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RSSFor the last year I've resisted Twitter because I didn't understand the attraction. I didn't understand what all the hype was about and I didn't understand why anyone would want to continuously update the world about what they were doing. More importantly, who would want to hear from me throughout the course of the day? It seemed intrusive and unnecessary. Then I signed up and started using it (thanks to Ryan Swagar -- it's all his fault). Now I realize that Twitter is fun for all ages!
From a consumer perspective, I find it interesting. It's a communication tool that creates a platform for spontaneous thought, whether introspective, educational or otherwise. I started following people on Twitter because I know who they are and I like hearing what they have to say. That quickly expanded to finding brands and companies that I enjoy reading about and having their Twitter-digests show up in my tracker. Now I've started following people based on the types of topics they write about and my list is ever-expanding. It's the Facebook news-feed on a much grander level. My "friends" can say whatever is on their mind and I can choose to read it or pass it by.
From a marketer's perspective I find this immediate line of contact to my consumer's to be quite attractive. If a consumer has signed up to follow-me, I can immediately disseminate branded messaging and links to branded content, knowing that it will reach my target audience. It's a CRM tool with little to no cost. The power of Twitter lies in its ability to be immediate. If you're searching for a focus group to respond on a topic, shoot out a note! A loyal group of consumers are only 140 well-thought-out characters away!
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From an agency perspective I can leverage Twitter, Google Insights, Google Trends and Quantcast research to build observations into the mass psyche. I can use these tools to pull together a snapshot of what the world is thinking about and see how my messaging fits. Want to know what people are saying about your brand? Search through Twitter and find out. Share your ideas and see what responses you get. If you get no response, no harm no foul, right?
I'm thinking of Twitter as "short attention span theatre." It's like a newsfeed for the ADD. In today's world of immediate gratification, the platform allows for a quick perusal of ideas and information and a way for a person to determine the flow of their mouse clicks while surfing the Web. You can start a session online by visiting Twitter and launch outward in any of hundreds of thousands of directions to pass the time. I tend to focus on industry and marketing-related topics, but I've also started using it as a music discovery engine, reading what artists and bands other people are listening to, and viewing the links to their sites!
The upcoming election has blown Twitter right into the mainstream, with people commenting day in and day out about their choices and the issues that are resonating with them. It remains to be seen whether these people will still be loyal after the election, when the dust has settled and the new President is elected. Whoever it may be, I wonder if they will see tools like Twitter as a means of disseminating information and managing public opinion?
Twitter is a launch-pad for ideas, and I'm pretty amazed about how easy it is to use, but as I mentioned in the subject line, I started realizing that in just three days I'd become something of a Twitter-aholic. So I'll likely ratchet it back a little bit, but if you want to see how I use it, Twitter me and follow my tweets -- and we can talk more about whether it's a burgeoning communications tool or just a way to waste time online
RSS FEEDS
Need to stop paying attention to your Twitter-feed because you're focused on "real work?" No problem, you probably didn't miss that much.
Need to get a sense for what's on people's minds? 2-3 minutes flipping through the feed should catch you up. You might even find some tidbits that spark a conversation with the "tweeter" or send you in a new direction of exploration.
For the folks who are skeptical about its value, I have to admit I was in your ranks before I actually started using it. Like all social media, the key is participation. The more you use it and contribute to it, the more you get out of it.
Additionally, I disagree on the strategy of finding a small group of high quality people to follow...if you only follow people like you and with your interests you'll never get new perspectives. Follow a wide range of people, from people who look interesting in your geo to people who look interesting in your industry/interests to people who plain look interesting (I always find @pkedrosky tweets fascinating, even when I disagree).
Follow promiscuously! It's very easy to un-follow if the person is filling your feed with garbage. Tweet with abandon, let your real personality show through and don't worry about staying "on message." The more you show "the real you" the more likely you are to make genuine connections who will actually be valuable as you turn to your Twitter network to get things done.
http://twitter.com/CoryTreffiletti
if that's you Cory...
;-)
At first, I did not know what to do with Twitter. I did not want to duplicate what I already did on FB. So, I decided to use Twitter on a professional level. It allows me to share thoughts with my peers. I truly use it as a micro blog. I provide insights. I make it useful for me (like a diary or thought collector for future presentations) and for the readers who may get inspired from the feed.
How can you publish this article without including your twitter handle?
@tomob
I'm a firm believer in social media, but in this case, not all a twitter about twitter.
I think the real key is finding only a select few to follow online so you can stay focused on the most important topics. I've not found a good way to do that yet. Have you?
Finally, What's your twitter id? I'm jmaler.
Could you please mention some of the brands and/or companies that you think are doing well ??
Thanks
Juan