Fortune 100 companies failing on Twitter
A new survey from Weber Shandwick reveals that while 73% of Fortune 100 companies have registered an average of 5.5 Twitter accounts, three quarters are not used very often, which in Twitter terms is as good as saying, they’re not being used at all.
The Twitter accounts had a variety of purposes, newsfeed 26%, brand awareness 24%, sales 16%, thought leadership 11% and customer service 9%.
More than half are described as having ‘no personality’ meaning they are faceless corporate accounts rather than ones with human advocates and 11% were placeholder accounts designed to prevent brand jacking.
If, as WS suggest, Twitter should be viewed as ‘an uber corporate cocktail party’ it would seem these businesses are all dressed up with literally no idea where to go. Even if they found the party, possessed of ’no personality’ they wouldn’t be very popular anyway.
Things are so bad, WS recommend a ”Twittervention’ presumably presided over by a qualified social media practitioner – a Twerapist maybe, who can advise them about dialogue, brand and strategy.
Meanwhile, cue fail whale.
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Very few people or companies who get into Twitter realize how much study and work is involved to tweet for “results.” They see the medium in either/or: either it’s for personal chatter…or for selling products or services.
Part of the problem is the extreme amount of time one must “invest” in using twitter to meet specific, targeted goals. The training cycle (which must include study + trial & error) is long – especially when one finally gets into aps.
The only solution is for a company to hire someone full- or part-time to become the face and voice.