What a turnout for the first-of-its-kind Tweet Up panel discussion in RI on “The Twitter phenomenon – What it means for you, your business and your brand!” More than 125 people attended – young and old, Twitter newbies, Twitter Elite, Twitter veterans and those who just wanted to learn a little more about Twitter! A diverse group of businesses and industry were represented, including – tourism, publishing, higher education, legal, hospitality, property management, and financial services to name a few. Evidence that the Twitter phenomenon is reaching mainstream businesses, and a recognition by those companies that the dynamics of communicating with their customers is quickly changing.
Joe Cascio, Michelle Riggen-Ransom, Jane Couto Porricelli, Cheryl Phillips and Gregg Perry
As panelist Joe Cascio says Twitter brings us back to the day when personal relationships were important in business. He points out that Twitter forces you to develop a one-on-one relationship based on real and meaningful interactions. Indeed, Tim Beyers writes at the Motley Fool this week, “Twitter is emerging as a powerful platform for business because it is expansive; it introduces you to new people, rather than merely reconnecting you with the folks you already know.”
That’s the power of Twitter. And that’s why companies like Ford, Dunkin’ Donuts and Southwest Airlines are using Twitter to listen to their customers’ likes and dislikes and to respond to them in real-time. What better way to practice reputation management than being able to meet your critics head-on and set the record straight as it happens, without a filter of the mainstream media.
As this was an event open to the public, we didn’t know what the demographics of the crowd were going to be before we started. So, we tried to design a session that would provide a little something for everyone – from newbie to elite and all in-between. Here’s a sample of Tweets from those attending #ritwitterpanel. More to come on some of the insights from the panel.
At The Perry Group, we’re strong believers that organizations should be communicating their core values and putting them into practice every day, not just when the going gets rough. Social Media is but one key element of a reputation management program that accomplishes this goal, and Twitter is fast becoming the tool of choice for those who want to manage their reputation and build a good name.
If you would like more information on Twitter, the dynamics of a social media campaign, and how to best incorporate them into a communications strategy, please contact us at 401-886-7200, by email at info@perrypublicrelations.com or on Twitter @greggperry.
Additionally, if you have photos of the event that you want to share with us, drop us an email with jpegs to info@perrypublicrelations.com Photos and video clips from our files will be posted soon!
It was a pleasure to participate in RI’s first OFFICIAL tweet-up. I just happened to be “home” in RI (my yearly visit) from Florida and was anxious to connect with those that I’ve tweeted with over the past year. As a blogger/writer the importance of connecting with my readers through social media is the MOST valuable tool that I have. Keep up the good work.