07
Jan
09

Why should I use Twitter?

Yeah, that’s right, I don’t have a Twitter account. I’ve never even been to the website. And yet I call myself an Internet marketing professional. I was behind the times on blogging, Facebook, I still don’t use MySpace and doubt I ever will, I have a cellphone that is junk and is almost two years old, I’ve never had a Blackberry, I don’t have an iPhone, and I tend to read technology books like The Long Tail a few years after they come out. Call me lazy, call me a laggard, call me a hypocrite, but I’ve found that what works for me and my clients doesn’t tend to be following the bleeding edge of Internet marketing, but rather using the tried and true methods that have been around for years. That isn’t to say I never jump on that latest thing, but generally I wait until a compelling reason presents itself.

After all, even though I got into blogging late, my clients weren’t ready for it until years after I had been doing it. Most of my clients still aren’t ready for Facebook. But you know what? They’re doing ok, and I’m not sure jumping on every new thing would benefit them all that much.

But all that said, I’m often wrong about things. After all, even though I avoided setting up a blog for a long time, once I did I realized how much I loved writing and now I have…well, I can’t count the number of them off the top of my head, which gives you some idea of how many I’m managing. Once I gave in and signed up for Facebook I was hooked. And so while I don’t feel too much like signing up for Twitter, I have a sneaking suspicion that once I do I’m going to love it and be an addict. But I think I need a little convincing, so have at it. And if you think it’s overrated, I’d like to hear that side of it as well.

  • Darrell Burns

    Well, I’m not even keeping up with Facebook, let alone yet another social networking app! I have heard that some people find it useful as a journal of daily activities, or to market themselves and their ideas. Since I don’t keep a journal, and don’t want to market myself or my ideas, I’m reasonably sure I’m not going to be twittering anytime soon…

  • Alan R

    I’m a fan of new technology, but I haven’t signed up for Twitter yet. My perception at this point is that it is a vanity game. Users are posting to twitter because they want to impress others with what they are doing or thinking. So far, I prefer using Facebook for that. I can peruse friends photos quickly without having to Oooh and Ahhh. Just peek at the interesting photos and speed past the others. When others want to see what I’m doing, they can peek at my facebook, but it doesn’t have to be forced on them everytime I post. Yeah, I’m interested in what my friends are doing, even interested in how their kids are growing up, but only on my time when I want to know about it.
    Maybe I’m old school, too. I just don’t find Twitter that appealing.
    Maybe if Airlines used Twitter in real-time to update on flight status… Oh wait, I already get that in my email with full text.

  • http://www.jeremyhanks.com Jeremy Hanks

    I’ve been on twitter now for about 2 months. I’m going to give it another 1 or 2 and then report on my social experiment on my blog. But I can tell you right now that based on business deals I’ve initiated, people I’ve met, etc. and you made me take vegas odds on the deal, I’d tell you that I’m going to stay on it. That’s exactly opposite of what I thought would happen. I fully expected that I’d find it a giant waste of time–which it totally can be, so you have to figure out what works for you and what you’re looking for out of it. I’ve been very focused on 2 things: networking with UT based folks, and networking with people in the ecommerce world. So far, very interesting things are coming out of it indeed.

    Try it out, experiments are fun. ;)

  • http://www.russpage.net Russ

    i’m working with a large company right now (SEO) because of twitter.

  • Joshua Steimle

    Want to include any more details as to how that came about? Sell me on this.

  • http://www.sigmacreativeonline.com Christian Adams

    Josh,

    I know this post is a little old and I am late to responding, but I actually thought of you when thinking of people I would like to follow on Twitter. Like Russ I have found new sales leads and new potential clients on Twitter. Really Twitter is just a conversation starter to bigger things. It takes time, but it is about engaging other people.

    There are some that the more the better, but I will disagree. I believe in quality over quantity in the people I follow, It all depends if you intend to be an influencer or a service provider.

    Steps I use to network on Twitter and turn into sales leads:

    Follow local tweets using sites like http://www.nearbytweets.com and http://www.twellow.com

    Engage with them by tweeting about common interests. There is always somebody looking for your service.

    With the current economy I see an uptick of people wanting to start their own business online and extend their visibility and marketability in social media. MWI might be to big for small business, but you never know where your next client will come from.

