MICROBLOGGING

Twitter for Business: Four Ways Companies Use Microblogging
http://www.cio.com/article/448464/Twitter_for_Business_Four_Ways_Companies_Use_Microblogging?page=1
This was a very interesting article about how companies can best utilize microblogging . The first note was that companies should be careful about product pushing. Customer are subscribing to the company's twitter feed so they are interested in product information but it should be done with some finesse. Jet Blue talks about how they are trying out something new which is auctioning on ebay without telling customers, "Go book a flight." It can be annoying to a customer if they are constantly given sales pitches and prompts to go and buy. The second way is by offering community outreach messages. When there are emergencies, companies can show their concern by posting relevant messages to help their communities. The article discusses how when Hurricane Gustav hit, Whole Foods posted messages about special store hours in specific cities and store closings where the hurricane was nearing. This shows how companies are genuinely concerned about the safety off their customers, and how they want to notify them of important news. The third way was how companies can send messages about general service and how-to's. While most companies have a customer service function on their website, companies who have twitter can help customers at that very moment. If customers have to send an e-mail and wait some time for a response, it may deter customers who need an immediate assistance. The fourth way that companies can use microblogging is to "humanize the head honcho." There are several CEO's that have twitter and they have many followers. One mentioned in the article is Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com's Chief Executive. He sends messages about getting a haircut and even seeing a coyote a couple of blocks from his home. He doesn't really send out messages about Zappos because just the fact that he is sending random notes about himself is enough to drive business.