Twitter

I've been researching Twitter for my work -- a lot of people in the Professional Services realm are drooling over the Customer Relations Management (CRM) promise Twitter holds.

 

I don't really understand why everyone insists on comparing Twitter and Facebook. They're not the same, and most people use them for completely different purposes.

 

Would you agree that Facebook, with its status updates, is very Twitter-esque? I think that's the comparison most people I've heard are making. You're absolutely right that Facebook and Twitter are used for different things, but they are both "networking" sites in their own way.

 

These threads have some info on them:

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/65846/

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/68214/

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/67773/

 

AMac has the most info, but I'll say this: Twitter is not a fad. It has a lot of value. Don't write it off just yet.

 

In their own way, yes, they fall under a similar umbrella.

But they're not that comparable, depending on how you're using it. There's nothing I do on Twitter that I would rather do on Facebook, and nothing I do on Facebook that I do on Twitter.

 

I've been on twitter for a while and still have yet to find a great use for it. Mostly it seems like a way for all the media companies in my area to chat with each other in the guise of up to the minute updates. I don't notice a lot of reader interaction.

I like facebook because it's easier to interact.

 

You could, but you wouldn't.

 

I'm torn on Twitter. I understand the value in getting news updates or being linked in, but I also see it as further fostering the idea to young people the world is all about them. If you're using it to keep up to date on events or even to communicate with friends, I guess I'm OK with it, but when I see people letting others know they're going to lunch now or that they think peas are fun to eat, I'm not so sure.

 

Sure could ... there's even a site called Twitblogs that allows you to ramble on and it will split your Tweets for you.

I guess, though, if you want to use Twitter for professional purposes (and by the way, many don't so don't feel you have to), you want to ensure your Tweets have value and add to the conversation.

That's not to say I don't Tweet innocuous information, in addition to my PR networking. And I often get a bit of response to those Tweets. It's OK to show your personality in addition to your profession. Many people appreciate that.

And yes, Freelance Hack is correct that many in the marketing realm are looking for CRM out of Twitter. It is a way to reach out and have a conversation with potential and current customers. Say, for instance, someone is bitching about the service they got at Barney's. If I was in Barney's marketing department, I would have an account, have an RSS feed set up for any time someone mentions Barney's, and then be able to respond to their complaints quickly and personally and bring that person back over to being a champion of Barney's.

Think about it in the same way as a journalist. Someone's bitching about the biased coverage in your paper? Grumble, grumble, fuss, fuss, stupid readers, comments suck, yada, yada, yada ... bitch and complain on your end if you like but what's happening is people are complaining about your business. Here's a chance to have a conversation with those people - in a thoughtful and personal manner - and understand their side of the issue and hopefully help them understand yours.

I hope I'm helping a bit here. I tend to just ramble once I get on a roll about these things.

I absolutely DO NOT advocate Twitter, Facebook, etc. as the be-all, end-all. It is another tool I'm employing in the promotion of my organization -- a complement to our traditional marketing plans.

I do, however, see the value. And fortunately, after being on both sides of the fence, I can see the value from a PR perspective and a journalist's perspective.

I am always available to help you guys make the transition onto the platform. If you ever have questions you don't want to ask publicly, please feel free to PM me.

 

Mickey Kaus wrote this on Slate.
Thoughts? Interesting to me. Talked about it with a group of media types and we were all in agreement that a paid campaign made sense, but none of us knew enough about twitter.