    Examples of potential clients through Twitter:

    Example 1:
    Local Tweep said she needed a twitter background designer and I voluntarily made her a background and she like it so much she offered to take headshots through her photography service for free. Money saved. On top of that she is looking to have her website and blog redone and updated. Money gained. On top of that she is referring other tweeps to my service who also have been following me and contacting me for work. It has become somewhat of a snowball effect. Grass roots word of mouth marketing at is best. The only cost is time and it is free with little overhead.

    Example 2:
    Another local Tweep and I got on conversation and she started asking me about my services via my link on my twitter page. She is looking to have three separate websites designed and has her own network of people that she is planning to refer to me. Again, it comes down to building relationships.

    Example 3:
    Another local Tweep who I was following is an HR Recruiter and was looking for an SEO expert and I suggested a fellow tweep that I met through Facebook and followed on Twitter who is the CEO of an SEO/SEM/PPC company like yourself. While it wasn’t a direct sale it was a lynch pinning activity that worked out when the CEO suggested an old colleague. Not only does the HR Recruiter have the position filled ha has a new reference to ask for job specific experts.

    If you haven’t read Seth Godin’s new book, Tribes, you should. I haven’t read it yet, but I saw it in the book store and looks like a quick read and the size of a thick brochure rather than a book. Twitter is Crowdsourcing in real time. It is a Marketing, PR, HR, Networking, educational tool all rolled into one.

    There are downsides to Twitter too. Every self proclaimed SEO Internet New Social Media Marketer is on Twitter. The good thing is most educated business people, like yourself, can spot these scam artists from a mile away.
    You also might want to check out a post by a guy named Chris Brogan here: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/

    My thoughts on social media as I have previously posted on other sites:

    I agree with all the above statements. As someone who is self employed I have been seeing an uptick in sales leads with recently laid off professionals who are looking to create their own web presence through various lynch pinning and tie ins to social media sites as well as creating their own personal brand to start their own business.

    Job portals will be a thing of the past when social networking tools like twitter speed up the conversation and understanding of character references with regards to hiring in new positions. The underlying message in any of it like brand marketing is that grass roots level or word of mouth marketing has more bang for the buck for effectively reaching the desired goal/audience.

    Some say we are in Web 2.0, but I would disagree. I believe we are actually in a renewal stage of the internet and in Web 3.0 with the sites like Youtube and Facebook becoming more popular coupled with integrated applications like Twitter. The speed at which this has occurred in the last two years has only been fueled by the bad economy and more and more people going online to look for jobs.

    We live in a world where content is king and those who have the best combination of rich media content, (website content, social media content, video, networking skills, etc.) will be the top influencers and leaders of this new shift in paradigms. It is most noticeable in the marketing and advertising industries as it applies to the traditional media outlets (newspaper, TV, and radio). These traditional gatekeepers no longer have control over the content.

    I also credit portable devices and 3rd party apps like the Blackberry and iPhone for facilitating this change. Twitter and Facebook have changed the way we receive our news and information. It has put the control into the hands of the user to customize their media to their liking. This has forced traditional media outlets to play catch up. Some are getting it and others are dragging their feet. However, a great quote that I always hold close to me is from the business guru, Dr. Stephen Covey, who said, “The only constant in business is change.” This is not a new concept, but it is amazing how many businesses tend to make the same mistake over and over again. What Dr. Covey basically is saying that, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” I think the biggest problem with top heavy organizations have with understanding social media is for a couple reasons. They aren’t educated about it and sometimes wait for new technology to become more mainstream at which point they are behind the curve rather then in front of it. Understandable though as because they get used to trying to quantify everything and are ROI driven and not every new technology pans out. However, they should realize that investing in social media actually is low overhead because the setup, for the most part is already taken care of, it is just a matter of managing the content in its various forms whether it is marketing, PR, etc. It is about attracting the consumer on a personal level and bringing them back in house to be a brand loyal customer. Right now there are no definable tools per se about measuring the ROI of social media, but if done right businesses have to look at it as an intangible extension of their growth stage business.

    I still have a lot of friends who don’t understand the concept or bigger picture of the applications for tools like Twitter and at first I didn’t either. However, Twitter is more than updating your status, being a networking, marketing (promotions and trendwatching/statistics/polling/feedback), and Brand/PR tool, but it is also a educational tool. Some people want to charge you money for the same thing that you can get for free, if you know where to look. The best thing that anybody can do is educate themselves. When the internet first started I learned and have gotten really good at Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver through the internet over the years. Now I can apply the same to applications like Twitter. The only difference is that it is at the speed at which it comes in, real time. Twitter will replace the RSS feed.

