With the accessibility of Twitter in any profession comes an equivalent level of responsibility to maintain a sense of professionalism which, when not recognized, can have very real consequences. The NBA league judicial process in the suspension of NBA star Gilbert Arenas for the remainder of this season following a highly publicized gun incident was expedited by the above Twitter statements posted on his account, according to NBA commissioner David Stern.
Points to Consider When Writing for Twitter, #1: Is Your Tweet Pertinent? – Although Twitter allows companies large and small a similar capability of having a voice online, it is important to know when to use that voice because the accessibility of Twitter allows practically anyone to post anything they choose. You will want to be certain that your posts are done with strong purpose and appeal which will keep followers engaged.
Points to Consider When Writing for Twitter, #2: Do Not Flood Followers With Repetitive Posts – Once you have your followers, it is your job to make sure that you keep them up to date with all the latest information they may want to know. In doing this, however, it is important to save your updates for the important points. You do not want to flood your followers with repetitive, unnecessary or irrelevant posts that will begin to seem like junk mail rather than anything useful to the followers. As with almost any mailing list or subscription service, users can choose to “un-follow” your feed, so try to stick to what is worthwhile to your followers.
Points to Consider When Writing for Twitter, #3: Keep It Professional – Although Twitter’s SMS style may seem to add some room for a tone of informality in communicating with consumers and business partners, it is never wise to say something over Twitter or any social media network which you would not say in the office. Keep in mind that unnecessary, foolish or inappropriate posts can have real consequences. One example which can be cited was the season-ending suspension of NBA star Gilbert Arenas in the midst of a highly publicized incident involving unloaded guns in the Washington Wizards team locker room. NBA league commissioner David Stern cited Arenas’ Twitter posts in which he joked about and mocked the seriousness of the incident among the reasons for changing his indefinite suspension of Arenas to a season-ending suspension immediately following his posts. Remember you are affecting your company’s image with every word of what you publish, so there is no room for any unprofessional, foolish, or inappropriate content whatsoever.
Points to Consider When Writing for Twitter, #4: Advantages of Positive Press – Twitter is one of the most effective tools for reputation management because it allows for links to positive press coverage, reports and reviews to be sent to a greater number of clientele more directly, more accessibly and more quickly than ever before. This can be especially helpful in an instance where a company may need to patch up its reputation after an issue with a product and let the consumers know that their concerns have been addressed.
Points to Consider When Writing for Twitter, #5: Use a Pleasant Tone – In having a new way to have an active dialogue with your clientele comes a responsibility to interact with the customer with basic customer service etiquette. Their needs are your concern, and you want to convey that through language which creates a friendly and approachable tone with which customers can more easily communicate in voicing their concerns and providing constructive and honest feedback.
