Twitter Strategy Discussion For Students

Twitter Strategy3discussion 6student Namedatediscussion 6makenzie Ca

Twitter Strategy 3 Discussion 6 Student Name Date Discussion 6 Makenzie Callahan 1. Name the pros and cons of asking for tax advice on Twitter. What specific social media marketing tactics does the company use to better manage the rush around the tax day? There is more than one pro and con to asking for tax advice on Twitter. The outlet that TurboTax and Intuit created for their customers on Twitter was different than many other strategies that tax companies had turned to thus far.

Intuit and TurboTax targeted Twitter for the sheer fact that Twitter’s audience is primarily end users (“Intuit’s Turbo Tax,†n.d.). One of the pros in TurboTax’s creation of a Q&A feed on Twitter is their turnaround time. Because they only operate one short season out of the year, TurboTax dedicated a team of two people, initially, to return tweets and questions to those customers who needed answers. Later, the company increased their team to 10 or 12 individual social media experts. Their average return time was 4 minutes, which is extremely fast (“Intuit’s Turbo Taxâ€, n.d.).

The speed of their responses only furthered their relationship with customers all over the globe. TeamTurboTax was created to devote adequate resources to those customers that had questions throughout the rush of tax day and tax season. While the company expected Twitter to be used for more professional and general purposes, customers began asking personalized questions. This would be a con for asking for tax advice on Twitter. There are certain legal and ethical implications that one can get into when asking personalized tax questions, publicly, over the internet, and more specifically, Twitter.

They used, co-founder Scott Cook’s method of “follow me home†to essentially follow the customers in their time of need. This increased company growth on Twitter to over 20 million followers (“Intuit’s Turbo Taxâ€, n.d.). Their following was made up of people about to finish a tax return, or already existing customers. Twitter only furthered TurboTax’s relationship with their customers. Our textbook suggests that Twitter is a good starting point for determining strategies for growing customer service satisfaction (Barker, Barker, Bormann, Zahay, & Roberts, 2017).

2. The article names word-of-mouth recommendations as one advantage of TurboTax’s Twitter strategy. What other advantages exist that weren’t mentioned? Word-of-mouth was one of the couple advantages that TurboTax’s Twitter strategy presented to their company. Another advantage would be the fact that Twitter dominates the news category of social media (Barker, Barker, Bormann, Zahay, & Roberts, 2017).

This increases brand recognition and brand equity for TurboTax. Increased efforts of year-round help from social media’s Twitter will give TurboTax the advantage where customers will remember their engagement and recognize their logo when tax season comes around. This is important for any seasonal brand. Customers should know exactly who to go to every season. If customers know that TurboTax was there for them throughout every season, they are more than likely to use them during tax season.

By monitoring Twitter, TurboTax also will be able to improve content engagement and marketing effectiveness throughout the use of Twitter Analytics (Barker, Barker, Bormann, Zahay, & Roberts, 2017). Kiana Soto 1. Name the pros and cons of asking for tax advice on Twitter. What specific social media marketing tactics does the company use to better manage the rush around the Tax Day? The Advantage is that the twitter feed gave Turbo Tax’s customers a quick and easy way to ask any questions they might have about filing their taxes and using the software, however following the initial launch they soon realized they were under staff, due to the amount of people that wait to till the last minute to file their taxes.

To fix this problem Turbo Tax increased their staff, many of whom were experts to communicate via twitter with their customers. This encourages customers “providing useful information, building the brand’s reputation and thought leadership†(Barker, Barker, Bormann, Zahay, & Roberts, 2017). A con that may be concerning to Turbo Tax is the different topics being covered at once in the content. Having multiple streams on questions from customers/follower may becoming confusing and can prevent outside viewers from understanding the overall message that is being provided. It is important in “keeping a balance between different categories will make the content fresher and more engaging… each day’s tweet should be kept on a common theme or idea†(Barker, Barker, Bormann, Zahay, & Roberts, 2017).

2. The article names word-of-mouth recommendations as one advantage of TurboTax’s Twitter strategy. What other advantages exist that weren’t mentioned? An advantage that is not mentioned is how Turbo Tax can take the feedback and information gained through their twitter feed during tax season, and it also fails to mention the advertising throughout the remaining part of the year. Their Twitter has also been more engaging and interactive than the ads that, making the customers become more trustworthy to the Turbo Tax’s Twitter page.