    I know I keep mentioning Twitter, but really Twitter, in its current form, is just a conversation starter. Instead of having a initial business meeting that normally would take some time and money to setup up, it is instant and more efficient. It takes the guessing out of how to approach new business opportunities.

    he problem that most companies have is they want the Swiss Army knife to be an AIO (all in one) tool do do it all, but that just is not going to be the case. You are starting to see the companies that get it posting positions for social media marketers and public affairs types who have an understanding of all of the above. Again, advertisers are trying to figure out how to monetize something like twitter, by placing ads, but that ship has already sailed with Twitter apps like Tweetdeck, Twhirl, Tweetie, and the ones to come in the future. This again places pressure on developing better content rather than repetition, like we see and hear on TV and radio.

    The biggest trend I see, as it relates to my industry, is more online video content creation and more redesign of business models and business websites to be Web 3.0 compatible. The economy might be bad right now, but people need to stop living in fear because it is disruptive innovation that will mean great new strides in efficient business growth. Another well known author and futurist, Alvin Toffler, predicted this was the direction we are going. The Amazon Kindle, Adobe Acrobat, etc. = Paperless Office. I would say we are in the fourth wave and entering the fifth.

    However, I don’t want to be all hunky dory about Social Media. I am a cautious optimist. This is a previous response I wrote on what I thought were the social implications of social media:

    To me social media is great in that it does break down the barriers of the gatekeepers of knowledge to get to the truth, but it also adds to the BS in that the old saying goes, “Opinions are like assholes and everybody has one.” It makes the gray area more, well, grey.

    For example, granted journalists with have come under a bad PR rap lately whether it be that it is the “liberal media” and unethical journalism only helps to further that by some newspaper reporters completely fabricating stories. However, on the opposite side of the coin you will have opposing view who has no formal educational background claiming to be a credible expert who people will follow because of similar beliefs that aren’t necessarily the truth, often seen in today’s talking heads of politics. These people know their target audience is too lazy or doesn’t have the time to cross reference the truth. They are too busy trying to make a living. This is how the class system Upper, middle and lower has always worked. This plays into this constant battle of the various waves/ages we all learn about in school of knowledge equals power. The agricultural age, industrial age, technology age, etc. This thinking will and has adapted to social media. Some may see it as an adaption, but to others it might be more on an extension. The content hasn’t changed just the way it is being delivered.

    You can apply the same thinking to any category with regards to Marketing (product reviews, testimonials, advertisements, infomercials – Billy Mays, etc) and PR. The message hasn’t changed just the vehicle. Access to the politician went from the form letter in the mail to the form letter via email, etc. from a secretary.

    The only reason there is a paradigm shift is happening right now is because there is nothing to watch on TV (except all the fabulous “reality shows” dumbing down America), almost everybody has a computer or internet ready device, people can get their news customized and in real time and the economy is in the dumper thus ramping up the new technology apps and Google dominance. Convenience has killed traditional media and they are playing a reactive game. Some may say they saw it coming and that is why you had deregulation of FCC rules for company owners to only be able to own so many radio and TV stations and newspapers. Those rules weren’t just there for money purposes, but potential influential purposes, liberal, conservative or otherwise.

    Another example of double edged sword is Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and other networking sites. It is great in that we can get back together with old friends or even kids from high school who we didn’t get along with, but communicate with now because we are adults and hopefully more mature. ;) This does bring a sense of community although temporarily or longer by geo-location, but often too much time is being spent on social aspects and not doing ones work that one was hired for. Counterproductive is some arenas. Not to mention it keeps the individuals and families away from being social with each other and neighbors. An old coworker told me how his teenage daughter would be on the internet chatting with a friend while being on the phone with the same friend. Great for marketing and advertising of communication services, but not good for human interaction face to face and getting away. Part of the reason we as a nation are getting fatter. Eating chemically enhanced fast food rather then eating healthy and exercising. People wonder why health care costs are going through the roof. Part of is the baby boomer generation is living longer, but this also contributes to being unhealthy in the long wrong.

    I don’t want to sound like a total Debbie Downer because I agree with what you have to say. Proof is in Obama’s pudding the positive importance to social media, but it is only a matter of time that the old guard catches on and uses it for not doing the right thing. I think it depends on ones education and how we utilize it. The question that will remain to be seen is are we wading through the bullshit or creating more of it. Does short term gains in the name of commercialism outweigh the importance of the long term big picture health of the worlds resources. The CEO of an SEO/SEM firm sent me a video to a great Louis CK clip: