The Duality of a Fortune 500 Tweeter
Corporate tweeting is a rapidly growing profession and it’s a matter of time before social media bloggers begin to analyze corporate tweeters’ brains to discern what makes them tick - and more importantly - what makes them successful. (Fortune 500 2011: Annual ranking of America's largest corporations from Fortune Magazine)
Who are these tweeters and what does it take to get the job done? Here’s a hint: at the heart of this brand-new professional niche lies passion with a healthy dose of ever-present moderation. Therein lies the duality.
When you cast your net to find the ideal corporate tweeter, look for someone who can internalize your corporate story and wave your banner to the world with gusto and enthusiasm. But often, flag-waving, passionate people are verbose. You’ll need to find a tweeter who can channel your message into 140 characters or less. Every word must count.
Here are a few of the traits to look for when you find yourself in need of a professional tweeter:
Unbridled Passion/Brilliant Minimalism
Value to Company: Positive customer experience, customer support, customer retention, engagement, sales, influencer-to-be
Assumptions: Corporate tweeters worth their salt love to look at their stats, no matter what they tell you. Klout scores, daily mentions, number of re-tweets and follower counts are watched with tenacity that belies their warmth and friendliness. It would be harsh to say that they’re narcissistic but they do love to look in the mirror. Seeing daily stats gives them juice. They compete with themselves and they’re good at it. They are chasing the ever-elusive perfect tweet.
Competitiveness and Drive/Patience and Listener of the Inner Voice
Value to Company: Detailed reporting, high follower count, high follower retention, solid clout, consistent branding and messaging, trouble-shooter, escalation monitor
Assumptions: Being a master of self-control keeps the corporate tweeter out of trouble. And trouble is something we see corporate and political tweeters getting into almost every day. Do yourself a favor and look for a corporate tweeter with a squeaky-clean personal social media footprint. If not squeaky-clean, then certainly PG-rated. (The 8 Worst Twitter PR Fails)
Detail Oriented/Big-picture Savvy
Value to Company: Positive customer experience, meaningful reporting & research, brand awareness, works toward corporate goals and objectives, researcher extraordinaire
Assumptions: Corporate tweeters need to know when to tweet and when not to tweet. They know when to respond and when not to respond. Corporate tweeters must be readers of nuances. It is incumbent upon them to understand the corporate culture they serve and build a bridge to the customer. It is also incumbent upon them to keep you apprised of industry trends and your competitors’ presence on Twitter.
Fortune 500 Tweeters must shine like a new penny and stay positioned just behind the curtain. They have a persona that takes on a life of its own without being personal. And somewhere between two worlds, the Fortune 500 tweeter tweets for a singular purpose - the success of the company they serve.
Comments
No comments yet.
