(From the vault but as valuable today as it was then.)
Keith Burtis asks a pretty interesting question on his blog sometime ago:
I have been working with a few brands of late that have told me that they prefer to have their logo over a human face as their avatar on twitter. At first I had a real problem with this. Personally I love how Scott Monty has created his blended avatar with Ford. I also like the way Olivier Blanchard humanizes his account, but also has branding. Where my question comes in is for organizations that have multiple people tweeting from the same account. You are not able to get everyones face into the small avatar box, but at the same time do people feel like they are being pushed commercial advertising by following a brand logo?
To me, twitter is about being human. My 2 rules for twitter engagement are here please help with defining number three:
1. Create two way dialog with real people to real people. Donโt sound like a press release.
2. Be selfless and of massive value to the community. No one gives a crap about you, what they care about is what you can do for them.
3. (Question) Avatars? Chris Brogan wants to see a human face on the twitter account, but I donโt think that is always possible or even strategically appropriate. Lets explore!
The Avatar question: Logo, face, or a combination of both?
All right. Let’s take a practical approach to this problem:
1. We’ve established that every corporate entity needs an overarching branded account. @Ford, @McDonalds, @HomeDepot, @Starbucks, @CocaCola, @Pepsi, etc. Typically, accounts like these don’t need to be humanized visually. They are simply the brand’s footprint and general presence on Twitter.
2. We’ve also established that someone within an organization who plays a role for that organization on Twitter needs a dedicated Twitter account. Though in many cases, such individuals still use face or logo avatars, the ideal avatar format for them is a combination of face and logo, like @scottmonty, myself, @chadmcmillan and @angbowen to reference a few. (Disclaimer: I lobbied Scott for weeks to add the Ford logo to his avatar, so I may be a little biased when it comes to his design.) ๐
It stands to reason that if an organization has a team of folks whose job includes a certain level of engagement on Twitter, creating avatars that convey both the human (face) and corporate (logo) elements create context, and brand continuity in that channel. (Click here for an earlier post on the art of the corporate avatar.)
General structure of an organization’s Twitter engagement team
So first, let’s look at what that looks like, and then we’ll look at how it actually works in terms of the engagement process.
Here’s how the ideal Twitter org chart looks like (assuming a flat organization vis-a-vis Twitter – Typical a first year model for most companies):
In this made-up example, ABC Corp manages 7 Twitter accounts. Its first twitter account was @ABCcorp, and initially, all of its Twitter activity was handled through this account. But after a few months, the company realized it needed to do two things:
1. Humanize its presence on Twitter.
2. Establish a broader footprint on Twitter to address specific needs.
During the corporate account’s initial test run, ABC Corp realized that it was getting very specific types of questions, comments and complaints: Most were customer service-oriented. Some involved IT, HR and Marketing. And to top it all off, the company’s COO was very interested in playing a part in the company’s Twitter experiment. After some deliberation, 6 key people were added to the @ABCcorp Twitter team (shown in the image above).
An avatar design was approved for official use, and the standard added to the company’s Social Media policy.
The next step involved figuring out whether or not ABC Corp. would own its Twitter accounts or rely on its Twitter team members (twitternauts) to take care of it themselves.
Why role definitions instead of names?
ABC Corp. had two choices when it came to creating its “human” accounts: Let people use their names and even existing accounts, or create company/role-specific accounts. In this instance, ABC Corp. opted for the latter. Here’s why:
1. ABC Corp.’s CEO wanted to clearly let the public know who was speaking for the company. Using people’s names as their Twitter “handle” didn’t indicate what their role was with the company. He didn’t like that. Although there would have been nothing wrong with it, he prefered that the accounts reflect the individual’s roles within the organization. He reasoned that their names were to be listed in their account profiles, so it wouldn’t be a problem to go this route.
2. ABC Corp.’s CEO also wanted to ensure that the accounts were used strictly within the context of brand engagement. He didn’t trust that every conversation in a social setting would reflect positively on ABC Corp. The 6 Twitternauts were encouraged to also manage personal accounts for their own use, but separate corporate accounts were created specifically for their “official” duties with ABC Corp.
3. ABC Corp.’s CEO realized that if ABC Corp. didn’t own and control its Twitter accounts, any one of the 6 Twitternauts leaving the company would create continuity of engagement issues. This type of problem would be compounded as more and more employees of the company started using twitter in an official capacity. Given #2 (above) he wanted to find a way to make sure that if/when tweeting employees left the company, the accounts through which they engaged the public on Twitter would not go away with them.
By a) owning the accounts and b) naming each account after a specific role rather than the user’s name, a staffing change can be easily addressed: Change the avatar, change the profile info, and voila. Within minutes, the problem can be solved and continuity can be preserved. The account’s followers aren’t lost and the public doesn’t have to search for a new account. Presto.
