Why We Tweet

First, let me stipulate that by “We” I don’t mean “We the People” or “We Americans.” I am talking specifically about why “We” at Swipe-Rite take part in “Tweeting.”

As a company, we are a Merchant Processing Service Provider, an ATM and Point of Sale Retailer, and a Customer Loyalty Solution Specialist. This industry, with its association with Credit Card Companies (because we provide a way to interface and accept credit card payments) and ATM Fees (yes, those nasty surcharges), can carry with it a sort of negative stigma. This is especially true in recent months as we hear the words “Bank Bail-Out” and “Frozen Credit Lines” repeated on our nightly newscasts. As a result, it has become evermore important for us to earn the trust of our clients.

So, when I approached our Fearless Leaders: Todd, (@ToddSwipeRite), Shannon (@ShanSwipeRite) and Mark (@MarkSwipeRite), about delving into the world of social media, I took my inspiration from Social Media Extraordinaire Chris Brogan (www.Chrisbrogan.com) who wrote “Talk to people because you like the people. Choose people that have something to do with your product, and then, ask them about THEM.” The importance of establishing relationships is, to us, more important than just getting down to business. We realize that trust requires transparency, and when our clients have spent years reading confusing Merchant Processing Statements, often with hidden charges and inflated rates, we had to set ourselves apart by being crystal clear in everything we do as a business. So I thought “What if we gave the world at large access to our lives, our thoughts, our daily events, our favorite music, our families and children and pets…24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on Twitter?” And so our little experiment in Social Media evolved.

Sure, you can read @JerrySwipeRite’s technical service feeds (which are also comedic genius), but you can also check in with Adam (@AdamSwipeRite) and Quintin (@QBSwipeRite), both former Army Rangers turned Sales Agents who share an even greater thing in common: the adventures of first-time fatherhood. And, of course, there’s me. (@AmySwipeRite) I am the most active “Tweeter,” which isn’t always an easy task. Why? Because I manage our eCommerce, Twitter, Facebook and Blog all from home while raising 4 children under the age of 10 (it is SO noisy here).

We Tweet so we can meet you, so we can get to know you, so we can continue to know you. If we have a product or service you need at some point, great; If not…that’s okay too. The important thing to us is that our company stands out as being one of integrity in an industry where trust has been so unfairly violated.