Think before you tweet

‘Engage your brain before you speak’ is good advice for anyone – but in today’s world of communication overload you could also substitute the word ‘speak’ for ‘text’, ‘tweet’ and ‘blog’. As a prominent sportsman found out earlier this year, one person’s ‘banter’ is another person’s insult, and with journalists monitoring cyberspace continuously, inadvisable comments can soon turn into damaging headlines.

The written word is a powerful thing, whether in print or online. In contrast to the spoken word, where nuances of tone, posture and facial expression can soften the message, a tweet or blog post can sometimes give a harsher impression than was intended.

Like all business sectors across the world, cleaning is embracing new technology in a number of ways – to develop better products, offer more effective and responsive customer service and, not least, to communicate with potential and established clients. With companies keen to promote their services and capabilities in an increasingly competitive market, a PR and marketing campaign comprising a healthy online element is a must.

Having your own dedicated website is now a given – but Facebook and Twitter accounts are also increasingly popular. However, be mindful that these last two mediums take a lot of effort in terms of time and monitoring.

Social media is a powerful tool and it must be used appropriately. Your Twitter or Facebook site represents your company so any updates or tweets should be eminently professional and jargon-free, steering clear of acronyms, text-speak or abbreviations. As well as making sure that your tweets and updates are grammatical and appropriate in both tone and content, don’t underestimate the time you will need to invest in keeping social media updated. ‘Followers’ and ‘friends’ expect regular new content to keep them interested so product launches, appointments, contract wins and other interesting topics for discussion should form part of the communications plan that you put together with the help of your PR agency.

Businesses have so many calls on their time that they can’t be experts in every single area – particularly communications. Consulting with an expert can help to ensure that your online communications don’t cross a metaphorical line!