Note: This isn’t necessarily what I suggest doing, but it is one of several options available to organizations, and for many corporate cultures, roles rather than names may be ideal. Use your best judgment here and make sure that whatever route you take in this regards takes into account your company culture, the need to properly humanize accounts, issues of continuity, and your employees’ preferences when it comes to the management of their professional online presence while in your employ.
The response process
Okay. So now we have a structure: At the center (or top) of ABC Corp.’s Twitter program is the faceless corporate account. The Brand’s account. The account with arguably the most visibility but the least amount of… character. @ABCcorp is the account through which most announcements are made. Though it engages with fans and customers, these touches are very brief and very light. Typically, 1 out of 10 tweets from this account tend to be some kind of PR or promotional tweet. Links to new blog posts, to press releases, to newly launched microsites, etc. For examples of this, check out @homedepot, @starbucks, etc.
And of course, the @ABCcorp account also gets a lot of requests for attention. We’ve already addressed that the largest percentage of requests for action involve customer service issues. Complaints, requests for support, etc. In this particular example, the request is:
@twitteruser9000x : @ABCcorp I’ve been wondering about what kinds of benefits you guys offer. Is it true that you offer pet insurance?
Here’s what should happen:
In this instance, the inquiry and acknowledgment exchange should look like this:
@twitteruser9000x : @ABCcorp I’ve been wondering about what kinds of benefits you guys offer. Is it true that you offer pet insurance?
@ABCcorp : @twitteruser9000x Great question. Let me hook you up with someone who can answer your question. Do you follow @ABC_HR yet?
At this point, two things can happen:
1. @ABC_HR should be monitoring Twitter (even passively). If so, the mention of his name by @ABCcorp should pop up in his stream and prompt a response.
2. To make absolutely sure that the message (or ticket) doesn’t get lost through in the shuffle, the person managing the @ABCcorp account can ping/email/call/txt or otherwise notify @ABC_HR of the request.
Procedurally, there are many ways of doing this properly. Whatever works best for the organization. What’s important is that the handoff doesn’t end up in a fumble.
What happens next should be fairly simple:
@ABC_HR : @twitteruser9000x Hi Jill. Yes we do. A lot of us are pet owners here, so we want to make sure our furry friends get the nest care possible. ๐
@twitteruser9000x : @ABC_HR That’s so awesome! Can you tell me more about it?
@ABC_HR : @twitteruser9000x Sure! Check out all the deets here (insert hyperlink) and let me know if you have any questions. BTW, dog, cat, or other? ๐
So let’s recap real quick:
1. Someone addresses a question to the brand’s general account (@ABCcorp).
2. The account manager acknowledges the request in a prompt, friendly matter.
3. The account manager determines who within the team would best be suited to respond to the request.
4. The account manager notifies the best person within the team that they need to respond to a request on twitter.
5. The designated “human” account takes over and engages with the person who triggered the inquiry.
It’s that simple.
Other types of response models
Example A: The indirect complaint
1. Someone tweets about a horrible experience they just had with one of ABCcorp’s products.
2. The account manager for @ABCcorp spots the complaint in his stream. (Via a simple Tweetdeck #search, for instance, his Radian 6 dashboard, or any number of means.)
3. Even though the person with the complaint didn’t address the complaint directly to @ABCcorp, the @ABCcorp account manager acknowledges the complaint. (Or passes it on directly to the appropriate account manager. Perhaps @ABC_cs1 or @ABC_cs2)
4. Response, dialogue, resolution.
Example B: Complaint tweeted to the wrong person
1. Someone complains to @ABC_CMO about a promotion that seems to have vanished once they got inside one of ABC-Corp’s stores.
2. @ABC_CMO acknowledges the complaint but has better things to do than take care of every customer service complaint. He knows he needs to graciously pass off the complaint/inquiry to someone else:
@ABC_CMO : @angry_tweep99 Hi Jack. I’m not sure what happened with that. What store was it?
@angry_tweep99 : @ABC_CMO It was store #123 in Greenville, SC. This is the second time it’s happened this year! What’s going on?!
@ABC_CMO : @angry_tweep99 Sorry about that. Hang on. I’m boarding a plane in two minutes, so let me hook you up with @ABC_cs2. She’ll help you fix the problem right away. ๐
3. @ABC_cs2 takes over the dialogue. Easy as pie.
In this case, the handoff was completely lateral. The @ABCcorp account didn’t need to get involved.
For bonus points, @ABC_CMO can check back with @angry_tweep99 later that day or the next morning to make sure the problem was resolved.
A few things to think about
1. It makes sense to have an overarching corporate account for the brand. The avatar for the account should be the brand logo/mark. Its @name should reflect the brand as well.
