A digital brand is the collective impression of all that is online about a person or a business, and it is important in establishing and building customer trust and loyalty. Increasingly, businesses are using social networking sites such as Twitter to encompass their digital brand.
Some businesses manage their brands well on Twitter. Dell is one such example, as is business information brand The Marketing Donut. B2B brands are less likely to be found on Twitter, but Cisco has been using the medium since 2008 to good effect, to communicate product news and launches.
Unfortunately, many businesses rush to set up Twitter accounts without recognising that a digital brand communicates your quality, professionalism and standing, and that everything posted on Twitter (or online elsewhere) will contribute to your brand.
Furthermore, companies are letting their employees, who may be untrained and unaware of brand values, manage these accounts on a day-to-day basis. As a business, you should make an effort to protect yourself on Twitter.
Just one misplaced tweet by an employee could have a negative impact on your company. Earlier this year Vodafone was forced to issue an apology to thousands of followers on Twitter after one of its customer service staff broadcast an obscene message. Despite Vodafone deleting the message from its Twitterfeed, users of the service saved a copy of the tweet and sent it across the Internet.
The Vodaphone case highlights the importance of carefully choosing which employees manage your business’ Twitter account. Those entrusted with the responsibility should be aware of the tone, language and brand values you wish the business to express through its tweets.
It’s not just existing employees that can damage your business’s digital brand through Twitter misuse. Individuals associated with your company, such as ex-employees, can bring harm through disparaging remarks made on their personal Twitter accounts.
It’s no surprise then that US and European players were banned from using Twitter during the Ryder Cup, though this was later lifted. This was related to the outburst against the England and Wales Cricket Board on Twitter recently by Kevin Pietersen, who reacted angrily to being left out of the England squad for the one-day and Twenty20 series against Pakistan.
So, what can you do to protect your brand against Twitter?
1. Get Online
Even if your business doesn’t use Twitter, it’s likely people will still be tweeting about you and building your digital brand in your absence. It’s better for your business’ reputation and standing, if you can manage this process by setting up a Twitter account in your brand’s name. This will also discourage hijackers from registering fake accounts with the intention of damaging your reputation. Many companies set up multiple personal and company accounts that reference a brand. This can be an effective way to interact and broadcast communications, but make sure each account contains consistent messaging.
2. Make a plan
Protect your brand by putting a social media plan in place that outlines a strategy for social media use. This plan should include guidelines on what types of external links are appropriate to be tweeted, and what company news (if any) can be broadcast. A plan also establishes boundaries for your employees tweeting under official business (and personal) accounts, and makes clear what is acceptable and what is not.
3. Monitor what’s being said
People increasingly use Twitter to express their opinions about a company or service. Use Twitter Search to perform real time searches for keywords relevant to your business, and see what people are saying about you. Track your brand name mentions to follow conversations about your business, engage with customers and build positive relationships. Let the world know how effective your business is by re-tweeting positive mentions, monitor any complaints about your product or service, and respond pro-actively to resolve the problem.
4. Have a personality
Speak the language of Twitter. Business speak will win you no friends, could affect your image and alienate your existing customers. Your brand should be personal, approachable and communicate in the same ‘language’ as other users, while displaying a strong understanding of your specialism.
5. Quality over Quantity
Protect your digital brand by retaining its uniqueness and recalling what it stands for. Don’t let your feed be clogged up with too many off-message re-tweets and remember the adage of quality over quantity when Tweeting. The great thing about Twitter is that businesses can connect one to one, but in doing so always keep your brand values in mind, and work hard to communicate these to your audience, otherwise they will receive conflicting messages about your brand.
Don’t shy away from Twitter, embrace it, but have a solid strategy in place. Make sure your business is proactive, and you can deliberately build a positive digital brand that is protected against Twitter, and which extends your ability to achieve awareness and create lasting customer loyalty.
