Why NOT to hire a PR company to tweet for you

Tweeting is too important a job to simply outsource to a PR company who doesn't know your brand inside out. Plus if you have a great social strategy in place, posting 140 characters to Twitter every day or 2 shouldn't be a hard or big job.

The ghost vs the real tweeter

The Aussie (ghost) tweets for this brand are all marketing and pushing sales. Their tweets are all about them, we did this, our product is great, we've been featured in... etc. They have a "we only want your money" feel to them. They also don't respond to anyone who tweets to them. No thanks for trying our product, no replies to issues, nothing. No customer service at all. They are following thousands of people on twitter and barely have less than half the number following them. Clearly they are doing it wrong.

The OS (inhouse) tweets have a great balance of sales and service. Their tweets are friendly. They do push products and talk about themselves on occasion but its mixed with customer service so you don't mind. They respond to messages and interact with their community. They are building a good solid follower base not focused on numbers but on brand activists. They are still following too many people to realistically read what they are saying but they are on the right track.

This is one occasion to hire Ghost-busters.

This is a great example of why you don't need a ghost tweeter, you just need some social media training. Don’t mislead your online audience or place your brand in the wrong hands. A ghost tweeter is never going to represent your company as well as you or one of your staff.

Reasons why you don't need a PR company to handle your social media.

1. It's all about customer service.

Would you outsource the person who answers your phone or talks to customers in store? NO. Twitter is like your online staff member. Stop and consider the fact that your PR company might not be the most suitable tweeter. Much of social media is about responding to your audience. Ghost-tweeters shouldn’t be tasked with dealing with customer service issues and other queries.

2. Social media isn’t rocket science.

There’s nothing to it, once you’ve learned the basics.

3. Your staff are your best asset.

You and your staff are far closer to your products and services than a freelance ghost-tweeter will be. Make the most of your staff knowledge and passion for your company. Social media shouldn’t be 100% of one person’s job; it should be 1% of 100 peoples’ jobs. Share the responsibility throughout your team.

4. Social media isn't going anywhere.

It is far better to invest in training for your staff, for long-term success. Social media is just another facet of marketing and customer service. Say it with me. Repeat it until you know it by heart. Social media is just another facet of marketing and customer service. You need to integrate it into your current work flow.

5. You need to make your own mistakes.

While there are lots of guidelines for social media, there is no fixed rulebook to adhere to. What’s right for one brand may be wrong for another. Mistakes will inevitably be made, and how you deal with them reveals a great deal to your audience. Firing a ghost-tweeter who has overstepped the mark isn’t going to help you to figure out Twitter.

6. You might get found out.

Trust is one of the most important parts of your relationship with your customers. Don't start lying to them on a daily basis through a ghost writer. How will your customers feel knowing your tweets don't come from you? Will they care? Sure they will, if they try to communicate with you and don't get a response because your ghost tweeter doesn't know how.

But you don't want to manage it in-house (no time, no suitable staff, no knowledge)?

We understand. That's why we offer a social media management service. We become your social media staff member - dedicated to online customer support and service.

View the details on our social media manager service.