After reading this blog post on “Twitter as a Customer Service Channel” and the benefits of using it (speedy customer service, building a community etc.), I naively asked myself “Why don’t all businesses use it?”   After further reading, I learned that there are several cases where the use of Twitter is a flop because companies were not committed to Twitter by not responding to tweets within 24 hours.

Here are some of my key questions for businesses deciding whether or not to use Twitter:

Are you going to be committed?
One of today’s cultural trends is that people are time-poor and the customers on Twitter value how quickly they get a reply.  Twitter is still customer service, and it is crucial to respond to customers in a timely manner.

Do a significant number of your customers use Twitter?
I have never understood why Realtors use Twitter and tweet about listings.  Do their potential customers even use Twitter for that purpose?  In order to use Twitter effectively, a company must know if/how their consumers use Twitter.

Can you grow your community through Twitter?
One of the main benefits of using social media is the ability to create a community.  Community can put a company into a consumer’s evoked set and influence purchasing behaviour.  According to the CMA blog post, Twitter “is a great, easy way to create online brand advocates out of your fans” and attract new customers.

Is your content going to align with your values as well as your corporate partners?
While engaging customers with tweets, it is important to always keep your identity in mind and know who you are aligned with; failing to do so can lead to disaster.