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USA Today reports on Banks Using Twitter

USA Today points out that banks are jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. USA Today states that Wells Fargo and Bank of America have begun to "tweet” with customers about everything from bank fees to product features. Discover Financial, American Express and Citigroup have launched Facebook or MySpace pages. Some banks even put marketing videos on YouTube.

John Carney on Businessinsider.com linking to the USA Today article feels banks using Twitter is the "same corporate nonsense in a new medium."

Personally, I have to disagree with John. I think banks using Twitter is a great way to communicate. I've seen hundreds of posts where consumers have mentioned being able to resolve issues communicating with bank representatives via Twitter.

If used appropriately, Twitter may help improve the customer service experience.

Top 100 Brands on Twitter

Here is a list of the top 100 brands on Twitter. Enjoy!

Creating Social Media Plan Works Well

I came across an interesting read titled "Build a social media plan that never sleeps" on imediaconnection.com. The article emphasizes several key issues which include:

- Brands need to change their approach to social media
- Customers expect an instant and public response to their issues
- Opening up a truly valuable dialogue

As I said, I found the article to be quite interesting, but I disagree with the title, "Build a social media plan that never sleeps." Nothing in the post really points out ways to build a successful social media campaign "that never sleeps." The article primarily focuses on the prominence of Twitter and improving communication. Also, the posting encourages brands to a) listen to consumers, b) be where customers are, and c) get to know people. I do not feel this is anything new. Almost every social media blogger feels companies should use social media to help improve customer service.

Overall, I found the posting to be a very good read. I found it rather intriguing that brands such as Papa John's are creating widgets for Facebook. The blogger, Reid Carr says, “Ahead of the curve, Papa John's launched a Facebook widget to allow users to place a pizza order right from Facebook.” Creating useful widgets is something each company should do.

I have to take my hat off to Papa John's for letting consumers order a pizza right from Facebook. I'm tempted to give the Widget a try. But I'll be truly impressed when I order it over Twitter!

BusinessWeek: Innovators in Social Media

BusinessWeek published an interesting article about innovators in social media.

The article praises Scott Monty for helping transform Ford's image within social media. Personally, I couldn't agree more.

MBA Program

I recently started a MBA program at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, KY. Given that, I'm trying to get acclimated to full-time work and full-time school. I do apologize for not posting regular content as of late, but I will be updating my blog periodically in the future. Thanks for all of your support.

Ogilvy Launches a New Social Media Tool

A co-worker pointed this out to me. Ogilvy recently launched a new social media tool. The tool does not provide any metrics, but gives smaller companies the ability to view many sources/tools in an aggregated manner. This is just another example of how agencies and other stakeholders are continuing to become smarter and invest more attention toward the space as the importance of monitoring social media continues to rise.

Leading Social Search Engines

Lee Odden on Toprankblog.com provides a list of 6 social search engines to start 2009.

Will Twitter Change Blog Design in 2009?

Find out the answer on Mashable.

Mobile Social Media Expected to Expand

Mobile social networks are expected to expand as more and more consumers get mobile access to the internet.

I have to agree with this article. I feel mobile social media network will become a very lucrative market as more people get access to internet via mobile devices.

Herbert Brothers are At It Again! "Free Doritos" Crash the Super Bowl

I had the opportunity to interview Joe Herbert when he participated in Doritos' "Crash the Supber Bowl" contest in 2006/2007. Well it looks like he is at it again. Please vote for "Free Doritos".

Do Some Consumers Wait Too Long Before Filing Bankruptcy?

Foreclosure and bankruptcy online discussion trends are on the rise (see graph below). Given that, I found a recent Newsweek very interesting. It argues that some people should file bankruptcy sooner rather than later. What do you think?

Dosh Dosh Covers Fundamentals of Social Media Marketing

Doshdosh.com posts an article for those interested to learn more about social media and how you use it.

It offers some insight to social media in general, tips on leveraging social media newsites and others such as StumbleUpon.

Overall, I found the article to be quite insightful. Let me know what you think.

Twitter 10 Commandments

David Armano has published the Twitter 10 Commandments. Are you breaking any of these?

Top Twitter Tools in 2009

Here is a sweet list of the top Twitter tools to look at in 2009.

Let me know if you've tried any of these out. Also, what do you think of them?

Social Media Trends for 2009

Taly Weiss and Apurba Sen have posted some social media trends to look out for in 2009 on Trendspotting.com/blog.

United Airlines Responds

I recently sent United Airlines an email requesting information about a corporate blog. I received a response at 11:54 PM EST December 24, 2008. That's right, United Airline's sent me a response on Christmas Eve. While I am thankful for a the response, the timing is a bit odd. Here is United Airlines' response:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Coyle,

I appreciate your request for the information regarding the blog of United Airlines.
Mr. Coyle, your complimentary comments about our magazine is especially appreciated. Please know that United does not have a blog.
Than you for your interest in United. We look forward to serving you again.

Regards,
Shailesh Singh
United Airlines Customer Relations

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, I'm glad to see United Airlines respond to my email. Additionally, it looks like someone actually read my email and responded accordingly. It is much better than a simple "canned" response telling me that I'm a great customer, which is what I was expecting.

Overall, I feel United Airlines could really benefit by participating in social media. It doesn't necessarily need a blog; however, it should start by listening to consumers online at a minimum. Influential blogs such as Consumerist are always posting things about the brand online. For example, Consumerist recently published a post about a man suing United Airlines over getting him drunk and causing him to beat his wife. The article has received 12,500+ views and 59 comments on Consumerist alone. I'm sure that won't bode well for United Airlines. United Airlines, are you listening?

Does anyone know if United Airlines monitors discussion about its brand online?

Salvation Army Dabbles in Social Media

'Tis the season to be "giving." The Salvation Army is now using social media to increase donations.

Now, if only the Salvation Army accepted debit cards. I always find myself walking by a Salvation Army volunteer unable to give as I primarily carry debit and credit cards only.

I'm sure Visa and MasterCard could cut a deal to lower interchange fees for the sake of giving.

Has Anyone Tried ReTweet Radar?

Steve Rubel provides some insight about ReTweet Radar. This looks like a unique tool to help assess which topics are being discussed actively on Twitter. I'll have to check this out.

Consumers Seeking More Advice on Blogs

A study by Jupiter Research on behalf of BuzzLogic found half of blog readers consider blogs useful when making purchases and more than half of this group report consulting blogs just before making a purchase.

Source: The New York Times