Tune in. You may associate Twitter with the net-savvy kids of Generation Y, but 58% of Twitter’s seven million users are 35 years of age or older, and nearly one-infive are 55 or older.2 Far from a teenagers’ fad, Twitter has ushered “micro blogging” into the mainstream.

Be found. Google is widely expected to launch a real-time search engine that will allow Internet searchers to scour the content within Twitter. Once that happens, you’ll be able to “tweet” all day about your product or service, and greatly increase the odds of being found by interested Web surfers.

Create buzz. Twitter is a cult of personality. Followers want to be allowed inside the mind of someone they wouldn’t normally have access to. The most buzz-worthy candidate in your company is likely to be someone along the lines of an outspoken analyst, renowned portfolio manager, or candid executive.

Deliver value. Bank of America is using Twitter to deliver practical value. Clients can visit twitter.com/BofA_help and do things like update their address or ask why a fee was posted to their account. Full-time Twitter agents are poised and ready to provide a real-time response..


Our view
Compliance is a big concern when it comes to social media. Part of the solution is to have a social media policy to regulate the type of content that can be posted. Another part might be to structure your Twitter campaign around a specific event—such as a product launch or road show—and have Compliance pre-approve the content. //