Twitter. You have heard of it. But is it useful for anything remotely useful? The easy answer would be “no”.

If it were easily dismissible, we can cross another new-fangled technology related trend off our over-crowded list of things to keep up with. Sorry, the answer is “maybe”.

If you are finding ever-trending technology simply exhausting, please read this post for its entertainment value only. If you you’d like to find out if Twitter fits into your ambitious social marketing strategy, hopefully the following stories will inspire.

Comcast Cares
Frank Eliason, arguably the most infamous customer service manager in the United States is using social networking every day to directly impact business operations. Eliason is monitoring Twitter all day every day – searching for signs of unhappy Comcast (an internet service provider) customers. On his dual screen set-up, one screen is dedicated to searching live tweets from people all over the country. He’s looking for Tweople (People on Twitter) who have chosen to voice their displeasure over poor service they’ve received from Comcast. Using his second monitor, opened to his Twitter account, he can reply to these tweets in real time and get in direct contact with these customers.

Sometimes the instant contact is enough to surprise and satisfy his unhappy customers. Other times, service calls are scheduled and problems are resolved in days rather than seconds. The ability for Comcast to read and respond instantaneously is changing the way the company does business and the way it’s perceived by it’s customers. This social media strategy has a direct influence on Comcast’s bottom line.

Tacos via Twitter
The Kogi Korean BBQ taco truck is a social media phenomenon in Los Angeles. It’s daily whereabouts is only available on Twitter. Check out this clip:

In these cases there is a direct correlation between social media and real results. The challenge is finding a platform that engages your clientele and then deciding how to use  it creatively. Don’t give up because the pace of change is scary – with every change comes opportunity. Plan carefully and test the waters – your real life social media success story may be just around the corner.

Posted by Neil Gilbert