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biohelixx — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:05:39 +0000

We have tried to keep our Alpha users and the other readers of this blog posted on our progress toward releasing a Beta version of our My.ComMetrics.com blog benchmarking tool.

Things are coming along nicely and the Beta release is just around the corner. In the meantime, we have opened a Twitter account to keep our users informed about:

So far we have succeeded in keeping the number of tweets down to one or two each week, as promised in one of our early tweets:

MyComMetrics

Dear, reminder, this account keeps you POSTED about software releases/changes on http://My.ComMetrics.com 1or 2 tweets each week #tools2watch

Almost two months have passed since that message was posted and the account is enjoying a steady growth of followers.

My.ComMetrics.com bio on Twitter

Usually the messages we send out look something like the examples listed below. They focus on the web-based software, including providing links to new features or showing screen-shots of the results:

MyComMetrics

Simplified our offerings, 3 service levels is what we offer,still FREE for testers http://howto.commetrics.com… #tools2watch

MyComMetrics

Fixed the descriptions and the sign up procedure so people have an easier time to understand http://short.to/ke2 #tools2watch #smMetrics

MyComMetrics

NOW change profile,get alerts when stats change & start benchmarking against YOUR blog => view image => http://snipr.com/abycz #tools2watch

MyComMetrics

http://My.ComMetrics.com

http://ad.vu/9×4t

MyComMetrics

http://My.ComMetrics.com

http://ad.vu/rd73

Exclusive Newsletter for Subscribers
Our monthly newsletter appears every four to six weeks, something which associates and Alpha testers are automatically subscribed to receive. It keeps people informed about the most important stuff and alerts them to developments in the blogosphere that might make a splash.

The first issue was

January 20, 2009

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February 26 2009

Why we love our Alpha users
We believe that Alpha users are special people; they test our tools and provide us with extremely valuable feedback about how it works.

In return, our Alpha users deserve special treatment, which means that they get the full experience without paying a cent. Even better, people who are Alpha users, AND actively use the tool get a free subscription when we release Beta version 1.0 sometime this Spring. In order to qualify for the freebie, you need to complete a free Alpha-user registration and start testing our tool as much as possible. Why? Because it will help you increase the bang you get for your buck when you blog. We are in the process of packing more oomph into our tool. In turn, this will allow you to track various blogs and see what works and what fails. And that’s just the start.

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Here’s what I’m suggesting for today. Please register yourself for free or pass on this link to some of your friends so they can benchmark themselves – to get better. Once we release Beta things will change, except for Alpha users: they get a free ride. C’est la vie.

Enough about what I think and feel, what is your take? Share your thoughts below; they are what matter most.
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Corporate microblogging or Twitter-squatting?

Urs E. Gattiker — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:59:02 +0000

Twitter squatters are people who register an account on Twitter with the name of a company, brand or town. For better or worse, these people become the public face of that corportation or town on that social network. With the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, social media features prominently, so we thought we should, among other things, outline the criteria one can use to identify the official WEF versus the non-official WEF feed(s). Read on.

We provide six criteria that, all things being equal, can be used to define an organizational microblog or identify a possible Twitter squatter account, if need be. These are:

1) Registered entity – for profit or non-profit organizations.
2) Corporate logo is used or shown prominently.
3) Twitter account uses corporate name.
4) If applicable, brand logo is shown prominently.
5) Twitter account links to corporate webpage.
6) The organization has copyright.

Below we explain this in more detail using examples to illustrate the above criteria.

1) In this context the term organization includes corporations, government agencies, crown or state corporations, non-profits, charities (a registered entity of a group of people who share a common set of goals).

2) It is expected that the microblog uses the organization’s logo on the Twitter account as illustrated by the American RedCross.

3) The Twitter footprint uses a corporate name, such as twitter.com/companyname/ (or a slightly modified version such as DellShares or ComcastCares (though an individual is identified, there is clearly a corporate Twitter footprint) or the name of the government agency, such as whereelsebutqld (Tourism Queensland – Australia) or sydney_holidays (Tourism New South Wales).

4) The microblog uses a brand name or brand logo, such asdunkindonuts.

5) The Twitter account links to the organization’s webpage, like SamsungMobileUS or the appropriate blog (as illustrated by DellShares).

6) The organization owns the copyright to all the content associated with the site or account.

Even with this information, it is not always easy to identify the corporate Twitter footprint. For instance, we think kodakCB seems to be a corporate Twitter feed since it links to the chief blogger’s corporate blog. A bit different is the case with the Twitter account called ikeafans. While it supports IKEA, the associated webpage makes clear that it is not owned by the corporation.

Sometimes, the microblogger is an employee and the company logo features prominently on the blog. However, Twitter’s account disclaimer makes it clear to the casual reader that that does not mean the corporation owns the Twitter footprint. In these cases, the microblog also usually does not link to the corporate webpage or blog. An example is ScottMonty, who prominently features the Ford logo, but still makes clear using the above criteria that this microblog – while very interesting – does not qualify as an organizational or corporate one.
In contrast, FordCustService is a corporate Twitter footprint and it connects to the Ford Motor Company’s webpage.

