I was at a PR event last night and I was amazed at the number of eyes that glazed over when I mentioned the word 'Twitter'. A couple of people asked what it was and why I used it, one person had signed up but had never gone any further than that because he just didn't understand the tool. A lot of people claimed that they don't have the time or the inclination to use Twitter or any other online networking devices.
Firstly, I would like to dispel the myth that online networking takes up too much time. Obviously, you can spend as much time as you want online, using tools such as Facebook and Twitter. However, these activities don't have to be time consuming. Two or three meaningful Twitters a day are much more valuable than a stream of consciousness type approach, where you inform your followers of your second-by-second movements.
There are numerous benefits to being online. Twitter allows you to access news instantly. From a PR perspective, it gives you another chance to connect with the right people and gives you the opportunity to understand your audiences better. I follow a few Kiwi media figures through Twitter. By getting to know them through their Tweets, I can develop a better understanding of what interests them (and what doesn't!) This means that I am less likely to waste their time with stories that don't turn them on.
Twitter can be hugely valuable for your PR clients. It allows businesses to hear what their customers are thinking and what they want. For example, Vodafone can instantly respond to questions about the company and can get immediate feedback about their services, business approach etc. Twitter also allows the company to present a more human side- customers begin to feel more emotionally attached to a business as they are communicating and listening to a real person from that organisaiton.
I have a lot of faith in Twitter and think that those who ignore it- especially in communications and PR- will simply get left behind.
Thankfuly, there are a few NZ PR companies that are ahead of the rest of the pack and have realised the benefits of social media- Pursuit PR, Ideas Shop, Network PR, Rockstar PR and Intermediary Communications are all proud members of Twitter! Click on the links to visit each respective Twitter page.
Even the guys at TV3 are realising that Twitter is not just a 'flash in the pan'. Check out this segment on Campbell Live- Thursday, 19th March.
ETA: Bullet PR is also on Twitter. I knew they would be as the guys there are renowned for being very keen on online communications- I just hadn't managed to track them down when I first published this post!
1 comment:
Another reason for PR people to think about twitter (and other social media tools), in PR people's language: reputation management and issues management.
If nothing else, register you brand names as accounts on twitter to prevent a cyber-squatter or malicious prankster. Reserve your place now even if you don't plan to actively use it.
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