2. It makes sense to create unique “human” accounts for various members of the organization’s team who will be called upon to engage on Twitter. These accounts form the company’s human layer of engagement.
3. For the sake of clarity and brand continuity, the avatars for these human accounts should be a blend of the person’s face AND the corporate logo. Without a logo, the face is just another random face on Twitter. Give the avatar context. Give people a visual cue. Brand the conversation from the start. Let them know that they are being taken care of by a representative of your company.
4. The main twitter account for the brand can (and probably should) serve as the receiving hub for all inquiries and comments.
5. While the main twitter account usually does a fine job of lightly engaging the public, it is not necessarily best suited to pursue deeper and more meaningful engagement, which, after all is the point of being on Twitter.
A) People want to talk to a human being, not a logo.
B) It is difficult to develop a relationship with a logo.
C) People want to engage people inside a company. They want access. They want a link to someone behind the veil.
D) Give people what they want. (See A, B and C above)
Note: It doesn’t cost you anything to create Twitter accounts. Why limit yourself to one corporate account? More to the point, why force a team of people to share a faceless corporate account and make them use silly antics like ^signatures?
(If you don’t know what I am talking about, look for tweets from corporate Twitter accounts with footers like ^MS or ^JS. Those are signatures. They indicate that several people are using the same faceless account. Tweets ending with ^MS might be published by Michelle Smith while tweets ending with ^JS may be published by Jack Smith.)
Why? Why would a company do this? It’s just silly. Give these people their own accounts already.
6. Companies in their first year of Social Media adoption need to start thinking about how they plan to manage online accounts a year from now. It isn’t enough to think about today. Ask the question: As more and more of our employees start using Social Media for us the way they use phones and email, how do we ensure that a) this all remains manageable no matter how fast it spreads across our organization, and b) our brand is conveyed properly and remains true to our standards in the Social Media space?
Hint: Structure and methodology help manage things like this.
The model I shared here is not the only valid one, but I propose that every organization considering how to properly structure their Twitter engagement at least look at how it might work for them. Test it, see what works, tweak what doesn’t, and have fun.
There’s a lot more to talk about, but I think I’ve covered the main points for today.
Questions?
Special thanks to several of my "Like Minds" conference co-speakers
for lending their profile photos to this post. ๐
PS: This is the kind of stuff I cover in my upcoming book on social media program development, alreadyย available for pre-order on amazon.com (minus the cool X-ray photography). If you find posts like this one valuable, be sure toย check it out.
Cheers.
Very concrete and practical post, thanks!
Thank you.
What about for smaller companies that may not have a Twitter rep in each department, announcing who will be tweeting for the next given time period? With a small team that I manage at a University, every 8-10 hours we announce the new member of the team that will be tweeting followed by a “^xx” with their initials. I think for small companies/groups, this is a smart way of keeping the brand (especially if they only have one account) while also putting a human face and personality to it.
For that, your structure is simpler. If one person wears several of those hats, then let them just be who they are, include their role in the bio, and leave it at that. No need to start your own account if the person rather than the role is going to be leading the activity.
For continuity’s sake though, make sure that you capture all of your followers’ accounts so that when an influential member of your staff leaves, you don’t lose their reach in the space along with their account.
Brilliant post, very, very handy indeed!
Thanks!
We listen, and we comment. ๐ Thank you, of course, for tossing our name into the fray. This is a topic pretty close to my heart as I’m still a bit up in the air as to the best way a brand should operate on Twitter.
As I’m sure you’ve seen, there are four of us who tweet from the Radian6 Twitter account, and we all maintain our own, personal Twitter accounts (which we also use often to Tweet on behalf of the brand). Is this the best way to operate? For us, I think so, as the structure and process are in line with our brand character at the moment. Will this change? As we grow I think there’s a good chance we’ll move more toward the model you speak of here — a more balanced blend of individual response and corporate representation.
Awesome post (as always), and thank you, again, for the Radian6 shout-out.
Cheers,
Teresa
You guys put out a pretty good product. ๐
Thanks Olivier. Great advice about the use of avatars that blend a human face with a corporate logo. Bookmarked!
Thanks.
Heh Olivier… great to see such a well thought out and well illustrated post… thanks for sharing…Mark
Wow, what an awesome book cover! And, seriously, great post. I’ve passed the link along in-house. Totally agree that “thinking ahead” is what will probably help folks stand out from the crowd even more when everyone really is on social channels in the near future.
Thinking ahead can’t hurt.
Wow. I’m quite impressed. I’ve read a number of posts that address the age-old debate of Face vs. Logo for corporate Twitter avatars, but never such a clearly defined solution. I’ll be tweeting and passing this to colleagues. I haven’t seen too many people with the logo/face combination but I like the way you’ve done it.
