It’s not the first time I’ve had the question asked, so I thought what better way to answer it than by sharing it with everyone here on Twitip.

Absolutes Don’t Exist

I’ll first be honest in saying that there isn’t a black and white answer, and this isn’t something that can be solved without testing. Too many people treat Twitter with black and white answers… with absolutes.

But there aren’t any absolutes.

Instead of looking for a perfect answer, why not claim every name that interests you and play around with them?

The task of playing around with multiple usernames on TweetDeck might be enough to convince you that you can’t manage more than one.

Or…

In playing with one for each niche, you find that it’s perfect for what you’re trying to do.

My Questions

But you still need help getting there, so let’s start with a few basic questions…

Do you plan on selling the associated domain at any time?

If so, then I recommend creating a new account for your domain/niche. Many companies will want the associated Twitter account when it comes time to sell, and at worst, it creates an additional asset that you can use to beef up the valuation of your web property.

Are we comparing apples or oranges?

If you’re trying to decide if you should have a different Twitter name for two different websites in the same niche, then I saw why not create an umbrella that owns them both and then start Tweeting from there?

If you’re trying to decide whether you should use one name for your personal blog and another for your basketweaving website, then I’ll ask you this… do you talk about basket weaving on your blog?

If not, then go with 2… at least try them. If you do, then you’re good with your own name.

Are you cross-linking your websites?

Look, if you plan on linking them all together anyway, then I don’t see any sense in creating one for each website. You’ve got enough on your plate as it is, and I’m guessing that the content will cross over between the two…so save yourself some effort and keep it under a single umbrella.

If you aren’t associating the websites with each other, then you either need to use your name as a global brand, or create one for each niche.

That being said… how effective is it to create a Twitter name for fencing swords? I’m not sure…why not play around and find out?

Common Sense Prevails

I’d like to sit here and pretend that I hold the keys to Twitter salvation, but the truth is that there aren’t any keys.

The best way to figure out what works, not only for you, but for your business, is to get out and try it. Only you know what works for you…and unless you spend time seeing if Virginia Bed and Breakfasts can attract a Twitter following, then how will you know?

Regardless of what these “social media experts” tell you, there isn’t a right answer. We’re still early on in the game, and things are changing rapidly. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow… so keep that in mind. Be flexible, be fluid, and be patient.

Do that, and you’ll be just fine.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



One Name or Two? Let’s Find Out

This post might sound negative, but it’s not meant to be. There’s a point to the criticism and I hope you’ll stick through it long enough to get to the end and join me in the discussion.

Scratch My Back

There’s something that’s been bothering me a lot lately, and I can’t quite figure out what it is. It has to do with Twitter, blogging, and social media. Being that this is a Twitter blog though, we’ll keep the discussion focused on Twitter.

I love Twitter…I really do, but it’s starting to get stale in some ways. Primarily, because we all hang out in specific circles in order to reinforce each other’s opinions and pat each other on the back. There’s good in that, and it’s awesome to know you have thousands of followers you can turn to when you’re feeling down.

And I’ll Scratch Yours

On the other hand, I think that used too much, it’s an environment that stifles creativity and creates a vacuum.

Let’s face it…a lot of content on Twitter is the same thing over and over again. Great quotes, great posts, and great discussions. There’s a lot of great stuff!

But it’s all the same stuff, and that’s where the problem lies.

Most people unfollow those that upset them or disagree on a constant basis, which means they only follow/are followed by people that support their opinion, at least in part.

Like a Group Hug

So what does that leave you besides an awesome support group? Where’s the challenge and the new ideas?

Are they in another niche?

Are they on Facebook?

They’re In the Real World

Where I worked, people fought quite often, ideas were challenged, and feelings were hurt. That’s just the way it was. However, the job got done because of the group dynamic. Different opinions lead to new ideas. Hybrids…if you want to call them that.

The problem with Twitter is that if you don’t spend enough time with real world challenges and with people that oppose your way of thought, then you’ll never truly expand your horizons.

Being popular on Twitter is like being popular in High School…there’s no substance behind it. If you understand that, and see it for what it is, then you know that although you need to enter the Matrix from time to time, the real world is where the true battles are fought.

The Positive

I promised a positive post, and I’m going to give it to you.

