite the struggle the company faces with its own financial future. When used correctly, Twitter can provide organizations with an unmatched way to promote brand image, build awareness, connect with stakeholders and otherwise support corporate objectives. But its immediacy and reach also pose great challenges and threats.
According to one recent study, 60 percent of consumers who are Twitter users expect brands to respond to a Twitter query within the hour – certainly a challenge for corporate cultures that tend to be slow-moving and consensus-driven. Another huge challenge: it’s not just the ill-timed, poorly thought-out tweet that gets organizations into trouble, but it’s the ability of any citizen to use his/her Twitter account to marshal followers and seemingly, the rest of humanity, in response to perceived corporate offenses of any type. These days, it seems hardly a week goes by that one corporation or another doesn’t find itself in the Twitter spotlight – and not in a positive way. Some of that attention is well-deserved and self-inflicted, but that’s not always the case. (For a harrowing look at the state of Twitter, see this piece by James Wolcott in a recent issue of Vanity Fair, subtitled, “Has Twitter turned toxic?”).
Figuring out how to respond to a Twitter attack can be paralyzing. It’s a risky move to dismiss a Twitter troll outright. There’s an equal need to respond judiciously and not necessarily react full-force to slight offenses. In these cases, a small amount of online research can be enormously helpful in shaping a response strategy. Very quickly, a trained social media expert can help you determine the Twitter attacker’s influence in the social media realm, the size of his/her online following, whether the attack is gaining traction with other users and whether mainstream media are paying attention. Knowing a bit more about the attacker’s relationship to your organization, if possible, can provide additional intelligence to formulate a reasoned and appropriate response.
When we work with clients to develop a social media response under crisis situations, we follow some basic guidelines (which, by the way, apply to almost any social media engagement, crisis or not):
Be transparent, even if your attacker is not. Trying to be anything other than fully transparent will erode trust with stakeholders, the media and the public.
Speed of communication is critical. Twitter thrives on real-time communication (see above). If you don’t drive the conversation, someone else will.
Stick to the facts. Resist the temptation to hit back. Being dismissive is bad; being sarcastic all but assures disaster.
Words must be matched by actions. Twitter is a very public place to make a promise to do better. Make sure your organization is prepared to follow through on your commitment to address a situation or solve a problem.
Be professional, but be human. While 140 characters make this a challenge, use language that incorporates compassion, understanding, gratitude, respect and even remorse if appropriate. “Corporate speak” does not win friends and supporters online.
As recent events have shown, Twitter deserves respect. Responding to a Twitter war requires fortitude and more than a little knowledge of how the online world operates under worst-case circumstances. Proceed with caution, but ignore it at your peril.