While many senior executives have taken to our digitally connected universe like ducks to water, others haven’t. And if that statement resonates – then this document is for you. Welcome to the first in a series of documents specifically designed for the CEO – or senior executive – who wants to know more and how best to join the party.

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2. Web sites. Ecommerce. Mobile. Tablets. Facebook. Twitter.
Pinterest. Instagram. The list goes on.
But while many have taken to our digitally connected
universe like ducks to water, others haven’t. And if that
statement resonates – then this document is for you.
Welcome to the first in a series of documents specifically
designed for the CEO – or senior executive – who wants to
know more and how best to join the party.
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3. First thing to know: You’re not alone!
According to CEO.com, only a fraction of Fortune 500 CEO’s
participate in Social Media:
Just 7.6% are on Facebook.
Just 1.8% use Twitter
And 70% have no social media presence at all.
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4. Reasons you’re not alone might include:
Not knowing how to use technology
Worrying about making a public mistake
Overwhelmed as to where to start
Not enough time to get started and / or engage
Whatever the reason, this series of documents will help
shed some light on some of these new digital touch points,
and give you some insight on whether they’re right for you.
Ready? Introducing Twitter.
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6. Officially, Twitter describes itself as:
“A service for friends, family, and co–workers to
communicate and stay connected through the exchange of
quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are
you doing?”
Or, put another way, Twitter is an online tool that allows
you to share and listen to those around you and / or your
business.
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7. The primary difference between Twitter and other online
tools is that Twitter posts (tweets), are restricted to 140
characters or less.
Twitter enables you to share real-time experiences, with
links, conversations, topics, photos and – from the CEO
perspective - real-time accounts from those in the know.
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8. So, if you’re already sold on using Twitter and you take only
one thing away from this document, remember this:
Twitter is a conversation. Take time to listen to what’s going
on and respond. Don’t just talk at people.
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10. As with many new online tools and services, Twitter has
developed its’ own vernacular.
To help clarify, here’s a summary of some key terms you
may find useful - as well as some key online vernacular that
may appear in Twitter conversations or responses:
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11.  Tweet A message using Twitter, containing no more than 140 characters.
 ReTweet or RT A Tweet that’s been shared by another Twitter user.
 MisTweet or MT A Tweet that’s been sent in error.
 DM A direct message between you and the sender / recipient
 Dweet or DT A Tweet sent under the influence. (Can have lasting consequences
because all Tweets are searchable!)
 FF Using #FF (short for Follow Friday) along with @user names is a
recommendation to follow those people.
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12.  FWIW “For What It’s Worth” – an opinion expressed by another. Also…
 IMHO “In My Humble Opinion” – an opinion expressed by another.
 OH “Overheard” Used to anonymously share something overheard by
another.
 @ Sends a message to another Twitter user.
 # (Hashtag) Prepending a # to words in Tweets to categorizes them for others
so users can see other similarly themed tweets and find yours in
search.
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13.  Tweeps Refers to the Twitter community as a whole.
 Tweetup A pun on meet-up referring to a gathering of Twitter users organized
through Twitter.
 Twinfluence Refers to influence created by Twitter (number of followers or re-
tweets)
 TwitPic TwitPic lets you upload a photo on Twitter.
 Twitterati Twitter's perceived A-listers.
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15. Creating a Twitter Name
A good username is typically the same or similar to your
own or company name.
And because Twitter names have influence on search
engines consider using a valuable keyword as your Twitter
name.
Be aware Twitter limits user names to just 15 characters to
leave room for message content.
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16. Creating a Name and a Bio
Because Twitter imposes a 160-character limit, profiles must
be composed with great care.
Profiles are searchable in and outside of Twitter, so use
keywords.
Convey who you are, what you do, a key benefit you offer
your followers and yes, some personal information that
makes you “human”.
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17. Uploading a Picture
Upload a picture that reflects the personal image you want
to convey.
Just as you chose your bio carefully, choose your picture
carefully too.
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18. Background Designs
Twitter backgrounds let you communicate your personality
or reflect your company’s identity.
If you create a custom background, use it to convey a
branding message, and provide contact options.
Keep it simple – the focus needs to be on you and what
you Tweet – not what how your background looks.
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19. Setting up Notifications
Direct messages (DMs) from other Twitter users are private
messages and can be essential windows into what’s going
on in your business.
Always receive email notification of direct messages sent
to you.
Email notification of DMs helps ensure you don’t overlook
them.
