wallydownundy

Nielsen Research this week released a report showing 60% of all users abandon Twitter in the first month of use. The pessimist would say that shows the transient nature of the tool. The optimist would say there are millions more staying on-line. The realist - and the business communicator - would say this on-line phenomenon needs to be understood and tapped into - fast!

The best presentation on Twitter is on SlideShare - access it to learn how to use Twitter in your business.

Using Twitter to Connect with Audiences

View more presentations from Corinne .

The marketing team at T-Mobile have scored another mention. I was shown a video on Facebook this morning and found it really brightened the start of my day. It’s too good not to share. So watch it - and spread it. This is a happy viral message…

Earlier in the week I posted about a bad shopping experience at David Jones. Maybe the post lost something in the writing - it attracted the ire of one person (see comments).

After leaving the store I filled in a web complaint form and was pleasantly surprised to receive a gracious reply:

Dear Mr Jennings,

 

Thank  you  for  contacting  David  Jones.   Firstly,  please  allow  me to apologise for any disappointment or frustration caused to you when shopping in the Foodhall of our Market Street store recently.

 

I  can  offer  no  excuse for the series of events that have occurred. Your requests  were  simple  and  consequently  our  staff  should  have had the knowledge  of  all  current  promotions and the skills to be able to fulfil your needs with no difficulty.

 

I  apologise that we have let both yourself and David Jones down in the way in which we handled your shopping experience.

 

I  can  assure  you that we take all feedback seriously, and have forwarded your  feedback  on to the Store Manager  and Foodhall Manager of our Market Street  store  to  follow up with our frontline staff.  As a result we have agreed with the Management Team on the following actions:

 

1.    Review the communication of promotions to our frontline staff

2.    Reiterate to supervisors their ability to deal with situations

professionally and promptly so as not to disenfranchise our customers

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback as your comments will enable us to improve our service in areas where it does not meet our standards.  I do hope you will allow us the opportunity to welcome you in our store in the future.

 

Kind Regards

 

(name withheld by blogger)

Customer Service Specialist

That was a great response - thanks, David Jones.

Then this morning I arrived at work to find two boxes of chocolates in a David Jones bag with a trademark purple ribbon. The ‘Store Customer Service Manager’ also read the complaint - and probably the posting - and apologised for the poor service and response.

Companies understand that a disenfranchised consumer is a powerful anti-marketing device. And maybe it’s due to the public posting of the poor experience that warranted the chocolates. I am thankful David Jones treated the single issue seriously but feel uncomfortable accepting a gift of “thanks”. On my walk home I pass the Red Cross blood collection centre. I’ll drop in the chocolates. No doubt donors require a shot of sugar after giving blood.

And I’ll make sure they know they come from David Jones.

Traditional news media follow the US President’s every waking movement. In February he and his wife returned to Chicago for Valentine’s Day. The convoy of photographers and journalists were separated for 45 minutes. That was the largest gap in media coverage since the early days of the campaign. So it’s unlikely we’ll miss much action.

But social media now allows us to get beyond the external action and enter the mind of the president. No - this is not an Oliver Stone film or a pop-shrink’s television analysis. The social media phenomenon Twitter allows you to tag and follow the regular updates of people large and small. Each entry cannot exceed 140 characters - that’s roughly two sentences. But sequential updates allow you to track a person’s day - and their thoughts.

Today I started following the Tweets (Twitter postings) of Barack Obama. I am fairly certain he’s not the one typing away (otherwise we’d read “Hillary’s back. Called Putin and suggested a crisis so we can get her out of DC again”). But it is another example of social media changing politics. Would future presidents be able to shut down the information flow?

Precedent says the inside of the White House - and inside the president’s mind - suddenly got a whole lot more accessible.

Michelle said she cooked tonight but why do I think she had help?

