ADvice
Here's our two cents in marketing. Of course,
we write it in the hope that you'll find it more
valuable than that. Like 10 or even 20 dollars'
worth of good advice.
How to Reign in Rogue Tweets
When The Redner Group got into hot water for sending a tweet in retaliation for bad reviews of a video game launch they’re representing, Duke Nukem Forever (#AlwaysBetOnDuke too many went too far with their reviews . . . we r reviewing who gets games next time and who doesn’t based on today’s venom), they taught marketers a great deal. Unfortunately, it’s a great deal about what not to do when using Twitter. So for marketers, how to avoid a ruinous Tweet?
1. Have a designated tweeter. We spend so much time educating ourselves on our brand voice, style and image that we need to remember the rules still apply here—and perhaps doubly so because of the potential audience. The person who tweets should be well-versed on what is acceptable or unacceptable to say as the social voice of the company and follow the guidelines accordingly.
2. If you don’t have anything nice to say… Turns out mom was right. If you have a tweet that might be deemed insensitive, malicious or rude, it’s best to keep it to yourself. And if you’re still itching to tell someone, save it for small talk with your best friend instead of sharing it with the world.
3. Think twice. And then think again. Then ask a friend. Before you click that Tweet button, ask yourself, “Would I say this in a meeting with clients?” or “Would I ask this at a business dinner?” Chances are if you have to stop and ask, you wouldn’t. Trust your gut.
4. Hold yourself and others accountable. There are repercussions to every action. If someone tweets an objectionable tweet there needs to be a swift public apology and a fitting punishment for the offending party.
5. Spin a negative into a positive. Mistakes happen. So when a rogue tweet is unleashed, think of a way in which it can be used for good. For instance, on February 17th, 2011 this tweet appeared on the American Red Cross twitter feed: “Ryan found 2 more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch beer…. When we drink we do it right #gettngslizzerd”.
It was posted by a worker who misused Hootsuite, but Dogfish Head used the situation as a way to get fans of their beer to raise money for the Red Cross. They set up a donation account and used the used the hash-tag “gettngslizzerd” to reach the masses.
When it comes to Tweets, marketers should think beyond the immediate—which Twitter is built on—and stay focused on the future, which it also affects. Twitter is a fantastic way to give a company a voice. We just have to make sure it’s saying the right thing.