As a 17-year-old, I tend to use social media quite often (yes, that’s an understatement). There are some social media platforms I think are fads and will eventually lose my attention soon, but there are others that I truly believe will be relevant for the rest of my life, like Twitter.
My favorite social media platform is Twitter. Does this mean I sit on my phone all day tweeting out 140 character messages about what I’m doing or where I’m eating? No. My main use - other than entertainment - is to get my news. How reliable can Twitter news be? If used right, very. Twitter allows for quick access to loads of information that can easily be filtered through to find exactly what you’re looking for – and sometimes, what you’re not looking for (which can be useful as well in many instances). You have access to reliable sources’ information that just don’t have the platform that others do. Ten years down the line I think Twitter will be huge.
All types of individuals and businesses use Twitter for different reasons. When businesses figure out how to effectively use 140 characters to get their message across and engage users, they hit the social media jackpot. Many businesses have not figured this out yet, and rightfully so because it is extremely difficult. I think the reason for this is the lack of variance from other social media and marketing platforms. Twitter is unique and businesses need to adapt to its interface to use it effectively.
One area where I believe Twitter will have the biggest impact for businesses is customer service. Several companies are already doing a great job of this now. I know from personal experience that Microsoft has a fantastic customer service account that allows users to tweet their questions/issues at them with quick and effective responses. This is extremely important and one of Twitter's most powerful benefits. In today’s world, everyone is on the go and has a smartphone – they also want immediate responses to their issues and communications. Companies that can provide quick and mobile customer service communication tools have an advantage. Another benefit to companies that Twitter provides is a vehicle to showcase their customer experience savvy. Wendy’s was in the news recently for offering a reward to a customer of free chicken nuggets for a year if he received 18 million retweets. The customer was far from 18 million, but he did set a Twitter record with 3.4 million retweets and Wendy’s rewarded him nonetheless (to note, Ellen DeGeneres previously held that record). If call centers and organizations can implement Twitter in effective and innovative ways, it could make a HUGE difference in their customer service efforts.
My experience with Twitter has changed a little in the past month. Since starting my internship at Golden Gate BPO Solutions, I have been using Twitter from a business perspective. It’s a whole new world. It is such an effective tool when finding leads, searching for information, or just seeking public opinion. Due to my recreational use, I feel extremely confident navigating through Twitter. This brings up another reason why I think Twitter will be here for years to come. My generation is so good at using these tools. You apply the same skills using Twitter for entertainment that you do for business, so I believe the younger generation of the workforce will be incredibly effective using Twitter to achieve business goals in the future.
From my perspective, Twitter is the social media platform with the biggest upside and room for growth in business, and can especially make a splash when it comes to customer service. In ten years, organizations effectively using Twitter will be ahead of the game when it comes to communicating with their customers and providing the best customer experience.
Written by Joey Ferber, Marketing Associate