Dear Aaron,
First let me thank you for keeping an open mind on Twitter and other social media platforms. Others would have simply ignored the folks who jeered them at a social media club meeting but you decided to use the opportunity to reexamine Twitter and its benefits to your and other businesses.
I will preface my comments by saying that social media isn’t for everyone and far be it from me, or anyone else for that matter, to try to convince folks who see no benefit in it that it’s the best marketing thing since sliced bread. In our conversations with public relations clients, we have had a number of occasions where we have introduced the client to social media possibilities only to come to the joint conclusion that it just wasn’t, and shouldn’t at this time be their cup of tea. You can’t force people to “get” social media.
In your post “Why I Still Hate Twitter,” you bring up some valid criticisms that the folks at Twitter need to meet head on if the platform is to continue to be viable. Twitter is a haven for marketing people, no doubt. The fact that you followed only 50 people validates an opinion of mine that Twitter does not to a good job publicizing the programs, services and platforms that makes it easy for people to follow others with similar backgrounds, likes and goals. Finally, I agree that Facebook and Google are better ways to drive communities, readers and traffic.
That being said, to say that following 50 people and checking their updates a couple of times a day makes your “study” of Twitter valid, is doing an injustice to the platform. For good or for bad, Twitter is something you have to work at and invest time in to prove its value.
Here are three ways to increase the value of Twitter and while I know I can’t convince you to reopen your “study,” I offer them as a public service for those who are having similar struggles:
- Use a Twitter aggregator such as TweetDeck or Seesmic to better manage your Twitter experience. This will help organize the main stream and divide it into columns that will make it easier to see what your followers are saying and what others are saying to them.
- Use Twellow as a tool to find people who are like you, have the same interests, and most importantly are people you can learn from. This is a great way to follow the right people, get them to follow you back, and build your core Twitter posse.
- Take advantage of regular chats on Twitter. For example, there are weekly chats for journalists (#journchat), public relations folks (#pr20chat), integrated marketers (#incchat), health care professionals (#hcsm), and countless others for non-media types. You can use chat tools like Tweetchat to follow the stream and find out who the hosts are and when they run the chats. This is by far the best way to gain followers and find people you value.
- One easy way to find people locally is to tag your posts the #RVA hashtag at the end. If you search for others who do the same you will find most of the core Twitterers in the Richmond area. Other cities and towns have created their own hashtags for the same purpose.
Finally from a personal standpoint, I can tell you that I have met countless friends, mentors and teachers on Twitter who have helped shape my social media strategic approach not only for my business but my clients as well.
I can draw a direct line from my use of Twitter (and its use by others at THP) to the growth of revenue for our business.
Sure you can have fun with it too (as I did virtual cheering the Jets on during their recent run), but as a business person I would have dropped off a long time ago if it didn’t offer value.
You can be a Twitter hater if you want, that’s your right. If you decide that you want to give it one more try, I’m happy to offer my services to steer you in the right direction.
Best,
Jon
John McClung
/ January 27, 2010First, let me say, nice post, Jon.
I completely agree that Twitter nor any other Social Media, which I consider communications tools, should be forced on anyone. If a person doesn’t want to use the tool, THAT’S OK.
In terms of the diversity of folks on Twitter, I find it interesting, because except for a few media/ advertising types from Richmond, I’m not aware of following any others.
I have created friends across the country that if you looked at my tweets at any given time, might make one believe that the only people on Twitter are coaches and managers, or at other times real estate agents, and at other times perhaps wine drinkers, cooks, basketball fans or in other words the people that share interests with me.
Twitter is a tool, nothing more, nothing less. For some it will be a great tool, for others, not worth having. For me, it’s an efficient way to get exposed to ideas and to explore my ideas with people that I would never have come in contact with otherwise.
I applaud Aaron for tying Twitter and your comments above.
Be great,
John
JephKelley
/ January 27, 2010Jon,
Good post. I hate the term “social media,” but the social media world seems to be the core of Aaron’s hatred, because as he noted at the end of his post, he doesn’t like LinkdIn or Facebook or any of the rest of it.
To me, this isn’t about Aaron hating Twitter, as his article notes. It’s his hatred of anything on the Internet besides traditional email blasts and Web pages. Unfortunately, that stuff is evolving, too. And Twitter may (correction: will) go away like he said, sure…but it’s going to evolve.
Disclaimer: I know and worked with Aaron at the RTD. I make fun of him when we talk for being an oxymoron: Running an Internet business and hating the Internet’s most advanced tools. He sends email blasts (social media). BizSense has a facebook Fan page (social media). You can subscribe to his RSS feeds (social media).
Yet he hates social media.
That being said, reading people’s articles that hate on Twitter or Internet tools is one thing; reading about Aaron hating on it makes me cringe. The Internet is the source of his bread and butter, and his employees’ bread and butter. It’s like being Amish and refusing to embrace cars or phones or cell phones…you can still grow, but it won’t be as easy and you may never reach your full potential.
To any of us who have found success through tools such as Twitter, in reading Aaron’s piece, he simply comes off as ignorant. I mean that not as a personal attack of course, but from a business standpoint. Just glancing at his Twitter “study” (i.e. his page), it’s plain to see he didn’t study it so much as he dabbled for a few days and called it quits. That’s what makes your head shake when you read his column. Yet he’s running an Internet company.
Twitter has given me 200 very good friends from all over the country that I did not have one year ago. It’s gotten me business, just like THP and others. Hundreds of people (I do not follow them all) are now aware of my existence and my abilities, personally and professionally. It’s connected me to NATIONAL players in the creative/comedy writing industry (these people now follow me back and I am able to talk with them privately, not just publicly). These are things I would not have if I didn’t pop up a tweet three times a day (roughly 5 to 10 minutes a day)…that is, I can update while I wait for coffee to brew, at stoplights, and at the height of rush hour while driving 65 miles an hour on the highway.
All the best to Aaron. He’s created a good thing for Richmond. He even mentioned me (not by name) in his article. We are friends personally and professionally, but we do not see eye-to-eye on this. I just think he needs to understand what he’s talking about before writing it all off in public.
Kendall Morris
/ January 27, 2010Great post Jon. I too just have to weigh in as I am one of those who has gained tremendous value professionally from the use of Twitter. It isn’t for everyone but I hope that businesses will take the time to examine the opportunities that exist in a very real way through Twitter. These opportunities are simply not available through other means right now.
In addition to connecting me to great people, conversations and content, I consider Twitter to be my “canary in a coal mine” for a brand. We all recognize that it is a small segment of the population engaging on Twitter. It is that small group that often leads me to all of the other online conversations that exist on blogs, forums, Facebook and countless other sites.
I’m sorry Aaron wasn’t able to realize the value that Twitter provides. It is a valuable tool for me and I enjoy helping brands leverage it’s use in achieving objectives.
Also, reading tweets from people like @JephKelley sometimes just gives me a reason to laugh out loud in the middle of a crazy stressful day!
jonnewman12
/ January 27, 2010Kendall,
You had me all the way until the @JephKelly comment. Someone needs to take that guy down a peg or two.
Thanks for the comment,
Jon
Jephkelley
/ January 27, 2010Hey now! I’m on no pegs!
Kendall Morris
/ January 27, 2010Ha! Two great ways to build a community on Twitter are through valuable content or humor. I am envious of the folks who can make me laugh online because it is a talent I simply don’t have.
Love to see the community engaging in discussion! It is the only way all of us can learn. Thanks for starting the conversation!
Jakes
/ January 27, 2010Must every letter be “open” these days?