How to use Twitter for Business

The business benefits of using social media

AITP STL

David StromApril 28, 2011

David@strom.com

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Agenda

• Shaping your social media policy• A case study on Dell• Twitter business uses• Dos and don’ts• Suggested third-party tools

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Percentage of Fortune 500 who…

• Have a corporate-facing blog?• Regularly post to their Twitter accounts?• Have CIOs who admit to regularly using social

media?

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Social media policy issues to consider

• What constitutes public disclosure of information?

• What happens with a departing employee’s Twitter followers?

• If you can link to it, can it be shared outside the corporation?

• Can employees use IT to solicit info?• Can employees put Facebook info in their

email .sigs?

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Best practices

• Foster a culture of openness and listening.• Trust your staff to be good communicators.• Train people how to blog, Tweet and post.• Disclose everything upfront.• Be accurate.• Make sure you have a solid policy on blog

comments.

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Dell Social Media

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The top 4 out 5 Fortune 500 companies are regular Twitter posters on their main corporate accounts.

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Twitter has lots of business purposes

• Instant FAQ• Customer acquisition• Focus groups on the cheap• Problem resolution• Soapbox

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But who really is “the real Shaq”

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Live robotic cancer surgery from the OR 2/09 Tweeting back to a Vegas conference

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Twitter for instant notification

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Good places to start learning

http://www.cio.com/article/492019/Twitter_Bible_Everything_You_Need_To_Know_About_Twitter

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Key Twitter To-dos

• Follow the right people in your industry• Don’t get too caught up in tweeting your

every movement• Look at what businesses are doing with it• Use it to start conversations with people you

want to get to know

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What to Tweet?

• Projects you are particularly proud of• What you have read that you want to share

with others• Something you post on your blog• A link to a Web site that you find interesting

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How not to use Twitter!

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How to get arrested for your tweets and pay thousands in fines

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Other no-nos

• Keep politics, religion and sex out

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How to identify yourself vs. your company

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3/11, he Tweeted 10 jokes making fun of the Japanese after the tsunami – AFLAC fired him as their rep

Business tools to complement Twitter

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Finally, Twitter info art

• http://vimeo.com/19910696

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