Riding for the Brand

I often say, there are no experts in social media. However, I do believe there are thought leaders and best practices we can learn from. We’ve all seen tweets-gone-bad, Facebook blunders and other “uh-ohs” and “fails” we wish we could take back. So, today, I’m admitting my first big social media mistake. A mistake dating back to the beginning of my social networking presence, and one a plan to fix.

Where I made my mistake.
As I contemplated a strategy on how to launch my brand, PitchEngine , it seemed at the time choosing the “@pitchengine” would be the best Twitter handle to get the word out. I would blog and tweet as my brand, throwing in some personality and “gift for gab” along the way.  I assumed people would prefer to put a face with the PitchEngine name, but I never really considered the impeding limitations. But at the time, there were really no “best practices” for this process aside from, “be sure to upload a picture.”

Why it was a mistake (for me).
In retrospect, branding myself the same as a web app was a bad move.  It definitely helped “localize” the customer/user relationship by enabling users to tweet me directly, but it also limited my engagement on Twitter, FriendFeed and even Facebook.  Personal opinion should not cloud the anonymity of a company. While we’re all representatives of certain brands, we need to maintain that personal/professional distance for the good of both the corporate brand, and our own.  I can’t say that there was any one instance that was the catalyst for this idea, but it certainly is part of the thought process.
 
How I am re-branding myself.
At the advice of several people (much smarter than me), I decided to change my Twitter username to my name @jasonkintzler.  Then, I created a new account for @pitchengine where I will continue to tweet all company, industry and social media related content. The theory here is that the majority of people following me from the start are following me, personally. Those people who are following for pitchengine news, updates and customer support will continue to do so, having the option to follow the founder if they so choose.

The opportunity.
In re-branding myself I’m already seeing the horizon of opportunities widen. I’ve created this blog (New Media Cowboy)  as an “insider view” for all the great people who are so engaged with PitchEngine as a startup, not just a web app they use for their business or clients. There are so many people I’ve met throughout my travels these past few months who are following what I’m doing with PitchEngine for so many reasons. Some want to watch us grow and experience the highs and lows, while some just want to hear tales of Wyoming and living the cowboy lifestyle from one of the least likely places to find a web startup in the nation.

This has been a great lesson for me on so many levels. It’s helped me to “see the forest through the trees” and given me new perspective on genuine engagement with influencers (friends, fans and followers). Time will tell how effective the switch will be, but I’m all about learning. After all, aren’t we all learning here?

Category: Posts