Jon
@Story_Jon
Thanks. Check out @ScottMonty’s avatar. Great example of how a company can blend a face with a corporate identity.
I’m sort of nutty and can’t get past the whole Amazon pedophile thing, at least for now…is there another way to pre-order? B & N?
Nevermind-found it on B&N ๐
It’s on B&N too? See, I didn’t know that.
@thoughtxthought : well thank u kind sir. my practice looks fwd to adopting these thorough measures and i will appropriately adapt…thoughtfully…the way we do things round here.
@tresha : you nailed it. treating every tweet expecting it’s the voice of a human being. plus. u offer true collaborative strategy.
@not_me_tresha: dude. don’t u get it? no1 cares bout doin it personably and right. this would require treating people, ya know. like people. lame.
Great how-to…but it would have been stellar if, instead of using Trey Pennington et al in the avatars, you’d just used different pictures of yourself with varying levels and styles of facial hair? You know…a goatee here, a mouey there. Perhaps if you’d had time to source some professional props your IT guy could have had a false nose, spectacles and a wig?
Next time.
Fabulous post! I’ve been scouring the web for some articles/posts/whitepapers/etc. on different types of response models and different ways to structure social media engagement teams. One thing to note about the model outline above is that it is scalable. This is something that my company has dealt with as our social media team has expanded. We are in the business of offering customer support. We started out with twitter handles @NameCompany (e.g. @JoeStarbucks) and realized… what happens if that person is on vacation? or sick? or leaves the company? Well, yes, you can change the twitter handle…or have someone else tweet with that account… but any customer who is used to tweeting to @NameCustomer is now confused! So, we changed our model and now use the @ABC_cs1 method. So far, it is working much better. And I hope that as our team grows that this process (with some modification) will scale itself out. With that said… do you have tips for using this model to scale out to a team of up to 10-25 customer service reps? Oh, and we use Radian 6 to monitor and engage…it is the best!
This is a great “how to” on what it means to have a topbottom relationship between “corporations” and individuals with personalities.
The point of social media is much different than other forms of marketing, where advertisements are basically shoved down people’s throats. Social media allows companies to develop meaningful relationships with fans and core customers. That’s where you get the most leverage.
Yep.
Great post. We’re a large multi-national corporation and have been looking at how to structure our twitter prescence. Initially we’ve had @brandname as the channel for everything and have been responding through this medium. Over time we’re getting more customer complaints which are showing on our main brand account. Do you think separating a customer service model as above is the best way to look after our customers/and improve sentiment on the main brand account? We’re looking at @brandname @brandnamemedia (corporate relations), @brandnamecustserv. Personally it makes sense but interested as to your thoughts.
Let necessity dictate the direction you take.
What do your customers need? <– Start there. If they need a clear delineation for customer service, technical support and other "functions," give it to them. Start a help desk account, for example. Start with a broad customer support account and become more specific as the need arises.
But also don't forget the need for a face. A person. A name. Someone they can relate to. Ford has Scott Monty. You need to put people forward, not just roles. the whole social aspect of this thing hinges on people relating to people. Trusting them. depending on them for advice. They want familiarity. They want a face they know and trust.
You have a really inspiring and interesting Blog. It is really fun to read.
If you like, you can check out my website as well at: http://marketingsecretsunlimited.com/ I would be grateful ๐
I also offer free software.
Olivier,
What about the business owners that says they do not want their company to be represented by a person’s face that could leave?
While we talk about the warm fuzzies of human touch, they deal with everyday facts folks move on to other companies or life partners jobs cause them to move and leave and then company has to deal with another new face.
Not sure why some folks do not want to use face with logo on it. I suggest it all the time and have gotten quite a bit of push back.
Heck, even Joe at @AJbombers uses a pic of food not a person.
That’s because AJ Bombers has an awesome looking burger to showcase. ๐
You don’t have to put faces on your avatars. You can be as corporate as you want. In most cases, it just won’t work as well.
Olivier,
Long-time reader, first-time commenter (how’s *that* for combining media?!). I’m a fan of this post, and think there’s a lot to offer here. I don’t agree with the ^ signatures being silly, though. I get your point about a human face – believe me. I’m my company’s social media zealot/evangelist (and dare I say it – Director… let the jabs begin!). One of my challenges is that I have multiple people – not always the same people – participating on the Twitter platform. For me to tell them to set up a quasi-personal/corporate brand means that I run the risk of them starting for a little bit, and then fizzling. I’d rather have them tweet out through a corporate account, and ‘sign’ tweets. This way, I can track who is posting what, and assist them or correct (only if needed). Your model is a great one, but I think it supposes that those that are tweeting are all relatively skilled (and actually want to do so).
its a bit lengthy