Mosque spokesman defends Twitter tactics, but cuts down on the snark

“The most popular brands are the ones that are engaging but also have a perspective. For us it’s looking like a double-edged sword,” he said. “How do you engage people who are attacking you with venom and at the same time hurling epithets and insults … how do you engage that without a degree of levity? …We found people who liked the snark, we found people who didn’t like the snark and I gotta tell you about Twitter, you are not going to please everybody.”

Regardless, it appears the days of Park 51′s ruthless snark are over. The feed has cooled down over the past few days, and now contains updates on the progress of the project and polite responses to other users.

Poonawalla said it’s a step in the right direction.

“I think that they should be commended for being responsive to critique and reacting relatively swiftly (it’s only been a couple of weeks). In my view, social media should be used to build a following, and to protect your brand, and not get into pointless arguments with detractors,” he said. “I think that the Park 51 people deserve some credit here for taking corrective action, and I am hopeful they will be similarly responsive to good advice and critique in the future.”

While the group may be getting its act together on the Web, online marketing might be the least of the group’s worries. According to a Politico report Thursday, the group has not raised any of the $100 million needed to construct the community center.

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