Melissa’s 5 Favorite Twitter Accounts
Since my colleagues have already proven Media Logic to be home to a bunch of cupcake fiends, I’ll leave @magnoliabakery off my list (its guest appearance in #4 doesn’t count). Here are the five that made the cut:
NASA (@NASA): For a suburban space geek like me, this is the closest I’ll get to a life less terrestrial. Tweeting photos, videos and articles, @NASA and its sub-accounts give followers access to a world of information that is both enlightening and fascinating. I don’t have the time to navigate their website, but thanks to Twitter, I won’t miss out on seeing an asteroid cruise through space 12,000 light-years from Earth. I mean, how cool is this?
Cooking Light Magazine (@Cooking_Light): A Twitter account that dishes out cooking tips, links to recipes, entertaining ideas…what’s not to love if you’re an aspiring chef on a diet? They don’t OD on exclamation points. Their product, by nature, creates tweets you’d want to ‘favorite,’ and they make it easy to want to share by stating upfront where their links go (#DinnerTonight: We keep this soup creamy but surprisingly low in fat with a few tricks. Chicken & Wild Rice Soup: http://bit.ly/rJDan9). If the tweet had resembled a suspenseful coverline with few details, I wouldn’t ‘favorite’ it. (Something to think about, brands.) And lastly, these editors know how to write. Correct grammar and polished tweets are key. As @someecards once said, “You had me at your proper use of ‘You’re.’”
Italian Language (@italianlanguage): With Twitter’s help, I get closer to knocking off an item on my bucket list every day. The goal: To have a smooth conversation in Italian with my Sicilian-born grandparents. Each daily tweet from @italianlanguage includes a word, sentence and link to where you can hear it. (Example: risparmiare: to save: verb. Example sentence: L’anno prossimo con il nuovo piano finanziario risparmieremo 15.000… http://bit.ly/rC6SvM) The stream is clean and direct, but I wouldn’t mind if the company that ran it (transparent.com) tweeted more than once per day—even if it’s just reminding me of the day’s word.
RueLaLa Customer Service (@RueLaLa_help): If you provide exceptional customer service, I’m yours for life. Rue La La (@RueLaLa) — an online boutique that peddles discounted designer merch — provides customer service at a separate handle; @RueLaLa_help is run by Amy B. (says so in the bio). Here’s why she makes my top five list:
Earlier this year, I decided to spring for a discounted room at a swanky Manhattan hotel through Rue. When I reached out to Amy with a problem regarding my order, she quickly delivered—not just the help, but Magnolia Bakery cupcakes, too. The little morsels of heaven were waiting for me in the room to thank me for working with her. Above and beyond, much? Not only did I tell everyone I know (half-praising, half-bragging), I now hold Rue in a higher plane above all its competitors. I feel more comfortable purchasing through its site, knowing any issues will be swiftly resolved. So really, it’s not that I love this account’s content (who cares about others’ problems?); it’s a favorite because it’s responsive. With a human voice. Quickly. And consistently.
#AHSFX (#AHSFX): Okay, I’m breaking the rules. Rather than list a fifth Twitter account, I’ve got to tack on a hashtag that I use every Wednesday night. It represents a good portion of why I’m on even on Twitter (to read others’ snackable thoughts)—and makes a good case as to why hashtags can be beneficial for a brand. Here’s the deal: FX’s new hit series, American Horror Story, both terrifies me and intrigues me. It’s one of those figure-it-out Lost-like series that requires a lot of recap-reading and theory-discussing. When I type in the official hashtag during and after each episode, I instantly connect with other viewers. It’s truly an in-the-moment experience, and relevant retailers or brands that jump in with good ideas are likely to get a follower out of me. #TimingIsEverything
So, what accounts (or hashtags) do you follow?
