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Opinion: Twitter savvy isn't for the birds

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Shakespeare’s Polonius said it: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

And any Twitter user worth his salt knows it.

Once considered a passing fad, Twitter has developed into a social media must-have for the astute, clever and street smart among us. It’s changed the way we talk to each other and the way we interact with businesses.

Originally labeled micoblogging, the social media site is a go-to for breaking news, helps us follow and track trends, allows us to directly contact companies and serves as a creative outlet. But 140 characters isn’t much to get your message out. As an example, the previous two sentences amount to 243 characters  – and that doesn’t even leave room for hashtags or emojis.

Twitter no longer is just a place to chat with friends, it’s a way for brands to talk directly to their customers. For the Twitter savvy, it’s a company’s proving ground. A witty comment or botched response on Twitter can travel the world in minutes. But it’s about more than just getting your message out; it’s about the interaction. A Harvard Business Review report found better than 70 percent of companies plainly ignore complaints on Twitter.
Bad move.

However, some companies just get Twitter.

When my Fitbit broke, I tweeted the company and they fixed it. When I couldn’t find the Asian sauce mirin at my local HyVee, I tweeted the grocer and requested the item. When my husband was having issues with our AT&T bill, he tweeted the company and they worked it out.

If you’re in the know, you’re on Twitter.

Some people just get Twitter, too. Missouri State University President Clif Smart gets Twitter.

With more than 7,000 tweets to his name since joining three years ago, @ClifSmart tweets about staff awards and Bears sporting events, but also about Powerball, the time he photo-bombed a couple of students and recording Downton Abbey.

While Twitter allows Smart to connect with students, it also opens him up for attack and none is more brutal then a snow day rebellion.

During the late January snow, MSU didn’t cancel classes, much to the vexation of students, and Smart took the heat on Twitter. Tweets ranging from desperate pleas, to pictures of snowed-in cars and beratements for endangering student welfare filled my Twitter feed and prompted the following post from Smart: “No one should risk life driving to campus. An aside, 200,000+ other people are driving to work in Greene Co today”.

Translation: Put on your big-girl panties, you’re an adult now. As an MSU alumna, I simply say, #BearUp.

Smart isn’t the only southwest Missourian known for their Twitter savvy. Here are a few people from the business community to watch:

• Springfield Public Schools Superintendent John Jungmann – @johnjungmann – tweets every day about district events and, moreover, takes his fare share of snow day criticism.

• News-Leader Consumer Experience Director Allen Vaughan – @AllenVaughanNL – has the right mix of buzz words and personality.

• Mark Hillenburg – @Hillenblog – is the go-to for everything downtown Springfield. Digital Monitoring Products Inc. marketing director by day, the Heer’s resident keeps an eye on the happenings below.

• City Manager Greg Burris  – @SGFCityManager – knows how to turn a phrase, though his frequency is lacking. Along those lines, city Economic Development Director Mary Lily Smith – @EcoDivaSGF – doesn’t tweet often, but she makes it count.

• CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards – @SDECoxHealth – is the voice of local health care.

• On the company side, add MSU’s eFactory – @The_eFactory – and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce – @SGFChamber – to your list.

I currently follow 497 people on Twitter, far too many to name here, but as the new audience development director for Springfield Business Journal, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include one more – @sbjnet.

I’d like to say I get Twitter. While @sbjnet is improving, I know I still have a lot to learn.

On March 21, the social media network will have been with us for a decade. I’ve had an account for nine-plus years – @EmilyLetterman – but I learn something new every day. As the millennial takeover continues, if you’re not tweeting, you’re irrelevant.

#justsayin

Springfield Business Journal Features Editor and Audience Development Director Emily Letterman can be reached at eletterman@sbj.net.

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