My challenge is this:

Learn to use Twitter to the best of your ability. Dominate it. Gain 50,000 followers and learn how to get more RT’s. But once you do, use that leverage to solve real world problems. Use that power in order to become a big fish in a big pond instead of a big fish in a little pond.

Twitter is a tremendous tool, and I’ll admit that I’m absolutely in love with the community there, but there’s a difference between business and community. Instead of hanging out in the same circle, try to expand into others. Challenge ideas and at the same time, allow yours to be challenged. Most of all, don’t mistake friends for clients.

Group hugs are great, but you’ve got to take that energy and run with it. Recharging is great, but don’t forget to use those batteries…there are still many worlds to be explored.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



The Group Hug Effect

The difference between marketing methods of old and social media marketing is that customers have a say. The success of a social media campaign is dependent not upon how much money is spent, but upon the people being marketed to. If the message works and they like the product, the masses will Tweet it to the rest of the masses. If it doesn’t, the campaign might not even get past the initial push, and will likely spiral into oblivion.

It’s All about the People

There’s one factor that you can’t control, and that’s people. Knowing that, you have to make the most of what you can control, which are the tools at your disposal. In this case, we’ll be talking Twitter, but it also works for Twitter, Facebook, Email Marketing, and video.

So how can you use Twitter for a product launch? Well, there are the obvious methods, such as using the TweetMeme plugin on your blog and product pages. People love to click these because it’s so simple, and I’m really amazed when I find a blog that doesn’t use it.

Forcing Your Hand

Another option is to create your own banner, with a built in link pointing to your launch page. Again, this works well because people can simply click and go…there’s no work involved. My friend Mike and I implemented this recently for our launch and within just a few days have noticed a huge difference in the buzz around our product.

But just creating the banner might not be enough. If you want to create a contest or track the amount of ReTweets, you’ll need a hashtag or custom URL. We created both, so that we could track each message that we create. This is an example of setting a control, so that you can not only track the results, but split-test what works best. If one hash tag isn’t working well, you can try another. If one of your URL’s isn’t seeing the amount of on-page action that you’d like, you can adjust your copy to fix it.

Real Time Tracking

Once you have your campaign in place, and you’ve set the parameters, you need to find a way to track the activity. This is where Twitter Search comes in quite handy.

However, since I’m not a huge fan of Twitter’s interface, I prefer to use clients like Tweet Deck or Seesmic to create custom searches. Of course, I’ll create a panel for my hashtag and possibly my URL, but I don’t stop there.

The next step is to set up a Google Alert, using those same queries, so that you can catch any instances that Twitter Search might miss. This also allows you to capture the activity of sites like Topsy, which republish popular Tweets. Although Twitter Search will capture most of your action, Google Alerts will pick up the stragglers for you.

Real Time Display

Lastly, if you really want to take advantage of Twitter to capture the buzz and hype around your product launch, then it’s time to show the world what everyone is saying. You can do this easily by creating a custom search (they call them groups) in Tweetizen and then embedding the results on sales and contest pages.

This does a number of things for you:

• It provides social proof
• It creates scarcity, which is a great way to capture a buyer’s attention
• It creates a sense of belonging when people see their name in the results

I’ve seen a number of products use this recently, and even as someone that’s used to seeing this sort of thing, I was impressed by the sense of belief I had when viewing the results.

The Total Package

If you implement these techniques in your launch, you’ll have a set of controls that you can test and manipulate, which will help you know very quickly if your launch is going to be a hit. If you don’t see the activity you were hoping for, then you can either adjust your campaign or scrap it for another.

If you pull it off, and the launch builds momentum, then you might get lucky enough to make the Twitter Trends list or get featured on a social media blog, like Mashable.

The great thing about strategies like this, is that you don’t need any cash to get started, yet you can compete with anyone on the Web. Now that’s power.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



How to Use Twitter for a Product Launch

It all started with auto DM’s and Mafia Wars games. People would sign up, give access to the application, and then it would DM spam every one of their followers until either they all unfollowed them or they removed the application.

From there, it moved to more sophisticated attacks, such as the recent “Hey, is this you?” type of messages. There’s also the “hey, check out this I.Q. quiz thingy.” Although the links might seem harmless, they are actually bait to get you to click the link, give up your info, and then let your account be used against your will in the same way as before.

