Twitter spam, I get at least one of these a day, and I decided to take a minute here to do the “How Eric Sees It” on the use of Twitter as a tool to get out your message, without annoying people.
Let’s step thru my thoughts when I got this email from Twitter:
Here’s a big red flag from the get-go: an email from Twitter saying someone is following me, but the name of the person is off somehow. What’s wrong here:
• ALL CAPS , my father uses all caps in his emails still. I keep telling him its rude, he doesn’t listen.
• What an odd name; what or who is AISIJWOODS?
I don’t have a problem with companies using Twitter, but this one isn’t thought thru clearly.
• there is a lack of personality here. Obviously, we know someone is sending out these Twitters, but there is no person associated with this. Its just ‘EnviroMetal’
• the fact that EnviroMetal follows 1,195 people and only 68 are following EnviroMetal is a red flag. People vote with their feet; or in this case, mouse clicks.
Digging thru the web links, I’m betting Jim Woods of the Steel Recycling Institute sends out the Tweets. This isn’t very obvious, as the links are really small and buried at the bottom of the EnviroMetal web page. Looking thru both the EnviroMetal and the associated Steel Recycling Institute websites, there is no ‘Contact’ or ‘About’ page, and no email address provided to contact them, only a phone number; another red flag.
If you’re going to step into the Social Media fishbowl, master Web 1.0 first. Few people will call you, many will email you.
My suggestions:
Make it personal. A better Twitter name would be EnviroMetalJim, its easy to remember, and its a lot better than AISIJWOODS. [ My twitter name is EricGardenfork. ]
Make the bio honest. The Green social media people know they’re being pitched by the steel industry, so be upfront about it. Transparency is big in social media: “I’m Jim, and I am the green outreach coordinator for the Steel Recycling Institute.”
Make it readable. On your Twitter page, don’t put green type on a green background. Its hard to read. Make it as easy as possible for the end user.
Page 1 of a Google search tell us Jim’s email address: jimw@recycle-steel.org and from looking in LinkedIn, I’m guessing Jim is about 35 years old, and he lives in Pittsburgh. He is the Director Public & Education Relations of the Steel Recycling Institute. But one shouldn’t have to look for this on Google, it should be front and center on the sites.
Both websites associated with this Twitter account, http://www.sustainable-steel.org, and http://www.recycle-steel.org/ , have some interesting information, but by having no easy way for someone who might want to blog about them to contact them for further info, EnviroMetal’s outreach efforts will be futile.
But there is a glimmer here, in one Tweet, Jim offers up a Roscoe lunchbox for whoever gets the most people to follow him on Twitter, which, though I’ve never seen a Roscoe lunchbox, it sounds very cool. Bloggers like swhag just as much as movie stars.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Kathryn Jones // Jul 15, 2008 at 9:49 pm
EXCELLENT post! You are right on. I hope you forward this to um… what’s their name? Envirometal? They could learn a ton from this post. I am very very open to any company’s message if they are transparent about both who they are and their agenda. You have created the perfect mini-social media primer for corporations!
2 Jim Woods // Jul 16, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Thanks for the indirect feedback Chris. Being a small trade association, we aren’t always the most tech-savvy organization. But, we’re learning.
I, personally, use twitter, plurk, pownce, friendfeed, flickr, myspace, facebook on down the line. I figured I would give it a go for our trade association to provide factoids, links and resources to green bloggers and journalists. It’s definitely not meant to be in the spirit of spam.
In my limited experience with Twitter, you need to follow to be followed. And, I follow a number of Tweets very closely and direct respond to them.
I would, however, say that the disproportionate following to follower ratio is more due to the fact that the account is brand new.
That is also a factor in the profile not yet developing a “personality.” I’d say that’s a blend of “trying to be corporate,” and still developing the profile. Not to mention, I try to keep my personality out of professional affairs, because I’m generally snarky and not very professional.
I’ve tried looknig at several company tweets and profiles, and I’ve tried to emulate ones that I thought made good use of Twitter without being spammy (i.e. provide useful information, don’t overpost, etc…)
As the tweets and profile continues to evolve, I’m sure you’ll see some of your feedback woven into the account.
Oh, and in your description of me above, you forgot that I like long walks on the beach and beerpong. haha
Jim
3 eric // Jul 16, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Jim, It’s Eric, not Chris.
Your sites actually have interesting information, but there is no feedback loop, no way for anyone to contact you for more information.
Look forward to my Roscoe lunchbox
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