In some instances, it is rather easy to figure out that a Twitter footprint has been hijacked or is being squatted on. Such is the case with evian: besides the mineral water by that name there is also a French city of the same name on the shores of Lac Leman. Nevertheless, this Twitter footprint is not owned by either entity.

More sinister consequences are possible in the case of a brand being hijacked or squatted on. mc_donalds, an account registered by someone using their email address, is outright damaging to the brand. Twitter-squatting could become the new domain name squatting. With this example it appears necessary for McDonald’s to contact Twitter and take action. Have you secured your Twitter name yet?

However, brands are apparently still allowed to use names or brands from others, and it is not always a competitor who does so. For instance, the World Economic Forum uses its host city’s brand, trademark or name to report about the meeting. It decided to call its Twitter feed davos. We grabbed a similar Twitter footprint just for fun and called it WEFdavos. I discussed this with Matthias Lüfkens, the WEF’s own social media expert. After some fine-tuning it should now be clear for all to see that WEFdavos is not the World Economic Forum’s microblogging footprint. As well, WEF’s davos Twitter account now clearly states that it is not affiliated with the city or the Davos-Klosters region. In both cases you can find this information in the account profile.

Test the aforementioned criteria with WEFdavos and you will immediately see that it does not meet rules 2, 3, 5 & 6. Incidentally, somebody has taken the wef Twitter footprint, but does not appear to be using it. Maybe now is the time for the World Economic Forum to re-claim this Twitter footprint for the future, whether to use it or to prevent damage to its brand. As a legitimate holder of the brand it can just ask Twitter to turn over the Twitter acount.

Bottom Line
Given the above information we can now define a corporate or organizational Twitter account or micro-blog by using the following description:

Organizational microblogs exist under the company’s or non-profit organization’s name and/or brand, whereby the organization’s logos are featured prominently if they exist and a link to the relevant organizational webpage or blog is provided. Content copyright belongs to the organization.

Even if you are not planning on using Twitter or another microblogging service, we urge you to register your brand so no one else can.

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Here’s what I’m suggesting for today: Are there other factors one should use to identify corporate space on Twitter? What is your experience with Twitter squatting? Please provide your comments. And if you are already here, tell us about your organization’s Twitter feed in 140 characters or less. Inquiring minds want to know.

My.ComMetrics.com

1st step – sign-up

60 days free-trial

Get the latest about benchmarking tools and new features we offer by signing up for the Twitterfeed MyComMetrics
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corporate microblogging on Twitter

Urs E. Gattiker — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:31:34 +0000

Microblogging – also called microsharing has become ever more popular thanks to Twitter and the many Twitter tools that help one make better use of this communication tool. We have addressed this elsewhere like:

Twitter – what works what fails

Return on engagement – Twitter for social media experts – benchmarking with My.ComMetrics.com

Here we are particularly interested in finding a better on what distinguishes a corporate Twitter account from a business or personal type of account.

Louis Gray did a survey amongst Twitter users (about 50 respondent online to one question – select your primary reason for using Twitter). Findings revealed that half of the respondents answered for social network or communicating with friends. However, interesting to us is that just about half used it as part of their job, monitor what others are doing and collecting information.

And while only 1 respondent admitted to use it for a brand, the survey did not address the self-branding issue (i.e. many use it to self-brand, of course) or getting brandchecked for that matter.

what is a corporate Twitter account?
Like we have done for corporate blogs, a definition must be given for a corporate Twitter or microblogging account. We list a few (do you know of a few more for FT Global 500 or Fortune 500 companies, please leave a comment) below:

Direct2Dell – pendent to blog – about Dell services, customers, etc.
DellShares – pendent to blog – investor relations, etc.
DellHomeOffers – get the latest deals, offers, rebates for a limited time only
TysonFoods – pendent to blog – corporate social responsibility – foodbank, etc.

Twitter account uses corporate name
Direct2Dell (about products, happenings, feedback) or MyComMetrics (users, get feedback, ideas) are corporate Twitter accounts that provide information.

Tyson Foods is an example that illustrates a corporate Twitter account whereby the company is supporting its hunger relief campaign with its microblogging efforts.

While the focus is quite different for each of these examples, the corporate name features prominently. Similar to a CEO blog, Twitter accounts can also be used by top management to tweet on behalf of the organization.

For instance, Commetics or ComcastCares – the face behind the Twitterfeed (see images to the left) -both tweet on behalf of their employers.

In short, using the corporate name and keeping copyright with the company seems standard for corporate Twitter accounts.

