Tuned in to Twitter?
Without even logging on to a computer, you’ve probably heard some chatter about Twitter. TV news reporters and radio personalities across the country are sure talking it up – beckoning viewers and listeners to “follow” them. No, these are not subliminal messages enticing you to join a cult – they are referring to a relatively new social networking, micro-blogging tool that is generating a lot of buzz both on- and off-line.
And if you’re still not sure what all the noise is about, keep reading. Beta Gamma Sigma tuned into the “Twittersphere” and got the download to answer your questions.
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The popularity of Twitter has grown significantly since its introduction in 2006. The site doesn’t publish the number of its active accounts, but Comscore Inc. said Twitter drew 5 million visitors in March. And in February, Compete.com, a metrics service, ranked it as the third-largest social networking site after MySpace (second) and Facebook (first).
Why Tweet?
Much of Twitter’s appeal is that it allows users to communicate more freely and informally than some of the other social networking sites. For example, you don’t have to “friend,” “invite,” get permission, or even know a person before you start interacting with them on Twitter. Instead, many people choose to follow someone on Twitter because they are interested in what they have to say.
“When I first signed up on Twitter I didn’t know anyone at all,” said Christine Adolf (BGS 2007, Florida International University), a marketing professional. “But after awhile I started to realize that it wasn’t weird connecting with people you don’t know if you share common interests.”
Most users tend to follow people that are relevant to them.
“I micro-blog with so many different audiences,” said Dora Smith, active tweeter and director of global social media at Siemens PLM Software. Smith, who tweets as an individual and on behalf of her company, engages with others in the PLM (product lifecycle management) software industry, communications professionals and even fellow college alumni. Smith follows the people in her network to “get advice and direction,” and to collaborate with others. For example, when her company was researching social media monitoring services they tweeted out for feedback.
Smith’s company, like many corporations and organizations, experiment with Twitter for a variety of purposes: marketing, making announcements, networking and connecting with customers.
But some veteran tweeters sound a warning. BGS member Noble Acuff, Twitter user and principal consultant at The Acuff Group, says, “It can be a great marketing tool, but it’s important for companies to understand that they need to engage in conversation, not just push products and one-way messages.”
Adolf, who has firsthand experience tweeting for her previous employer, echoes his opinion: “I think if you only post things about your brand and company then you’re less approachable. When people just push a brand or product they’re not really interacting.”
The companies that are attracting hundreds and thousands of followers on Twitter are the ones that are able to create value for their customers and put a human face on the company. Organic grocery chain Whole Foods does this well by providing store information, links to interesting articles and tips. Dell Computers has a team of employee ambassadors on Twitter who share a mix of company news and personal insights.
Other companies have been highlighted in the media for using Twitter for customer service. A recent Bloomberg Businessweek.com story featured Frank Eliason, Comcast’s customer service manager, for using Twitter to enhance customer relations. Eliason uses several tools to monitor Comcast mentions in the Twittersphere and reaches out and responds to customer complaints. But Eliason cautions that Twitter is not a substitute for email and phone assistance. In the article he explained, “This is just one way people have gotten to know us. It’s a little more personal. More back-and-forth discussions, and it’s less formal. And it gives immediacy to interactions.”
The immediacy of Twitter may partly explain why the service and micro-blogging in general have taken off. Smith, who has a personal blog and writes for her company’s blog says, “When you have a blog and write a post you hope people will comment, but 90 percent of the time people won’t – it has to be pretty compelling. But when you tweet it has much more of an immediate impact because people can choose to engage when they see something of interest. It enables much more free flow of discussion than traditional blogging.”
The “free flow” that Smith alludes to refers to the number of tweets that are broadcast to the Twittersphere in any given moment. With more and more people “tweeting,” many are also finding it a useful source for information, news and current events.
“I really don’t go to Google search anymore,” said Smith. “I wait for people to tell me, ‘Hey, this is interesting,’ or ‘Check out this link’ from someone I know and respect on Twitter. It is much more what they call a “social” search – you don’t go and search directly, you wait for someone to feed it to you.”
And since posts from your followers are added to your home page in real-time there is always a constant stream of conversation. For newcomers to Twitter and those hesitant to join, the proliferation of posts can seem overwhelming, and they might not know how they can join in on the conversation. People also tend to worry that it will take too much time.
“Someone told me to get on Twitter a year ago but it still took a couple of months to do it,” said Smith. “People have a hard time finding time for it when they first get engaged, but once you get in there and find a couple of people or topics that are of interest to you then you get hooked. And suddenly it doesn’t seem like this huge time commitment.”
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