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21. While there’s no official “handbook” for Twitter, there are
some basic principles that form the basis of best practices.
Here are some do’s and don’ts to give you a guide on how
best to engage on Twitter:
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22. 1.Share. Followers come to Twitter to see and share the
latest - so, share (responsibly). If you can, share some
behind the scenes information and pictures that your
followers will find interesting.
2.Listen. Always monitor Tweets about you, your company,
staff and current issues.
3.Ask. Think of Twitter as a free focus group - ask questions
of followers to help uncover insights and show you and your
business is listening.
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23. 4.Acknowledge. Respond to complaints and compliments
quickly.
5.Show Broad Industry Knowledge. Share news, articles,
insights around the broader picture of your business.
6.Develop a Community Voice. Think about a tone that’s
right for you on Twitter and create a likeable voice.
4.Always use a URL shortener. When sharing web links, use
a shortener (search “link shortener” in Google to find one
you like) for ease of sharing.
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24. 8.Correct Mistakes. If you make a mistake – be upfront and
say so. Transparency and honesty go a long way to
developing trust.
9.Honor Promises. If you make a promise – keep it. Sounds
simple, but if you put a timeline on your promise – keep that
too.
10.Maintain Confidentiality. Know where sharing ends and
confidentiality begins. Even if you qualify your remarks,
you’re on the hook if you break confidentiality terms.
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25. In the same way as there are rules of the road for how best
to Tweet, here are some examples of pitfalls to avoid. So
please don’t:
1.Spam (bulk messages). Using Twitter as an alternative to
Email or as a spam mechanism will upset your followers.
1.Ignore Questions or Complaints. Ignoring questions or
complaints you’re asked will only make the issue worse.
Address issues or questions head-on.
2.Be “wooden”. Be you! And use your own voice.
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26. 4. Ignore your profile. Ignoring your Twitter profile or
Tweeting irregularly will ultimately leave followers cold
and perhaps asking “are you asleep at the switch?”
5. Be longwinded. Aim for 100 characters less - people are
more likely to read or Re-Tweet shorter tweets.
6. Overuse abbreviations or jargon. Make sure followers
can easily understand what you’re talking about!
7. Use capital letters. Overuse capital letters and followers
will think YOU ARE SHOUTING!
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27. 8. Get into an online fight. It’s fine to correct a mistake,
misquote or rebut an issue – but know where to draw
the line.
9. Forget to check your spelling. Obvious perhaps, but
don’t be the CEO who can’t spell!
10. Forget to see what you’re peers are doing. Twitter is
public, so go ahead, take a look at what your peers and
competitors are up to. May be you can do better?
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29. Getting yourself on Twitter and Tweeting is half the story.
The other half is managing your Twitter account –
something that will take time if you’re serious about your
Twitter activity.
Here are some things to consider before you get started, to
help manage yourself and your Twitter activity:
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30. 1.Who /what resources will you use to help support Twitter
activity?
Consider that Tweeting will include checking facts,
addressing issues and keeping abreast of what followers are
saying about you and your business.
2.Do you need an escalation procedure in the event an issue
comes up that becomes a broader communications
challenge? Remember – Twitter doesn’t sleep and is active
365 days a year.
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31. 3. How do you want results and effectiveness of your
Twitter account measured and who will be responsible?
4. You need to know who your followers are – particularly
if some use unrecognizable aliases and may be
competitors, journalists or investors. Keep abreast of
who’s following you and special note of key influencers.
5. You need to be aware of trending topics on you and your
business so your Twitter feed demonstrates you have
your finger on the pulse of what’s going on.
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32. Your support staff must be senior enough and have regular,
unencumbered access to you (and your executive team).
They must be able to:
1.Advise you and / or your Executive Team of feedback /
urgent issues 24/7.
2.Find answers / propose workable solutions with a sense of
urgency.
3.Be empowered to cut through internal barriers to be able
to provide timely answers and solutions and get promises
acted upon.
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34. Research suggests customers are more likely to trust a
company whose CEO and executive team engage in social
media.
Following the guidelines contained in this document will go
a long way to setting any CEO up for success when
contemplating using Twitter.
And above all, remember:
Twitter is a conversation. Take time to listen – don’t just
talk at people.
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35. The Argedia Group is an independent Search
Management and Evaluation consultancy
enabling clients to maximize value from
suppliers through:
Agency Search
Incumbent Agency Evaluation
Contractual and Dispute Resolution
Find out more at www.argedia.com
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