Twitter is definitely the technology phenomenon of 2009. The growth has been fantastic and the product itself is definitely incredible. Despite all that, I still can't come to grips with whether or not Twitter really serves much purpose to the business world.
Yes, many businesses are using Twitter to communicate to their customers or vendors or whomever. But, does it really do much to improve their business?
Twitter vs. Blogging
Twitter is a micro-blogging platform, and has a different effect on viewers or receivers of the communication when compared to traditional blogging. Namely, I have the following issues with businesses "Tweeting" vs. blogging.
- Tweets are not indexed by Google and will not help drive traffic to your site
- Do your clients really sit on Twitter and read every tweet that comes across the wire? At least with blogging, what you have to say stays up on your blog for the next time they choose to visit!
- Most Tweets are nonsense. Do your clients really care what you had for lunch? Or that you worked on a proposal today?
My overall view is that businesses should blog and that Twitter should be used only in cases where it really makes sense.
Twitter vs. Facebook
Most of the same issues that I spelled out above with the blogging comparison also hold true with Facebook. Click here for more discussion on Twitter vs Facebook.
Where Twitter Is Applicable
It seems that popular figures such as celebrities, athletes or politicians (Ashton Kuchar, Shaq, Sarah Palin) use Twitter to communicate their messages to a large audience because those people care what these major figures are doing and thinking. This is more public relations versus marketing in my opinion, and still does not get us closer to Twitter being an important part of business.
Questions For You
- Do you use Twitter for your business? If so, what kind of business is it?
- Have you actually added customers / revenue because of Twitter?
- Do you blog or use Facebook?
Comments
Good article! And it cracks me up that so many people believe that public figures actually take the time to do their own tweets.
"Most tweets are nonsense"
So are most phone conversations, text messages, email messages, and any other form of communication. Twitter is a "social" medium, like those mentioned above. And with any social medium, you get the important converstations along with the banal. Therefore your argument (and the argument of most Twitter-haters) that most tweets are banal/useless/nonsense is weak. It's a criticism that can be applied to any other form of communication, yet the Twitter-haters choose to single out whats new and what they don't understand.
First off, I don't hate twitter. I use Twitter: @KevinDuffey
But, when it comes to business I have lots of issues, although I acknowledge some of the applications.
You really need to read some of the many case studies on business success with Twitter.
And Tweets *are* indexed by Google—example: bit.ly/3I4oAr Also see: bit.ly/OEHlW for articles about business on Twitter.
Nice pondering. Although questions were for myself, I'll answer public:
- Do you use Twitter for your business? If so, what kind of business is it?
+ Yes, or actually for internet business research. I'm seeking which methods from sales, lead generation and click revenue adverticing works best in conjunction with Twitter. Affiliate marketing.
- Have you actually added customers / revenue because of Twitter?
+ In small scale, yes.
- Do you blog or use Facebook?
+ Both, but Facebook is more kind of keeping contact with relatives and closer friends. Blog and Twitter for global social communication.
My blog: randapp.com
Twitter: @mmstud
I would have never read this blog post if I hadn't read the tweet.
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