Tweeting Like a Bird: A PR Professional’s Best Tool (Part 4)

Oh Twitter! How I have such a love/hate relationship with you. You are quite young, Twitter. No one really knew you existed until the bigwigs like Oprah, Ashton and Demi held your hand, bringing you up to the equivalent of a great white shark on the proverbial social networking food chain. Your tweets are more numerous than even the morning birds who love to wake me up on Sunday mornings; even if you have to learn a shorter version of the English language to fit the 140-character limit. You sing your tweets to the tune of almost everything, from portraying corporate messages to our favorite celebrities’ inane daily routines. You’ve come a long way, and are only getting bigger. What’s next Twitter? How more could you affect social networking as a whole?

In a nutshell, that is my sarcastic view of one of world’s most popular websites www.twitter.com. Now all sarcasm aside, Twitter is probably the hottest of all when it comes to social networking. Started in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, the site’s usership grew exponentially, up 1500% in 2009 alone! Twitter is the easiest website to use in real time, with many users “tweeting” from their cell phones and laptops. In fact, several world events have had coverage on Twitter long before newscasters were on scene. Good examples are the most recent coverage from tweeters on the tsunami to hit Samoa, and even several like disasters of plane crashes.

Well how does it work? Twitter is probably the easiest to use of all social networking websites. The main function is writing a 140-character “tweet” (message) of what you are doing. This could be anything from doing the dishes, to the trials of running a business. Tweets are visible on your profile and accessible by others if they choose to “follow” you. You can follow others, and their tweets are available to you through a simple time-descending newsfeed. Though its sounds boring and pointless, it is quite the opposite. Twitter has a search function that allows access to almost anything people are tweeting about. You can then follow fellow tweeters who have similar interests as yourself across the globe, making for an interesting exchange of ideas.

So how does this relate to PR? In a business capacity, Twitter quickly takes the cake in showing brilliance for public and customer relations. A person can start an entity or business profile, and start tweeting about products or news. Then Tweets in direct relation to your business or product subject matter are found by using the search function. This allows instant access to customers, and even trouble-shooting if people are tweeting negative reactions. The profile then gains followers etc., creating a mini-community for your business. This dominates the most important aspect of social networking: conveying a positive entity or business message! Over time it builds a great reputation and trust. Major companies like Dell Computers and TechirgySM2 Software have completely turned around their customer service efforts by using this strategy. Twitter applications are endless for anything needing a direct message to the masses. Its good business practice!

Now keep in mind, there is more to twitter than just the aforementioned tweeting. The best way to learn is by opening an account and starting to explore. I see Twitter as more a business application than for personal use, though many probably disagree. Regardless, it’s quite a sharp tool to put in your drawer marked “public relations.”

Next update covers Linked-In; something I am still quite new to. Stay tuned!