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| Matthew Broder |
Many B2B companies are still trying to figure how to leverage social media networks to increase their customer base and forge stronger relationships with existing customers. Customer engagement and mail solutions provider Pitney Bowes—a B2B social media leader—has been using Twitter to connect with customers, research trends and deliver high-quality customer service. In the following Q&A, Matthew Broder, VP of corporate communications for Pitney Bowes, shares some of his Twitter tips. Broder, along with the American Heart Association’s Krisleigh Hoermann and Orange County Transportation Authority’s Ted Nguyen, will be speaking on the panel “Twitter Strategies That Produce Positive Business Results”at PR News’ Digital PR Summit on February 16 in San Francisco.
PR News: What are the business objectives for your activity on Twitter?

Matthew Broder: Twitter is a powerful tool for external communications. Beyond the obvious—and rewarding—uses of Twitter, like spotting customer issues or driving traffic to your online newsroom, the service is unrivaled in its ability to connect you to the people who care most about your concerns as a company. Twitter combines massive scale with easy searchability; it's a haystack where you can find every single needle you're looking for.
PR News: How do you keep your followers engaged on Twitter? 

Broder: We strive to produce quality tweets that link to timely, relevant information. And we like to have a little fun and show some personality as well, humanizing the brand for those who are interested in our company's products and services.

 We are on Twitter daily through our many channels—customer service, customer engagement, our news channel and through our non-branded channels.

PR News: How many staffers are assigned to social media and how much time are you spending a day on Twitter efforts?

Broder: We have a core team of four people who are dedicated to promoting the use of social media throughout Pitney Bowes. In addition, there are another two dozen employees who have their own Twitter feeds that they use to disseminate both personal and company information. Personally, I go on Twitter two to three times a week, both to listen and to post content.

PR News: What’s one tip you’ll offer attendees at the Feb. 16 Digital PR Summit?

Broder: Before you get started, run the diagnostics on your organization to see if you're ready to engage through social media. I'll be discussing a simple test that can help you understand if you're really ready or not.
Attend PR News’ Digital PR Summit on February 16 in San Francisco and learn more from digital leaders like Matthew Broder.