In this past weekend’s Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition was a very interesting article about the use of Twitter. This is not the first article on the use of Twitter as a social networking, business, and personal communication tool. Aside from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, there have been plenty of articles and commentary from such notable marketing and Internet communications proponents such as Joseph Jaffe, Donna Papacosta, and many more on and off Twitter.
Everyone comes to almost the same conclusion: if you are in business, you need to be using Twitter. Why? It is no secret that Twitter should be part of your arsenal when it comes to a complete Customer Relationship Management (CRM) process. This applies to any organization, no matter the size whether it is 1 to 10,000.
Of course, an organization should not solely rely on a CRM application to be the end all and be all for an organization. By this, I mean that it has to be part of a comprehensive plan that puts the CRM application at the hub. Everything else then projects out from the center and incorporates other applications, processes, and the various stakeholders (internal and external) that are part of the organization and thus creating a shotgun –type effect when engaging the customer in a conversation. While to some this may appear as inundating the customer with too much information, it is actually quite the opposite. By having more than one option to engage the customer with, the ability to pick and choose one, two, or all options is now in the customer’s hands.
Obviously, this was not always the case, because what companies thought was a two-way conversation was actually a monologue and not dialogue. Now with tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace the customer is empowered and can control the conversation. They now determine how much of the information they want to get and ultimately be a part of. This is a good thing as you have now given your current and future customers the ability to join the conversation as well as creating and sustaining valued customer relationships. The customer now can drive the relationship and not the other way around.
Speaking from the customer’s point of view: It’s about time. So, give Twitter a try it if you are not already doing so.
I am on Twitter here. Follow me and I will follow you.
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• Dave Guerra • Twitter • Join the Conversation • Joseph Jaffe • Donna Papacosta • Wall Street Journal • Weekend Edition • empower • customers • clients • dialogue • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero
