There’s little question that for many companies, Twitter is good for business.  With more than 300 million user accounts and about 13% of online adults in the U.S. using Twitter there is increasing potential for companies to build relationships with customers, increase brand awareness and drive revenue.  Twitter has become a hotspot for social media-savvy brands, and the best-of-the-best use creativity and a customer-centric focus to engage their audiences and cultivate true brand ambassadors.  But for a brand to truly succeed on Twitter, they must look beyond the number of followers and retweets, and instead focus on the level of engagement they have with the stakeholders who can – and do – impact their bottom line.  Take a look at ten brands that are doing it right.

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A great team is one with incredible personality, strong spirit and an obvious sense of camaraderie.   Meet the Sysomos team;  the folks who create, support, sell, market and manage the industry’s best social media monitoring tools.  But don’t just take our word for it – watch the video and discover how intelligence, agility and good old-fashioned street-smarts can conquer almost anything.  And, like our team in Chicago, it’s proof positive that when your company is supported by great employees, it shows.

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“Because of the people.” It’s one of the oldest workplace clichés and invariably, one that is almost always true. People don’t just work at a company — they define it and shape its personality. At Marketwire, one of the things that continues to set us apart year after year is our personality. From our editorial and product teams, to sales and customer service, we enjoy what we do and it shows. Our people are second-to-none, and proof positive that “work” and “play” can co-exist and make for a totally awesome place to be.

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Okay, I don’t mean just any mouse. I mean THE mouse — Mickey Mouse.

A few weeks ago, like thousands of others, I went to Walt Disney World, and the exceptional customer service and professionalism I experienced first-hand was remarkable. Disney is renowned for their high standards of service to their customers (Disney calls them “guests,” actually, regardless of whether customers are at the theme parks or shopping online),  and at every touch point, from hotel check-in to dinner reservations, I was astounded by the level of service afforded to every guest.

We don’t all work at companies as large and resourceful as Disney, but there are lessons to be learned by any size organization, in any industry or practice and by anyone who deals with people on a daily basis. Here are four essential customer service tips that Disney has perfected: (more…)