Open The Dialogue

There have been lots of examples of brands and individuals getting hacked on Twitter. In some cases, this results in exciting opportunities (think @The_Real_Shaq), in others, it can be a threat to personal or brand reputation (think Exxon or, most recently Tony LaRussa).

In response to the lawsuit filed by Cardinals manager, Tony LaRussa, last week, Twitter founders had the following to say, “Impersonation violates Twitter’s Terms of Service and we take the issue seriously. We suspend, delete, or transfer control of accounts known to be impersonation. When alerted, we took action in this regard on behalf of St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.”

In addition, they’ve previewed a new service, coming this summer, that will seek to authenticate brand or personal accounts so that owners and users can have a clearer sense of who they’re talking to and why they may or may not be getting the responses they’re looking for. Verified Accounts will come with a badge, like the one below.

Twitter Verified Account

Now, until this service is launched, there are a couple things you can do as a brand to be prepared.

1. Do your homework. Even if you aren’t ready to start a Twitter account, you should take ownership of your brand name and a few derivatives. This will prevent people from stealing your name. While you’re at it, check out Name Check, and see where you are susceptible to hacking all over the web. There are other services out there as well, such as Reputation Defender, that can help individuals track and improve your online reputation.
2. Set up Live Listening. Use an RSS reader. Set up searches for your name and your company’s name. Pay attention to where you are being mentioned and how.

Also, it’s important to remember that not all hackers are bad. Really? Yes. Take, for example, the hack-job done in conjunction with one of my favorite TV shows, Mad Men. You can follow @Don_Draper and the gang on Twitter – but these characters are not from AMC or their agency. This network of profiles was set up by fans of the show. After initially trying to disband the characters, they were allowed to continue tweeting, and continued to grow an audience and provide fans a way to connect with the show. Big win all around.

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Tags: social media tools, Tips and Tricks, Twitter

This entry was posted on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 5:27 pm and is filed under Public Relations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.