Social Media - What has it done for you lately?

Other than Consultants, who has a social media success story?

[martinibuster]

Other than social media consultants, does anyone have a success story of how they used Twitter to increase earnings?

[engine]

I can only cite one example I know for a fact has helped, and it's a support service. As soon as the company receives a comment, sales request, complaint, or request for help via twitter it reacts immediately and works resolving the issue with an up-sell. They told me that a good number of complaints turned into satisfied customers returning to buy again. The up-sell was the key. simple example, "If you're buying widgets, don't forget your batteries."

There's one thing it's hard to beat, and that's customer service. Twitter's platform is so instant.

[martinibuster]

That's a bit public for customer service. Does it seem somewhat less than prudent to have that out in the public domain?

If one is going to have that in the public domain, at least hosting the content on one's own site makes more sense, like in a customer service forum. At least that way each resolved question resolves the question for someone else, creates a possibility for obtaining inbound links to the company's domain, and solves problems for those with similar questions.

Wouldn't a chat program work as well?

Are there any success stories at all that anyone has personally experienced?

[henry0]

I do not have one, however it does not mean there are none. If the question reached thousands of people then we will have a few answers.

Customer support: Due to the kind of exposure, a solid, well established product line is required as well as a strong support team.
I believe that if well done it could become a real "marketing ally"

[martinibuster]

Just being a devils advocate, trying to wrap my head around whether twitter as a customer service channel makes sense. Does it help a company if their twitter stream reveals a pattern of defects with the product, difficulties in the use of the product or with shipping time?

[SevenCubed]

Just being a devils advocate, trying to wrap my head around whether twitter as a customer service channel makes sense.

I'm hardly one to cast a vote in favour of twitter but I have said recently that it is slightly more palatable than other forms of social media.

I can see it making lots of sense as a customer service channel. Along the palatable line of thinking consider a mobile food truck service. They tend to keep to very strict schedules and you can usually count on them to show up like clock works outside your place of work.

Over time people manipulate their office duties to make sure they are free for their break at its time of arrival. But what happens when on a given day there is some bad traffic accident that causes a detour through congested side streets?

Twitter comes to the rescue, the caterer lets her fingers warn her customers via a quick text message of her probably delayed arrival. That allows the office people to adjust their break schedule so they don't go downstairs and spend their time allotment standing on a deserted curbside that is usually filled with comforting aromas during that time slot. The customers still get their comfort food, albeit a bit later, and the mobile business owner doesn't loose income do to something that was beyond their control.

And yet to the above example if that same caterer used the platform to try to push their "specials" on me I would quickly be looking for another food truck. It comes down to knowing when your intentions are for their best interest or yours.

There must be other valid uses along these similar lines of interest.

[Innovate]

What has it done for me? It's given me a way to waste time while making myself feel productive.

[affshow]

Well, for me, provice a platform to promote my website.

[JonathanP]

Just a way to earn more followers. Has anyone ever tried selling his twitter account?
One website told me that I'm worth about 7000 USD. Boy, I wish that was true! :)

[wheel]

Twitter is little more than an email blast.

I am currently using it as part of a link building campaign. In particulary I've motivated bloggers to tweet about my link building campaign that they are part of. Some of their readers, who are also bloggers, read it and sign up for the link building campaign as well.

Other than using it as an email blast, it's almost as worthless as facebook.

[ranksmith]

A couple of reasons why one should use Twitter handle.

A customer support handle : Follow the customer who is not satisfied with your product and has posted an image-tarnishing review, and quickly address the issue.

An SEO ranking signal : A tweet of your link from an influential user on twitter can drive a lot of traffic, and can act as a concrete vote for SEO ranking. More the retweets of your tweet that includes your website name, better the position in search engines.

[Ann_Smarty]

"There's one thing it's hard to beat, and that's customer service. Twitter's platform is so instant. "

I love it that I can DM Hostgator from my Twitter account and get help within a second. Non of my non-Twitter-aware developers can do that. Instead, they have to wait on a live chat or submit a support ticket that takes a few hours to hear back (at best). Thus I am the fastest to hear back from them!

"Customer support: Due to the kind of exposure, a solid, well established product line is required as well as a strong support team."

In reality, if your business is online or offline, someone is more likely to be discussing it on Twitter. You can be there or not, but your ignoring it won't stop the public conversation.

Twitter customer service is more about online reputation management than anything else

[Leosghost]

You do realise that you can phone hostgator..( and get someone faster than via twitter ) no waiting for "chat"..no waiting for "support ticket"..I've just got off the phone with them..( never had to use twitter to talk to them, nor any other hoster..if I cant phone them 24/7 if needs be ..then I don't host with them ) also phoned one of my registrars..wouldn't think of using twitter to do that either..

