Do you have Twitterphobia?
Yes, there are those with “Twitterphobia” and there are a number reasons not to be afraid of Twitter. As of 2nd quarter of 2015 there are 304 million monthly active Twitter users in the Twitterverse. Twitter is the social “networking party”! The ultimate “networking party” on a global scale with an endless capacity for attendees and discussion worldwide.
Those people who haven’t engaged with the Twitter world are at a loss for why Twitter matters in the Social Media landscape and their lives. Many people – ranging from saavy 20-somethings to Baby Boomers and beyond – have stated “I don’t ‘get’ Twitter.” If you find yourself trying to illustrate the benefits and reasons to use Twitter to “Twitterphobes”, you will need to explain the reasons why tweeting is worth time and attention.
Here are a few talking points to start:
- Direct communication – Back in the day, individuals did business with other more local individuals. They shopped in the town where they lived, and they personally knew the shopkeepers. As business has become global, we’ve gotten away from that personal touch. Twitter, however, opens the door for businesses and consumers to interact directly again. One survey showed that customers choose Twitter as the medium for interacting with customers specifically because they receive answers and are treated like individuals. Have you ever had problems with customer service with no response from that firm but suddenly got their attention after tweeting to their company? I have.
- Live tweeting events – celebrities are taking advantage of this during shows airing live on tv, from the red carpet events such as the Oscars and other live events. It’s a chance to connect with people and events you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to connect with and send your thoughts to be heard in the Twitterverse. Celebrities, politicians and others now connect directly with fans.
- Personality – Twitter presents a great opportunity for creating awareness about your brand, product, or service. The less formal nature of Twitter lends itself to showing off a company’s personality through trivia and factoids, contests, and other messages that bring a face and personality to the brand. You can show the “human” side of your brand to followers.
- Cross-promotion – Through Twitter, you can link to any online item, from industry news and company-specific news to YouTube videos and product reviews. It’s a wonderful way to gather a myriad of information into one place and share it with your self-selected audience.
- Gathering information – Not only is Twitter an effective means of communicating to your audience and telling your story – it’s also a great way to gather information through a variety of sources. You can build lists that group people you’re following into one feed based on your labeling. You can also search all of Twitter by #s to find out what people are saying about your company or competitors. Hashtags are a quick and easy way to see what people are saying about a specific topic or trend. Google and Twitter signed a deal in February 2015 to begin showing Twitter content in Google searches as discussed in this Search Engine Land article.
- Breaking News – Twitter has been at the forefront of major breaking news world wide in the last few years with news first being reported on Twitter before the major news organizations have had time to file their full reports. There were 9 events in particular according to Mashable listed in their 2013 article on the rise of Twitter for breaking news. Not only is the news breaking but people are contributing to the events with their own posts also directly from where the news is breaking.
Of course, the most important takeaway to leave with Twitter newbies is to do not get sidetracked by the medium. Yes, Twitter is a hip lively social media tool, but it’s merely that – a tool. Tools are merely instruments that are specialized to aid in the accomplishment of a task or goal, and in this case, that task is communicating effectively and therefore should be a part of your Social Media repertoire. By making the message the focus – not the method – you’ll be able to jump into the Twitter medium in a meaningful and productive way.
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| Let’s be Tweeps!! @JPKC |