Salesforce Twitter: Don't interrupt customer conversations

ByLaurel Papworth

Social networks meets market intelligence meets customer relationship management systems might just equal spam. Spam: food for thought So this is what I see happening on Twitter: GaryPHayes: @SilkCharm Watcha doin’ Silk? SilkCharm: @GaryPHayes making a cup of tea. Gonna have it with a Tim Tam ArnottsTeam @SilkCharm Oh you like TimTams? Have you seen…

Social networks meets market intelligence meets customer relationship management systems might just equal spam.

spamSpam: food for thought

So this is what I see happening on Twitter:

  • GaryPHayes: @SilkCharm Watcha doin’ Silk?
  • SilkCharm: @GaryPHayes making a cup of tea. Gonna have it with a Tim Tam
  • ArnottsTeam @SilkCharm Oh you like TimTams? Have you seen our new “I LOVE TIM TAMS” widget, you can add it to your blog!
  • WoolworthsTwitter: @SilkCharm We have a special offer on Tim Tams today, only. Use your voucher TwitTams for 2 for 1 offer!
  • HeartFoundation: @SilkCharm you can have a Tim Tam but don’t forget fruit such as peaches are great for you!
  • RedTulipLovers: @SilkCharm Our “family favourites” pack has been tweeted about 2,456,987 times on Twitter – follow me at @RedTulipLovers for…
  • SilkCharm: @GaryPHayes…. hmmm maybe I’ll just have a Vegemite sandwich instead.
  • KraftTastesGood: @SilkCharm Did you know that Vegemite has only 40KJ in a 5 gram serve?
  • SilkCharm: I’m not hungry anymore – Spam sandwich filled me up.

Sucks no?

You don’t have to jump in every time someone mentions your name. Good or bad or indifferent brand conversations – ignore some of ’em. And autotweeting offers is just gonna get you blocked.  You see, normal spam is impersonal – this social spam is personal. Viagra email to women is just plain irrelevant – but eavesdropping and sending me ads based on my discussions is going to – for digital immigrants anyway – raise ire that could cause a massive backlash.

Salesforce is integrating the Twitter API into it’s CRM. What does this mean? Well a sales person using the Salesforce panel can see whenever anyone uses their brand name or keywords, bypassing search.twitter.com and monitor the conversation. Saw this all over the ‘net but here’s Dean Collins blog:

This was too cool not to write about.

As a lot of you reading this will already know – I love Twitter and I love Salesforce so how cool is this combination;

http://www.businessinsider.com/people-complaining-about-your-biz-on-twitter-salesforcecom-has-an-app-for-that-2009-3
Here’s how is works: Salesforce plugs in to the Twitter API, and customer care reps can start Twitter searches from within Salesforce’s service, bypassing search.twitter.com. If a company discovers someone tweeting about them (good or bad), a button click can import the entire Twitter thread into Salesforce’s software.

From there, it’s almost the same as if the Twitter user called in on a 1-800 number. A PC user complaining about a faulty graphics card on Twitter can be cross-referenced against similar reports that originate from traditional customer care lines, and if a workaround exists a company can tweet back with a tinyurl (or whatever) link to the solution.

Is it for everyone nope, but if you have a bent for listending to your customers this is a natural module to implement.

Be careful out there, boys and girls. Information = Power but only when it’s used for Truthiness and Goodness.

17 Comments

  11. Well there are tools, then there are tools who dont know how to use tools.

    Which one you are is really beyond to control of Twitter and Salesforce.

    …. and I still think it’s cool 😛

    Cheers,
    Dean

  14. This is an annoying approach certainly but in some ways I appreciate it over people randomly dropping in and saying, “Yes, Tim Tams are the greatest biscuit on earth,” and neglecting to disclose their professional relationship with Arnott’s.

    Recently I mentioned on Twitter that I wanted a novelty tshirt with a particular slogan and I was quickly followed or contacted by half a dozen tshirt companies. One even presumed to design a tshirt with my slogan and throw it on their website. That annoyed me.

    John Lacey’s last blog post..Advertisers: Users Engaged ‘For The Sake Of It’

  15. Hi Laurel,

    Enjoy reading your blog – always something interesting happening. REcently I re-tweeted your Aston Martin promo, and lost a number of followers – but that is topic for another day.

    I can safely say that the scenario you describe above is highly unlikely in the long term. I am yet to meet brand managers of just major brands who are that desperate. I could be wrong, but I think common sense prevails.

    PC

    Peeyoosh Chandra’s last blog post..How things go viral

  16. great post, my interest would be if they didnt come in like a lead ballon?

    Idea 1 – delayed tweets about tim tams or if they just contacted @GaryPHayes

    Idea 2 – add u to email marketing database and send u products updates

    Idea 3 – @ozziebruce (undercover ArnottsTeam a/c) contacts you to swap timtam stories…

    So im sure idea 2 would get you a bad name, but really is less direct marketing different if it is not pushy? Of course there are more advanced/successful idea, that i wont list here :)-

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