Booksquare University

A mini-scandal flared on Twitter yesterday. During the live-tweeting of a conference, word came that one book publisher was using ghost writers to tweet for their authors. Twitter being Twitter, there was the initial buzz and a second wave as others caught up with the news.

General consensus: someone is doing it all wrong!

While it’s critical that businesses — including authors and publishers — find a way to incorporate Twitter in their social strategy, faking it in a world where authenticity is prized is the wrong approach. The purpose of Twitter is to build community via conversation. The users of Twitter embrace the fact that it breaks down traditional social walls.

When I join someone’s community on Twitter, either by following them or via @ replies or other means, I expect that the thoughts and opinions expressed belong to that person. It is that personal touch that makes me want to buy a book, attend an event, or help spread the word. In return, I expect authenticity. If you can’t find it within yourself to compose the occasional 140-character message, then you need to rethink your Twitter strategy.

Those who ghost tweet are often trying to sell, sell, sell — a turn-off for followers, or creating a false impression. These are not social activities.

Ghost tweeting is different than corporate tweeting. Businesses often delegate the job of tweeting to one or a few employees. Comcast has salvaged its online reputation through the efforts of its in-house Tweeter, Frank Eliason. Instead of corporate mumbo jumbo, people who mention (or complain) about Comcast on Twitter receive a response from a real person who works to solve their problems.

(Other businesses could learn a lot from this approach. Contrast this approach with Best Buy. The company is on Twitter, but it doesn’t look like anyone is doing brand monitoring. Seemingly ignoring customers suggests that Best Buy doesn’t get the social part of social media. In this instance, their presence on Twitter is counter-productive.)

There are times when a ghost is appropriate. For example, if you’re tweeting as a character, obviously there is a puppetmaster pulling the strings. Pretend people can’t type. The key to tweeting as a character (or group of characters) is remaining in character. Breaking the code destroys the experience. One friend commented (verbally!) that he was really into the Mad Men tweeters* until they started begging for votes in a real-world contest.

The suspension of belief was destroyed. He unfollowed all of them.

It it better to sit out the Twitter experience than to do it in a way that might alienate the audience you’re trying to reach!

* – An unauthorized group of fans who decided to tweet as the characters from the television show. Some tension arose between the group and AMC.