by: Erika Stevens

At the beginning of March we decided to take the plunge and join Twitter.  We are still in the exploratory phase of our relationship with Twitter, but what we have learned so far has been very interesting.  Our first priority didn’t involve having specific loyalty marketing and rewards program topics to talk about but was more of an observation stance.  As a business we understand that conversations are happening on Twitter and at the very least we need to be listening to what is going on. 

My first priority was to set up a number of keyword searches to monitor the conversations including the words loyalty program and rewards program.  The number of tweets for those subjects daily is typically over 100 each.  These Twitter feeds on loyalty and rewards programs are where I not only hear about new rewards program in the loyalty industry, but also feedback about specific experiences with rewards and loyalty programs. 

One of the most interesting conversations has been about AMC changing from the MovieWatcher program to Stubs program.   I had received a letter a few months ago letting me know that the free MovieWatcher program was going to be replaced by an enhanced paid program called Stubs.  I had my own reaction when I opened that letter and learned that I would have to pay $12 a year to be a part of the new improved program, but once the Stubs rewards program debuted at the theaters it started a Twitteroar (I just made that up…Twitter uproar?)  I couldn’t keep up with the number of Tweets voicing customer’s disapproval of the new rewards program.  On the flip side I see at least 20 Tweets a day about how much someone loves a particular rewards program or loyalty program.  Just this morning there was a Tweet raving about MyPanera and how great it is that the rewards for members are random.       

While Twitter can be overwhelming, I hope that these examples encourage you to get out there and see what people are saying about your business and your rewards/loyalty program or the loyalty industry as a whole.  If you haven’t pinpointed what wisdom you have to share with the world in 140 characters that’s okay.  Start dipping your toes into the Twitterverse by listening and then become a participant in the conversation when you have something to say. 

I don’t pretend to be an expert on Twitter so I wanted to include a couple of resources for businesses that are new to Twitter.  Find us on twitter - @TecmarkInc. 

http://j-netsolutions.com/blogs/blog/archives/24105

http://kylelacy.com/5-ways-to-use-twitter-for-marketing/

http://www.businesspundit.com/10-essential-twitter-tools-for-business/