Excellent Twitter language is an art form that many brands attempt, several utterly fail at and few excel. Originally, serious brands kept things serious and funny brands stayed funny, whereas other companies just robotically replied to followers with customer service requests.
However, as social media has changed from a suggestion to a requirement, we’re now seeing brands break the mold. “Funny” or creative brands are thinking way, way outside the box. Remember Twitter during the most recent Super Bowl? So entertaining. But brands that are typically allowed to joke around are no longer having all the fun.
No matter what you call them (serious, boring, not fun), there are certain brands that one wouldn’t usually think of as being hilarious and fun to follow on Twitter. For example, the CIA isn’t exactly an organization you’d expect to do well on social media. However, over the last month, the CIA Twitter account is being praised as one of the most clever accounts out there. So what’s the problem?
Awesome or Offensive?
While I applaud the CIA’s social media team for thinking outside the box, they have recently faced some criticism with the following tweet, and overall tone of the account:
No, we don’t know where Tupac is. #twitterversary
— CIA (@CIA) July 7, 2014
Former CIA officer Bob Baer has been quoted saying, “I’m sort of old school, and I think intelligence agencies should stay out of the news as much as they can. This is all supposed to be secret, and you know, humor isn’t its strong suit.”
Know Your Audience
Fortunately for the CIA, the majority of Twitter users went along with the joke. Because of this, the CIA is now looked at as being more of a friend. Of course, they are still a mystery to most, but by looking a little more “human,” the agency is seen as a little more approachable. Knowing your audience is one of the most important parts in all aspects of marketing, with social media being at the forefront. With more Millennials on Twitter than most, serious brands have some leg room to break into more humorous and clever language.
Check out some more brands whose clever Tweets have gotten them some positive attention:
Delta’s Tweet on July 30th
Source: Twitter @MarsCuriosity
Sources:
“Can Serious Work Co-exist with Silly Tweets?” by Matt Wilson. PR Daily.
“The 13 Sassiest Brands on Twitter” by Samantha Grossman. TIME.
Did the CIA get it right? Let us know in the comments below!
The CIA’s best tweet may have been their very first tweet when they opened with this very clever greeting: “We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet.”