Not long ago, it became known that Dell had made $1 million in revenue due to its use of Twitter.  Mind you, $1 million for Dell is very little (and it was made over the course of 18 months), but if anyone’s gotten the urge to focus some attention on the 140-words-at-a-time site, here are some ideas on how to handle it if things go south.

You’ll need to start with the actual knowledge that the situation’s undesirable, of course, so use Twitter’s search function to see what’s being said about you.  Full-blown analysis tools will work, too, if you have a bigger budget or a small case of paranoia.

Then, Freddie Laker suggests, “Consider the source.  Look at the recent around Johnson and Johnson’s ill-advised Motrin Mom campaign.  Angry ‘Mommy Bloggers,’ led by Los Angeles blogger Jessica Gottlieb and her 1,000-plus bloggers, used Twitter to get mighty J&J to do an about-face on a large ad campaign. . . .  Conversely, the cranky individual making an offhand comment to his dozen or so followers probably doesn’t merit a response.”

Next, if a response seems necessary, be careful with your tone.  Bashing a critic - even if you’re unquestionably correct - carries the risk of making you look like a jerk.  Timeliness is important, so you may not want to sit on the response, but think about having a friend or two look at things.

Laker concludes, “When in doubt, think of the sage words your mother probably gave you regarding sticks and stones and how they hurt more than names.”  Even in a place where people have to pick their 140 words with care.

Share: del.icio.us Reddit Google Netscape StumbleUpon Technorati