Stuart Aitken, editorial manager at the IAB, wonders why some brands can't use Twitter as effectively as a golfer can.
I'm fully aware that not everyone is into golf. But bear with me, this piece is actually about Twitter, and shows how the micro-blogging site can be used to transform even the most boring of brands into something interesting.
Until this morning I was blissfully unaware of the fact that Hertford's most sartorially challenged sports star, Ian Poulter had a serious Twitter habit. I then read this excellent piece from Donald McRae in today's Guardian in which Poulter explained why he thought Twitter was such a useful tool.
"If you’re sitting in an office, doing nine to five, this is a great insight into pro golf. Where else are you going to see the inside of a players’ lounge at a major? Lots of people can’t afford to go to major tournaments, so I try and give them a little extra.”
So I checked out Mr Poulter's Twitter feed and sure enough he does offer "a little extra". His feed from this morning for example is filled with pictures of Turnberry's back nine, taken as he paced the course on a practice round.
This got me thinking - why can’t brands use Twitter as effectively as a golfer?
Poulter’s feed shows that personality goes a long way. These are not the tweets of a PR person. This is the work of someone who knows his brand inside out and is not afraid to express himself.
It also shows that you don’t necessarily have to stick to a strict format of text followed by hyperlink. Why not mix up your posts as Poulter does by sharing pictures of your day. By doing so, you can offer a great insight into your brand.
The proof of the effectiveness of Poulter’s tweeting is not just in the numbers, it is also in the fact that his followers clearly love his feed. Comments include "good pictures, good tweets...making it fun"; "thanks so much for taking these pictures. It's the next best thing to being there" and "I think your (sic) taking Twitter to whole new dimension".
Poulter is a long way off the numbers of the top sports star tweeters like Shaquille O’Neil and Lance Armstrong, but he does indeed seem to be taking golf to another dimension with his use of Twitter. At a time when golfers are accused of being faceless automatons this can only be a good thing for the game.
This is something that brands would do well to take note of. With a little bit of imagination, coupled with the application of the necessary resources, Twitter can also be used to transform the image of even the most boring of brands.
At the IAB’s Twitter networking night last week, much of the conversation concerned how brands could utilise micro-blogging to communicate more effectively with their audience. The examples of Dell, Penguin and comparethemarket show that a lot is possible. But there is still much to be done.
In the good old days, lots of business was done on the golf course. Perhaps modern brands would do well to look to the fairways once again for inspiration…