In the future, you can expect things to get worse, that is unless you do something about it. That’s why I want to educate you here, because it’s spam like this that can open your account to virus attacks, malware, or worse.

1. Don’t click DM links unless they are from someone that you talk to often or that you trust won’t fall prey to these attacks. If you see the same message over and over again, it’s a phisher. If you aren’t sure, then send a DM back and ask about the message. Most of the time, they won’t even know they sent one.

2. Check your outbound DM’s on a daily basis to make sure you aren’t spamming people. If you are, head to the next step.

3. If you do find your account compromised, then change your password immediately. In fact, it’s good practice to change your password often to avoid things like this. If your account does become compromised, it’s possible that you might lose access completely. If this happens, you’ll either have to appeal to Twitter to save your account…or you’ll have to start over from scratch.

4. Check your application preferences to see who you’ve allowed to access your account. Click on Settings -> connections to get that menu. If you can’t tell who’s using your account to spam others, then remove each one and start over. Only give access to programs you trust. Only use applications that use OAuth to access the Twitter API. If you don’t see it, then go elsewhere.

The problem with Twitter spam is that it often kills someone’s credibility and unless someone is kind enough to tell you that you are spamming them, you’ll see your follow counts dwindle without a clue as to why.

The best way to protect yourself is just to be smart and use common sense. If you see someone caught in a spam attack, let them know before you drop them. If that doesn’t work, then kindly move on. Remember, if the link looks suspicious, then it probably is.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Spam, Phishing, and Hacks – How to Shore Up Your Defenses

If you don’t know what you are doing, measuring your brand online is like sticking a finger in the air and trying to gauge the direction of the wind. It just isn’t as easy as it looks. However, once you understand the tools required to make it happen, brand monitoring becomes 2nd nature. The trick then, is knowing what to monitor and how to do it.

In the past, people relied on Google alerts to send notifications of brand mentions, which usually came in the form of links. Although this is a great way to measure trackbacks and general sentiment, I don’t feel that it offers a complete picture. Not only that, but the results are delayed, meaning that if you get trashed on a forum or in a blog post, then you won’t be able to react until it’s too late. This is why Twitter is changing the way the game is played.

With Twitter, you can track your brand mentions in real time, using a variety of excellent tools. You can track via keyword or hashtag along with the standard mention/RT tracking on the homepage. If you have Twitter integrated onto your blog, then you can add even more firepower to your arsenal by using Tweetbacks and RT’s as comments, which might flesh out an otherwise empty post footer.

The beauty of Twitter tracking tools is that they tell a much greater story than Google does.

1. Most of the people that read your blog don’t have one of their own, so commenting on Twitter is the only way they can voice their approval/displeasure.
2. It is much quicker to post a comment on Twitter than it is to create a blog post. Also, since RT’s and mentions are part of the game, people want to talk with you…not just at you.
3. The results are real time, which means that you can respond to a fire before it becomes a wildfire.

Twitter is where most of the conversation takes place, and if you aren’t there watching, then you are missing out on valuable information about your business. Rather than holding your finger in the air, you are armed with instruments that can provide you with detailed analysis of what you are doing well, and what you need to improve upon.

The Tools

There are 3 particular tools that I’m fond of, but you don’t have to stick with these. Just take what we do here and find a way to make it work within the scope of your favorite Twitter application.

1. TweetDeck panes: From my experience gazing at laptop screens during the Blogworld Expo, it seems that TweetDeck is by far the most popular Twitter desktop client. It makes sense, because TweetDeck is robust and easy to use. The simple way to set up monitoring in Tweetdeck is to add a few search panes for the keywords and hashtags that represent your brand. For instance, I have a search going for #twitterrockstar and Twitter Rockstar to see what people are saying about my Twitter course.
2. Hootsuite tabs: Hootsuite is slowly growing into a fabulous web client that has all of the features of TweetDeck without having to download an application, which is perfect places where you can’t download (like at work). You can handle multiple accounts here as well, but the best feature of Hootsuite in my opinion is being able to set up a tab for each brand. I set up tabs for Twitter Rockstar, Beyond Blogging, Nathan Hangen, and any other product or name that I want to track. Since everything is saved to my account, it’s always ready and waiting for me when I log in.
3. Tweetizen: Tweetizen was developed by Adarsh Pallian and is a great way to not only track your brand, but to show it off to others. Tweetizen allows you to create a “group,” which you can use to track keywords or hashtags, but the difference here is that you can embed the results in any web page. This is great for product pages or launch pages so that you can build hype for your brand without having to force it on your own. Get the conversation going and watch it take off. You can also filter Tweets via user, which means if you want to plant Tweets (which I don’t recommend doing), you can easily do that.