They have notices that customers like to help each other, “sharing their expertise and helping others…TurboTax's community members, like a retired CPA answered over 50,000 questions within a year, and more than 5,000 customers viewed his content†(Dyer & Dyer, 2010). Turbo Tax’s social media tactics help current customers while engaging new customers to join their services. Discussion 6 Student Name Date Discussion 6 Student Name Date

Paper For Above instruction

Twitter has become an essential platform for companies to engage with their customers in real time, providing immediate support and fostering brand loyalty. The strategy employed by TurboTax exemplifies the benefits and challenges of using Twitter for tax-related customer service, especially during peak season like tax day. This paper analyzes the pros and cons of seeking tax advice on Twitter, the specific marketing tactics used by TurboTax to manage the seasonal rush, and examines additional advantages of their social media approach that extend beyond what has been explicitly mentioned.

One of the primary advantages of using Twitter for tax advice is the speed of response. TurboTax dedicated a specialized team to monitor their account during tax season, initially comprising two experts and later expanding to a team of 10 to 12 professionals. Their rapid response time—averaging about four minutes—significantly enhanced customer satisfaction as consumers received timely assistance in filing their taxes (“Intuit’s TurboTax,” n.d.). This immediacy reinforced the company's reputation as a customer-centric organization and helped build trustworthiness, critical factors during a stressful period such as tax filing season. Moreover, Twitter's real-time nature allowed TurboTax to foster more personalized interactions, strengthening their relationships with customers and creating a sense of being accessible and supportive.

However, this approach also presents notable challenges. Asking for personalized tax advice publicly raises legal and ethical concerns, including confidentiality, privacy, and the risk of misguidance. Since Twitter discussions are visible to all, sensitive information could inadvertently be disclosed, leading to potential compliance issues. Additionally, the open forum might lead to inconsistent or incorrect guidance if questions are not managed appropriately. Customer service on social media must thus be carefully calibrated to balance speed and accuracy, which can be difficult during a high-volume period.

To handle the seasonal surge in activity, TurboTax employed specific tactics such as increasing staffing and leveraging the company's well-known “follow me home” approach, where representatives actively engaged with customers at their points of need. The increase in social media staff enabled TurboTax to meet the demand for quick replies, which they achieved with a remarkable average response time. Their proactive engagement strategy fostered a sense of community and trust, effectively turning Twitter into a dynamic customer service platform. Additionally, using Twitter Analytics helped TurboTax analyze customer interactions to refine their content and marketing strategies throughout the year, not just during tax season.

Beyond immediate customer support, TurboTax’s Twitter strategy offers additional advantages, particularly in brand building and recognition. The continuous presence on Twitter ensures year-round engagement, reinforcing brand awareness even beyond tax season. This persistent visibility helps TurboTax stay top of mind when consumers consider tax-related services, providing an edge over competitors who only advertise seasonally. Furthermore, Twitter's status as a dominant news aggregator amplifies TurboTax's message, enhancing brand credibility and recognition through trending topics and real-time engagement.

Another significant benefit that extends beyond the explicit benefits mentioned earlier is the power of word-of-mouth marketing. As users share their positive experiences and assist others, TurboTax's reputation benefits organically. Customer interactions, such as retired CPAs answering tens of thousands of questions, serve as social proof that can influence prospective customers. This peer-to-peer engagement fosters an environment of trust and community that advertising alone cannot achieve. Through this active engagement, TurboTax effectively transforms their customers into advocates who promote their services informally.

Furthermore, the feedback obtained via Twitter enables TurboTax to iteratively improve their services, adjusting their customer support and content based on observed issues and frequently asked questions. This real-time feedback loop allows the company to remain responsive, responsive, and relevant across the entire year. Their engaging and interactive Twitter presence surpasses traditional advertising by creating meaningful interactions, which build long-term customer loyalty and perception of trustworthiness.

Nevertheless, managing multiple content streams on Twitter requires strategic moderation. Without careful curation, the diversity of questions can lead to disorganized messaging and potential confusion among followers. Maintaining a consistent theme and ensuring clarity is critical for effective communication. By employing content strategies that focus on specific themes each day, TurboTax can keep their messages engaging and aligned with their brand voice while avoiding overwhelming their audience.

In conclusion, TurboTax’s utilization of Twitter for tax season customer support exemplifies how real-time engagement can enhance customer satisfaction, strengthen brand loyalty, and foster organic word-of-mouth promotion. Despite challenges related to privacy, managing high-volume interactions, and content organization, the strategic use of staffing, analytics, and community building positions Twitter as a valuable platform during peak periods. As social media continues to evolve, companies like TurboTax demonstrate that active, responsive, and authentic communication on Twitter can transform it into an invaluable asset for customer engagement and brand development throughout the year.

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