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Twitter: helping Rhode Island businesses represent their brand
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Rhode Island might be the smallest state in the Union, but businesses in the Ocean State are learning how to represent their brand with the help of Twitter. A free social networking and micro-blogging service, Twitter enables its users to send and read each others 140 character updates, known as tweets. These tweets are then displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to other users (known as followers) who have subscribed to them.
The Perry Group hosted the first Rhode Island Business Tweet-up with a panel of Twitter experts on May 19, 2009. Since then, the Twitter phenomenon has grown for many businesses in Rhode Island. The economy has wreaked havoc on local businesses. Many business owners are turning to Twitter to further brand their business and to reach out to their customers more proactively.
Lifespan, Rhode Island's first health system, started using Twitter in the spring of 2009. Lifespan, Founded in 1994, Lifespan includes five partner hospitals. A Twitter account was set up for each hospital and the accounts are managed via a computer application named Split Tweet. Managing multiple Twitter accounts is not easy, but getting the word out about the quality care that Lifespan offers is worth the effort.
Nancy Cawley Jean, who manages social media for Lifespan, is learning as she goes on Twitter. "We want to connect with people. I think people are sometimes surprised when they mention one of our hospitals and get a personal response from me, as the representative of the hospital in the social media world. For the most part, the feedback has been extremely positive and supportive, and it’s so great to connect with people who we otherwise would never have heard from. As Twitter has proven itself to also be a source for breaking news, we also see a lot of value in being able to utilize this great tool to get the word out quickly during emergency situations to help inform the community."
Even the media is getting in on the Twitter media craze. ABC 6 television anchor Alison Alexander actively tweets out news updates while putting a real life spin on her Tweets. She combines her down to earth personality with her savvy news reporting to connect with her Twitter followers, keeping them updated on breaking news. Channel 6 Meteorologist Fred Campagna keeps Rhode Islanders updated with weather trends via his frequent Twitter updates. New England weather changes so frequently that Fred's tweets are much appreciated throughout the day.
Rhode Island Monthly uses Twitter to promote local events and to keep Rhode Islanders updated on the current news at the magazine. Nicole Roussell tweets for Rhode Island Monthly magazine. "At first, I thought it was probably a waste of time. I started to look into it but gave up. About a month later I decided to pick it up again. It was then I realized that being part the conversation is a great way to represent the brand, image and voice of the company. It also provides a tool to get the news out about things going on at the magazine."
Local businesses continue to learn about Twitter and are finding that branding by way of social media is not only a smart move but a necessary one. As more Rhode Island businesses find out that reaching out to consumers and clients by way of Twitter, they will realize that it is a powerful yet personal marketing tool.
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