Today, over on Twittermaven, Warren Sukernek reminded the Hilton Anaheim that there’s more to Twitter than broadcasting ads. He also presented two fantastic examples of hotels that use Twitter very well: Hotel Max in Seattle, and the Roger Smith Hotel in New York. One quick look at the Twitter pages of all three hotels and you’ll see the distinct difference: Hotel Max and the Roger Smith both interact with their followers and related businesses. You don’t even need to go past the first page to see how much fun they’re having on Twitter! They also tweet helpful information for travelers, industry related articles, and give shout-outs to great snapshots taken by fans. They’re personable and lots of fun. Even though their twitter avatars are logos, their followers know there are real people behind the tweets, and the voices/personalities are consistent. When they do sprinkle in the occasional special offers and contests in tweets, there’s already such a great level of trust that their followers are happy to spread the word for them! Meanwhile, over on Hilton Anaheim‘s Twitter page, every tweet is nothing more than a miniature billboard or small space ad.
Hotel Max has been a shining example of customer engagement through social media, and I’ve learned a lot by observing Jen’s work. When I started the @BenBridgeGirl Twitter account in January 2009, I began by searching for customers, acknowledging their visits or purchases, and providing service referrals when appropriate. I have not found lot of chatter about Ben Bridge Jeweler on Twitter (this is another topic/post about building a “talkable brand”), so I’ve spent more time focusing on connecting with the bridal industry, accessory retailers, the hospitality industry, fashion bloggers, and many jewelry industry professionals. And yes, I also reach out to competitors, because instinctively, I know it’s a positive move. We’re all in the same community, after all. During my observations, most major jewelry retailers started out by using Twitter like a shiny new blow horn, and it’s understandable. Today, I’m happy to see that both Zales @zalesdiamondgal and Blue Nile @bluenilediamond are starting to acknowledge customers for their purchases and mentions.
My goal for @BenBridgeGirl is to build brand recognition, and provide customer service when appropriate. Perhaps some time in the future, there will be a few offers or goodies thrown in, but sales is not a primary goal for @BenBridgeGirl. Jewelry purchases, after all, are high-touch experiences that are often emotional, and much of it can’t be done very well with 140 characters. With that said, I can also see a jewelry retailer maintaining a separate Twitter account for “outlet” type of sales, to cater to bargain hunters, but that’s another conversation. 
12 Comments
Veronica,
Great post – I love your strategy for @BenBridgeGirl. Reaching out to competitors is also very smart. You are well on your way. Thanks for the mention. A good day for @Hotel_Max, I’d say!
Warren – Thanks for always inspiring me to think more and further, and for being so supportive of me since the day we met!
Great post and I completely agree – the Hotel Max has done an amazing job with Twitter. I know for one that it is only because of Jen’s Twitter use am I even aware of Hotel Max. I mean, c’mon – I live here, why would I care about hotels? But in all honesty, she’s held several awesome tweetups and has been very engaging and now when I need to recommend a place here in Seattle, my first thought is Hotel Max.
Kenji – Great point. Some people have asked me: why does a local hotel need to make friends with locals? Well, travelers like getting “insider tips” from the locals! Like you said, Jen has done an amazing job for Hotel Max’s social media presence. She’s a natural. When there’s such a talented and passionate person behind the brand, Hotel Max wins.
Great Post. You are right both Hotel Max and RS Hotel do a great job of engaging with the community. I completely agree with your thought that Twitter, and Social Media in general, should not be blow horns for businesses. However, when done right Social Media can become a Magnet for Business.
I think you are absolutely on the right track working with others in your industry. True, they might fall into the “competitor” bucket today, but the jewelry business is like almost every other business — you never know who you are going to end up with with or for. Keep up the great work. I’m glad to see you are blogging more.
Jeff – You’ve been a great blogging mentor, and I truly appreciate your continued encouragement and nudges.
I love what you said about “a magnet for business.” The key is to use social media to attract/pull, not to keep pushing/broadcasting.
Great post on monologue vs dialogue Veronica! One big part of the social web that really attracts me is the ability to work and partner with others, especially competitors. Partnering allows us to push innovation further than doing it on our own.
Charl – Yes! You said it so well: “monologue vs. dialogue.” Reaching out to competitors also helps position a business as a leader or mentor among its peers. My favorite example is Michael Schechter @MSchechter of Honora Pearls. My current company, Ben Bridge Jeweler, is not doing business with Honora, but that has never stopped Michael from sharing his knowledge and experience with me. I’m truly grateful for that.
I like the notion of building with other brands within or across industries to learn from others successes. I know that the Roger Smith Hotel does this very well. Not only seen through twitter but as part of their whole social media campaign they focus on the people. They celebrate everyones success as if it was their own through their distribution platforms. Ultimately others success translates to their success. It is quite an interesting thing to watch.
Check out http://www.rogersmithlife.com/ to see what I am talking about.
Hi John — Thanks for the link! I’m very impressed by what Roger Smith has done to recognize people and tell their stories. Very glad to have connected with you on Facebook as well!
Thanks for this informative post and for including so many sources. I’m going to use your post during a meeting next week.
Sean
Sean — Thanks! Let me know how your meeting goes!