Thinking of jumping into Twitter, BE WARNED

This afternoon I read a great article on how a business owner used user generated content (UGC) to interact with a potential client unhappy with his company. Notice that word in front of client, potential; pretty cool idea on winning hearts and minds early in the buying cycle. So what horrible experience did this potential clients have, actually it was just a marketing campaign. A marketing campaign in the world of Twitter, a campaign where cost considerations overrode the common sense behind why the advertiser was drawn to Twitter in the first place.

Why would you launch a campaign of this sort? Well obviously this business owner had got involved on Twitter, seen the power of the interactions on Twitter and wanted to get involved. Somewhere along the way though he forgot what made those interactions on Twitter so cool, the human interaction! So it’s not human interaction as my grandmother or even my mother would define it but for Gen X, Y and the Millenniums’ this is as close as it gets. And boy are we excited and guarded about it. This business owner forgot this fact and he employed an auto responder to begin the dialogue; the response was swift and measurable from Twitter nation.

Twitter Users Tiring of Automated Direct Messages, makes a clear point that we as marketers should learn from. If you are a marketer contemplating getting into online social marketing you better have a well thought out plan and solid creative behind the leap. Not having a plan can have far reaching and irreversible consequences to your brand or business (most times I bet this adverse affect cost more than not doing the marketing campaign at all). Small hint in case you still don’t understand; you better be real and create unique interactions. That is how you win this hearts and minds war.

Silver lining of this story; this business owner did not go to lunch and taking afternoon cocktails; he was monitoring his companies name in the social sphere and found his trespass. Instead of sticking his head in the sand he engaged the frustrated party and took action. How profoundly simple but often overlooked in today’s fast paced world online world.