To begin this blog post with a ditty that could be sang in the style of Ed Sheeran’s “A Team”. Was not intended (left).
Do you Tweet on a regular basis? Are you a one an hour kinda guy? An every two hour kinda girl? Or like me? A Binge Tweeter?
If you answer yes to 2 or more of the following questions, then you need to get a handle on your tweeting…perhaps this blog will help?
Do you look at twitter first thing in the morning?
Do you look at twitter last thing at night?
Do you tweet about what you are eating?
Do you tweet about the annoying bloke with his ‘not so personal stereo blasting out’ invading your quiet train journey?
Do you tweet about the traffic jam in your street?
Do you follow random celebrities you don’t even like?
Do you know what is trending right now?
Do you tweet about your latest purchase?
Do you tweet about everything?
I want to paint a picture of how Twitter can be under and overused. It’s a brilliant and remarkably difficult balance to find. Especially, for a Social Media Manager. I use it all the time. Not just for me but for my clients also. I’m obsessed with Twitter. Which helps, and for all the reasons it exists; Networking, learning, stalking, news, fun, promoting etc. Ahem.
But it occurred to me one day, when asking for directions at an unfamiliar station, (I got sent the wrong way through the barriers, then was not allowed back through unless I paid for it..grrr) that the first thing that went through my mind was, ‘I’ll tweet about that’. I wanted to highlight the bad service I had experienced and get the poor bloke in trouble for wasting me time. Hmmm #evil.
Now, we (that will be the Royal we) tweet about the lunch we’ve just ate and the great, or not so great, service at the restaurant we went to for dinner. We tweet about what we read, see, watch, hear, even smell! What we hate, what we love etc. We tweet questions we want answered, things we wish for. We tweet for verification, donations and mainly… so we don’t feel alone. Right? What’s your take?
We search for tweets on all of the above also and add work stuff into the mix and we have a whole new set of reasons to get involved. How many of you have at least 2 Twitter accounts? Networking, following muses, icons even, companies we would love to work for, journalists, bloggers, competitors etc. I could go on.
Of course there is a reason why. There is ALWAYS a reason why. For everything, otherwise why bother right?!
I suppose that one tries to get a reaction from tweeting. So to satisfy ones teeny ego, perhaps? OR, possibly to get someone in trouble, as I so sincerely just confessed (for not doing their bloody job properly) or highlight a reoccurring problem?
Or am I just addicted?
Bah! The bottom line is that I want to make a point about something, whether it’s making something right (and showing someone up for being wrong) or bigging up someone for being brilliant. I believe, with Andrea’s positive head on, that my little tweet, can make a difference. Just like a smile can when walking down the street. (Cough. I am a Pisces)
Twitter is a great tool for complaining. We have established this , It’s the perfect tool for praising or criticizing customer service. And it remains there for all to see. Nowhere to hide for the culprits and there for other potential customers to judge for themselves. But there is still etiquette to learn when complaining, just as in the real world. I’m not here to teach you how to complain, nor how to behave, nor what to complain about, but we don’t want to use Twitter and other social media channels as bait nor do we want to use it as some sort of threat. “I’ll say something bad about you to my 4000 fans if…”
Oh no. That’s not nice.
But, if you did just have a bad experience, bad enough to complain about, I mean, then why not be free with your expressions? I get it. But where do you draw the line?
I tried to book a massage at Purity Spa (husband bought me a pamper package there for our anniversary) over 10 times without success. The service I received was snobby, rude and totally unaccommodating, obstructive even. I was absolutely shocked and didn’t want them to get away with it. We wont be using them again. (Some people deserve to be highlighted. Ahem.)
Anyway their loss, I digress and conclude;
Yes, Twitter addicts will, single-handedly sort out the dilapidated services from the exceptional, quicker than Superman can get into lycra, but its no good for your soul, to have this kind of complaining power, this kind of constant judgmental and critical nature waiting to be unleashed. (You will also rot in hell).
Imagine being a food critic and never really enjoying a meal again because you constantly pulling the dishes you are eating in to pieces. I mean, I love to eat at fine dining restaurants, but every now and then, I do love a dirty burger. Fact and I want it to stay that way.
So…To tweet or not to tweet? That is the question.
The answer? Tolerance. Something I most definitely use more of. We must learn when to let things go and when needs must, complain well.
God Speed.
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