Whether you choose to embrace social media or not, your concumers are running rampant. Sometimes it stings like the “I Hate Mac” attack ad. Other times it’s as sweet as candy. Look how much one person loves their grocery store:

When you make your living with words, you develop a heightened appreciation for truly clever writing. Just when you think it’s all been said and done before you bear witness to truly remarkable writing. I highly recommend you watch this two minute video. And just when you feel downtrodden and disappointed, watch - it all unwinds…

Have a new client in the burgeoning field of word of mouth marketing. Am trying to define the industry and the firm. Reminded me of an old television ad in the USA for broker EF Hutton. Seems whenever anyone mentioned the company name, everyone would listen in. Sounds like word of mouth, right?

Everyone’s ga-ga about social media, on-line communities, new technologies and all their potential. But what’s forgotten is how fundamentally old the on-line experience is. The computer has replaced the community centre. For an exceptional presentation on the subject, check out this presentation off SlideShare!

The Pope is imploring Catholics to give up social media networks and texting for Lent. Oddly enough he made this request on The Vatican YouTube channel. He doesn’t want followers to substitute virtual world friendships for real world friendships. (Farewell Silk Charm, tell Laura I’ll miss her.) He says over-use of on-line mediums:

 ”…may isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development”.  (Source: The Australian)

Now it may sound odd but in a funny way I agree with the man. Too much of a good things is…great? No! Living on-line to the exclusion of real-world friendships is wrong. Every once in awhile it pays to leave the PC and see what’s going on in the 3D world.

Yet I don’t think the plea hits the mark. (And I can’t risk offending die-hard Catholics now because, really, you’re not supposed to be here!) Had earlier Popes warned about too much radio? Excessive television time? In olden days were we warned to stay away from Punch & Judy shows?

Seems the very Pope who is trying to embrace digital technologies shows his lack of understanding. Social media is a channel and texting is a method of communication - no more, no less. These allow one-to-one communications - or with PopeTube, one to many. The on-line world is a great way to connect with the exact people who share your enthusiasms and interests. And for teens, texting is a cheap alternative to mobile phone calls that retain and reinforce the very ties that make a community.

Since his youth the Pope has seen the village square replaced with an interconnected global network. My best friend may no longer be across town. He may be on another continent. And because it’s Lent am I to forego friendship? I don’t think so.

Now here’s one last test - let’s check YouTube to ensure there are no updates between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. After all, if it’s good for the goose….

Either you get Twitter or you don’t. There’s no middle ground.

The Twitter-ati update their followers several times a day with one sentence observations or actions. These posts provide insight into the daily actions of people noble and humble. Great Twitter-ers gather a following where people subscribe to receive their updates. The truly great have hundreds of thousands of people following their daily actions.

Twitter is huge. Really. If you’ve never tried start now or you’ll be left behind - and risk being a nitwit.

So what’s the experience? Once you create your profile and upload your picture and add a posting your screen looks sadly empty. It can remain that way for some time. Think of it as a new address book - all blank and fresh. If you have no friends it can remain pristine forever. But both are tools better off used. Uncap your pen…

In Twitter that means following others. Search for names of people you know - or maybe heard of. There are the famous and the obscure. Some famous Twitter-ers may be on the bus next to you. (Handy hint - if they’re typing into their phone their writing a Twitter post about being watched by you. Where is Franz Kafka now that we need him most?)

Soon those you follow elect to follow you. Now you’re really in the pooh. People are watching. What are you doing? Don’t fret - your updates don’t need to be worldly. (”Got off phone with Madonna - will she ever get over Guy?” or “Told Wayne Swan how to manage credit risk - does he listen?”) My Twitter friend Steven Noble commented on the stately homes in The Rocks as he walked back to work. Nick Hodge is celebrating the life of a dead maths teacher - gosh, he sounded cruel!

Today Doonesbury takes the mickey out of Twitter (see The Australian “Business” page 20 - or if you can’t be bothered and want to follow the series then click here. Below is the one from today’s paper). Seems Twit Wit and nitwit aren’t mutually exclusive.