However, there are many people using Twitter for professional or business purposes. Their tweets may mention the employer and the corporate brand. Nonetheless, the Twitter account is her or his own, as these examples illustrate. These business Twitterers provide great tweets for many people on business related matters:

Twitter profile – bio links to corporate website.
Besides using the corporate name/brand for the Twitter account and the copyright being owned by the organization, a corporate Twitterfeed is usually linked to a corporate website.

For all the many Dell examples one can find on Twitter, each Twitter account links to its corporate weblog.

Hence, the microblog extends the blog’s voice or vice versa if you wish.

Consistency and volume
Usually, corporate Twitter acounts do not send out tweets during weekends. Below shows you three Dell Twitter accounts and Tyson Foods’ Twitter efforts.

To the left you have DellHomeOffers that provides clients in the U.S. only with special offers. Most times, a tweet gives one a link to a special offer valid for a limited period only.

As the graphic shows for the period of August through November, few tweets are sent to followers each month. However, tweets are limited to sales information nothing else. Hence, very focused and narrow type of tweet content. Accordingly, unless you are in the market for a new product from Dell, this feed might not interest you very much. If you are in the market, however, this tweet can help you save you a few dollars for sure.

The feed to the right – DellShares – is for people interested in the firm’s share price. Of course this means investors and analysts.

All tweets and their content focus on issues of relevance to investors, analysts and shareholders.

DellShare provides maybe one tweet or less each week throughout the month as the graph to the upper right shows.

To the lower left you have another Dell Twitter account. Dell2Dell has about 1 tweet every work day. It is usually quiet on weekends as are the other two Twitter accounts shown above.

So in comparison to Dell, Tyson Foods (see lower right side) has a few more tweets throughout the month. It also supplies its followers with tweets during weekends.

There are other things that make the Tyson Foods Twitterfeed a bit different from those offered by Dell. The Tyson Foods Twitter account focuses on an issue that is not directly linked to the company itself – namely, fighting hunger.

Twittertweets focus on THE corporate social responsibility issue Tyson Foods has chosen to pursue and be associated with. This is an engaging matter. Helping people not go hungry during an economic crisis and, as importantly, is of interest to many more people than just those looking for the next best bargain available in Tyson Foods stores.

Corporate Twitter accounts – social relationships versus broadcasting
Following the above reasoning, the engagement level with the Tyson Food blog seems quite high. It has quite a few messages starting or containing somewhere an @username. These are replies to tweets followers have sent in.

Accordingly, all other things being equal – corporate Twitter accounts tend to send out fewer @username replies than other accounts. Except for the case of Tyson Foods mentioned above, all Dell Twitter accounts rarely if ever send out replies. So Dell uses its Twitter accounts to provide followers with information about its products or the corporation. Some would label this classical broadcasting - one way communication. Nothing wrong with that since this is what subscribers expected and got. Nevertheless, building social relationships is something different but can be done nicely as Tyson Foods illustrates.

Followers versus Follwing
As illustrated by Dell Twitter accounts, corporate Twitterers tend to follow fewer people than follow them. In some cases this may be extreme (see Dell Norway following 0 – screenshot earlier to the right). Again, Tyson Foods is a bit different in that it follows more people than follow Tyson Foods. Nevertheless, this is more of an exception than the rule with corporate Twitter accounts it seems.

Some Twitter users even state that they choose not to follow those that:

“… Follow way more people than follow them (this seems spammy, or at the least, desperate)…”

There seems to be no fast and simple rule with corporate Twitterers. Some may follow few people (see Dell) and others follow many (e.g., Tyson Foods) but rarely if ever more than follow them.

Many corporate Twitter accounts – not Dell for sure – have automatic follow in place, whereby anybody who follows the brand will be followed back. With a lot of followers comes a lot of cruft. How these companies stay on top of it is hard to say but time-consuming for sure.

Besides the above characteristics of corporate Twitter accounts and challenges, quite a few do a very good job indeed as illustrated above. Nevertheless, each brand needs to find AND define what the purpose is for using Twitter. Only then can it deliver.

Got other reasons why it’s a challenge? Or have solutions, ideas what makes up a good corporate blog? Leave a comment…

And if you care – follow me on Twitter.
======> Addendum 2008-12-17
Self-employed workers already account for nearly a third of the US workforce- up more than 25 percent in the past two years.

This means ever more often the single-practice doctor, lawyer, accountant use their corporate or family name for Twitter. However, tweeting serves work efforts and not private interests. This type of small business/self-employed entrepreneur type of Twitter accounts are on the increase.
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Here’s what I’m suggesting for today. Add your comment to this post. Keeping in the spirit of Twitter, please tell us about your corporate Twitter feed in 140 characters or so.
Please provide people with your corporate Twitter ID so they can follow you. Only corporate microblogging accounts should be added (for definition see above of course). Thanks.

My.ComMetrics.com

1st step – sign-up

60 days free-trial

Get the latest about benchmarking tools and new features we offer by signing up for the Twitterfeed MyComMetrics
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