Why some companies fail at Twitter

You may find shopping at a Nike showroom or visiting Starbucks for your favourite coffee a reason to cheer you up but according to a latest study, these two brands are among those who are failing at corporate tweeting.

A data analysis by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) has revealed that among top 50 companies that handle their Twitter accounts better are American Airlines, Bank of America, Kraft Foods, Dish Network, Verizon and Facebook.

Other big names in the list are Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Intel, Kraft, Whole Foods, McDonalds, Lowes, Amazon.com and FedEx.

Starbucks share the "worst 50" space with Burberry, American Express, Allergan, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, United Health Group and Hewlett-Packard.

For the study, the team used data analysis to identify patterns and quantify degrees of engagement.

After analysing 350,000 tweets across 300 companies, they were able to pinpoint which brands are winning at Twitter and which are not.

"Social media is not merely a place for people to chat with each other and for brands to talk at their customers," the HBR report stated.

"For a new generation of consumers who get their news and form their views about the world primarily on social media, it is an essential proving ground," it further read.

Empathy is a vital component for corporate tweeting.

"In our view, empathy consists of three components: reassurance, authenticity and emotional connection. Empathy goes beyond simply solving a problem. It involves making a customer feel valued," the HBR study noted.

Why companies like Starbucks are ranked so low on Twitter?

The reason behind this may be because inquiries at Starbucks Twitter account are responded by a presumed bot that simply provides users an e-mail address, idigitaltimes.com reported.

These companies need to spruce up their social media strategies, the report concluded.