Local Business Start Tweeting, but with Caution

Tempe, AZ – Public relation practitioners who do not adapt to the new ways of the media world are being irresponsible and are not providing a good service to their clients, president of Open Door Communications Len Gutman said Wednesday.

In an interview about how different businesses are using tools like Twitter, Gutman said that Twitter has picked up steam but still has its downfalls.

“Social media and Twitter is a way to reach customers without the help of the media but at the same time it is an easier way to connect with members of the media,” said Gutman.

“The major downfall is that it is difficult to know if the right people are seeing your tweets because there is so much information out there.”

Charles Goffnett, manager of the Twitter for Brand X Custom T-Shirts in Tempe put together a tweet-up for its followers in mid-September, where customers who follow the store on Twitter were treated to snacks and special deals on shirts featuring their username.

“We saw a rush of people come in but we weren’t looking to break any records.” Goffnett said. “Hopefully we will stick in people’s minds and create a buzz for when people do need to buy gifts or are looking for something fun to do.”

Goffnett said it is an easy way to get to people fast and freely and that they can collaborate with other local business on events like the tweet-up.

General manager for Rúla Búla Irish Pub and Restaurant in Tempe, Kevin Metz, said it is important to make the tweets special by giving them something of value to the customers.

Metz is still figuring out a way to incorporate Twitter with the restaurant and now even has several bartenders who post on Twitter with their own usernames.

The restaurant used to allow followers to mention Twitter and get in without a cover to the bar on weekends, but when it became too simple to spread the news, it was no longer special to their followers on Twitter, Metz said.

Now, Metz tweets special deals and allows followers who show a special invite they receive on their phone to get in free.

“It’s not about advertising because I know that I hate being blatantly advertised to,” Metz said. “It’s about interacting with your own community.”

Mets said people get shocked when he contacts customers who tweet complaints or about bad experiences because now he can address the problem and resolve them, all the while providing excellent customer service.

Metz said he already booked a few parties through Twitter and has worked with different organizations that organize pub-crawls that travel along the light rail on the Web site.

Gutman said it is important to use caution with social media.

“It’s important to see how it works and have strategy. Do not solely rely on social media. It’s a powerful tool when used with traditional media,” Gutman said. “It’s important to select the right tools and not just all the tools.”

Guest article contributed by Omar Zamora, Student.
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

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