When someone is hyping hammers..everything begins to look like a nail..

[martinibuster]

You do realise that you can phone hostgator...

What's a phone?...

(JK)

The way society exchanges data is evolving. I'm not saying this is how everyone is communicating, but mobile is a predominant communication platform and with it the way we do business. You or or I might not do it but Smarty's experience is a good example of the next door opening. When one door opens it usually means another door is closing for someone else.

[Ann_Smarty]

You or or I might not do it but Smarty's experience is a good example of the next door opening. When one door opens it usually means another door is closing for someone else.

My problem was that I had been working from Ukraine for 6 years... I was always much better at writing than talking (English is not my native language obviously). Also calling the US wasn't as affordable (no tool free for Ukraine lol)

So let's say I am a good example of how Twitter makes international customers closer :)

[martinibuster]

This thread has gone off topic. Let's bring it back to the topic:

Social Media - What has it done for you lately?
Other than Consultants, who has a social media success story?

[ken_b]

That's a bit public for customer service.

I'm not sure a business has a real choice.

Negative comments about a businesses products and/or customer service are pretty likely to pop up on one social media site or another, or several.

Ignoring those negative comments probably isn't a good idea.

Responding to them publicly, and politely, at least gives the impression that the business does respond and takes customer satisfaction seriously.

But as far as:

Social Media - What has it done for you lately?
Other than Consultants, who has a social media success story?

Can we really separate out the consultants from everyone else?

How many people have used SM for business without the advice/services of a consultant? I'm guessing that the answer is few, depending on how one defines "consultant".

[martinibuster]

Can we really separate out the consultants from everyone else?

Yes, it can be separated. Social Media consultants are making loads of cash selling Social Media Optimization (SMO), so Twitter is obviously good for consultants. What I want to know is, has it been good for those who are not social media consultants?

[Leosghost]

Perhaps those who are involved in "Social media consulting" or SMO could refrain from posting ( as if they were not involved ) then..:)

[martinibuster]

I would welcome SMO practioners to post how their activities benefited their clients, how much money their clients made, how many more units they moved per month, etc.

So far, nothing. Can it be that only Social Media Marketers are making money off of Social Media?

[Leosghost]

I would welcome SMO practioners to post how their activities benefited their clients, how much money their clients made, how many more units they moved per month, etc.

I was under the impression that self promotion was not allowed or encouraged in WebmasterWorld..( perhaps this has changed ? ) This seems to be an invitation to do precisely that..If not meant as such ( and I don't think that it was :) it risks being sorely abused in that way..

Nor does it fit with your own original subtitle or OP..

Other than social media consultants, does anyone have a success story of how they used Twitter to increase earnings?

it is in fact 180 degrees opposed to it..~:o

Only the customers of SMO or SMM consultants can be trusted to say with any degree of honesty whether they feel they have benefited..anything from SMO or SMM "consultants" themselves, is just trawling for business..

[bill]

I think martinibuster may have initially been looking for examples from the general web developer/SEO/SEM types who also do SMO. I believe you may be reading way too much into the question if you think he is suggesting a policy change at WebmasterWorld. As per the TOS let's keep that discussion out of public threads.

Also, we've been able to discuss SEO and SEM topics for years while avoiding specifics and self-promotion. I'm confident the same can be done for social media topics.

Back to the topic at hand...

As per the OP, I don't think I can relate any huge success stories in my use of Twitter on the sites I manage. Sure there is some extra traffic and a bit more interaction with customers, but nothing tectonic.

[lorax]

Our University has seen an indirect benefit from it. We've recently implemented a Media tool to help us monitor and get a better handle on the various media outlets and thier benefits to us.

As for eCommerce use - I'm leaning more and more toward thinking that unless you're in a niche market and actively working the ropes (established yourself as respected member of that community), then you're just another noise in the dark or you may have a long way to go to establish yourself.

The few clients I've had that have used it have seen modest success but I won't go as far as to say it was soley because of Twitter. I think it was more about seeing my client and their products mentioned on multiple social media outlets.

[stormwriter]

I have never made a dollar of Twitter. Funny I found this post. Nobody seem to tweet anymore. We stopped our twitter account last week. All of the other main social like linkedin seems to be growing faster for our market. With our economy people seem to be moving to where the money is at. People are looking for work more and talking less!

[bsterz]

I can't say how much it directly increase earnings as I don't think it is a great for generating quick sales. However, it has definitely helped me in not only link building (a few really nice links), but relationship building (great tool to initiate interaction with) as well as generating traffic and increasing brand awareness. All without having to invest very much time.

I have seen others use less as customer service and more as brand management. When someone tweets negative things about them they send them a DM and try to fix things with this person and so on.