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Posted on April 9, 2009
Computers Are Computers. Humans Are Humans.
BY BRANDON WHALEN
Today I found some pretty appalling examples of people misusing automatically generated updates on twitter to over-promote themselves. It inspired me to highlight why auto-tweets are a really bad idea.
First of all, if you are thinking about using Twitter to get your name out there, or tap into this social media stuff, please consider a few things first. People are not going to follow you, or help you achieve any sort of promotional goal, unless you understand how to operate within their realm. They can easily spot fakes and spammers.
If you want to promote something on Twitter, you have to do the ground work. You can start by being a human that knows how to listen, being respectful, and putting others before yourself. Take a look at Qwest's Twitter (@talktoqwest) for a good example.
Out of all of the bad examples I dug up today, one particular account struck me with it's extraordinary misuse. In the nearly two years this account has been up, it has amounted to a whopping 107 followers. They have been kind enough to follow zero of them back. Instead, they thank their followers by pounding them with an outrageous 211,291 tweets.
Here is an example of one of their tweets. I must note that every single one of their 200k+ tweets looks exactly like this (I changed the link to keep the computer Twitterer anonymous):
- www.newestfindings.com update: Zimbabwe parties 'agree timeline' (Mediators say Zimbabwe's rival parties have agreed to share power...)10:05 PM Jan 26th from web
There are a few fundamental things this computer is doing wrong:
1. Every tweet is self-promoting and comes out in the same format.
2. It does not interact or converse with anyone.
3. It is is sending way too many updates for any real Twitter user to ever want to follow.
You are never going to experience any kind of success running your account this way. In fact, it only showcases that you do not belong on Twitter.
Now lets take a look at the way a human uses Twitter:
One of my favorite persons to follow is Mr. Chris Reinhard. Chris' stream comes packed with plenty of humor and down-to-earth friendliness. He responds to people. He communicates with his friends. He shares his thoughts and feelings.
He even took the time to do a favor and let me interview him on his Twitter use:
1. Are you a human or a computer?
I am human. Or am I dancer?
2. Why do you Tweet?
I use Twitter as a news source, a writing and editing aid, and a place where I can make small talk without having to answer any questions about the weather.
3. Do you use Twitter to interact with other humans and physically meet them at some point?
I've only met people from Twitter who came recommended by other friends. Random folk...no thanks, unless it's a job opportunity.
I was able to get Chris to fill out an interview within 3 minutes of sending him a direct message. It demonstrates the kind of connections you can build on Twitter if you just use it in the appropriate way. It can be far more effective than any of the banners or links you see everyday.
I was able to get someone to stop what he was doing, open an email, and fill out an interview by sending him one direct message. The auto-generated account has failed to make a real connection with anyone in two years.
There are no shortcuts, but having a well-run Twitter is valuable and important for any company.
Posted on April 8, 2009
Why Social Media is Succeeding at Qwest
BY JASON CORMIER
Qwest announced its "Talk to Qwest" program today - a comprehensive social media effort effectively helping Qwest customers resolve a range of issues online - including billing, tech support, product/pricing inquiries, etc.
Starting on Twitter, @TalkToQwest, Qwest has put together a super-group of people clearly demonstrating their care for customers through daily outreach and response (in 140 characters or less). That is actually the short answer to why they are succeeding in social media: their people.
As the social media agency hired to assist them, it's a privilege to share a little personal insight on Qwest with respect to both challenges and opportunities. But first, I have a confession.
Frankly, I was a little concerned about the project before we even started working together. It's one thing to focus on a project within a department of a large company - but when multiple departments are motivated to participate, and impassioned individuals are talking about literally changing how the company does business… well, I'll let you fill in the blanks from your own experience. Exciting? Yes. Quickly and effectively executed? Often not.
My internal questions were simple. How quickly is Qwest really going to be able to move on this? Would even necessary things like "messaging" and legal stand in our way of doing it right? Could they be relevant? Could they be cool? Could they be timely? Would the people we worked with have enough buy-in from the rest of the organization to really show the world that Qwest "gets it?"
Today, you (and Qwest's customers) are in the position to answer some of the more important questions I had early on. Socialmedia.qwest.com is a good start for seeing how the company is introducing and addressing the relevance factor.
And cool?! How about those Viddler videos of the people behind Qwest's Twitter presence? I can't tell you how glad I am about the avoidance of over-production that could have so easily been present here. And you just gotta see what this Qwest guy does at the bowling alley after hours (see video below). Classic!
In answer to my own questions - it's refreshing to say that early on, what we discovered within Qwest were groups of extremely committed people excited to work across multiple departments to make this happen.
Posted on February 2, 2009
Podcast with the Penguin - Jeremy Tanner
BY JASON CORMIER
Listen to our Podcast:
Show Notes:
Room 214 Co-founder, Jason Cormier, interviews Boulder-based social media consultant, Jeremy Tanner.
In this podcast, we discuss:
1. To follow or not to follow: Acceptable twitter manners - great people in person doesn't always transfer to great people on Twitter.
2. Advantages of Facebook vs Twitter: Facebook throttles down notifications, meaning you won't receive constant updates from a person on Facebook, even if they are posting 20 items an hour.
3. A day in the life of Jeremy Tanner: It starts with his iphone (of course)
4. Bridging the gap between online and offline communications: It's about keeping two-way conversations. Also, don't forget or be afraid to pick up the phone.
Be sure to check out Jeremy at http://www.jeremytanner.com, and follow him via twitter at http://twitter.com/penguin