I use all 3 of these tools on a regular basis for my own brand, and that of my clients. As a business owner or consultant, you simply cannot afford not to ignore what others are saying about you and your brand. Create a daily practice of listening with both ears open and then respond where necessary. Nurture those devoted fans, and earn the trust of the negative ones. Do this for yourself and you’ll be ahead of the game. Do it for another business…and you will look like a rockstar.

[image credit]

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



3 Ways to Monitor Your Brand with Twitter

When I look at my Twitterfeed, I see that a lot of people are spending time talking about themselves. I get that…I really do, but let me ask you something. How many people on Twitter do you really pay attention to? Of those, how many of them talk about themselves more than they talk about others? If my guess is right, I’d say that the percentage is less than 25%. So why is it then, that people feel they have to talk about themselves in order to convert you into a reader or a customer?

Do the right thing

It isn’t because it works, we know that already. No, I’d venture to say that it is because they are mimicking the behavior of others. They see everyone else talking about themselves too so they think it is alright. Either that or they are afraid that people will not notice them unless they broadcast their talents like an ad agency. And it is OK I suppose, unless you want to really make a difference. If social media ROI is your concern, you’ll have problems using this approach.

I know it sounds like a contrarian perspective, but if you really want to get people to like you on Twitter, then you need to like them first. Aside from the celebrities, most of the Twitter power users are people that spend time giving away information and ideas. They prop you up and make you feel like your voice matters. This works because people don’t want to hear about you…they want to hear themselves echoed in your words. Even if you don’t mention them by name, they feel connected to you when you share a story that helps them.

In my time using Twitter, I’ve found that I gain the most influence, which I measure as RT’s, replies, and brand mentions, by talking with others instead of talking at them. One of the ways I do this is by constantly scanning my feed to find new ideas and inspirational stories. I keep what I call, “a portfolio of game changers,” and I like to tell other people about them.

Lend a helping hand

I don’t want to sound high and mighty here, but let’s face it…it feels really good to help other people. Oddly enough, when you help people on Twitter, you will often see the most return. This isn’t to say that you should only help others to help yourself or that you can’t talk about yourself at all, but I’m a firm believer in authenticity. Share what is good and hope that your content is strong enough to stand on its own in a similar fashion. You aren’t going to sell a bunch of ebooks on Twitter unless they are good. But, if you are a great designer that people have never heard of before, they’ll notice you a lot quicker when they see you offer to help with a problem or by answering a question of theirs.

Listen and learn

If you simply take the time to respond to the needs of others, they’ll be there for your time of need. It really is amazing how quickly a true talent can be found when they become a window for ideas, rather than a wall. Use Twitter to engage with the people in your niche and let your blog or website do the talking for you. Take it from Zig Ziglar himself…people like those that listen more than they like those that talk. If you can spend just 50% of your time on Twitter as a helping hand, then I can guarantee that people will start to notice you. At that point, your work needs to do the talking, but you already know that.

[Image: Aidan Jones on Flickr]

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Twitter – The Art of Influence

As I’ve been following people on Twitter, I’ve noticed an interesting trend. More and more people are starting to use a validation service to create a gateway between themselves and new followers. On the surface, this looks like a great idea, but I’ve come to realize that it might not be – here’s why:

• It takes a lot of time to validate every single message you receive – Although I don’t mind filling out a captcha every now and then, filling them out by the dozens negates what could be a positive experience. I’ve grown accustomed to ignoring these messages and as a result, I never get to communicate with the people on the other side.
• It can be confusing – Some people, particularly those new to Twitter, might not understand what Twit validation is or why it exists. Placing barriers in the way of communication is essentially the same thing as locking your Tweets, which is another behavior that I find troubling. What is the point of joining a network if you don’t want to communicate?
• Rather than taking your time to filter your feed, you are placing the onus on those interested in following you. Sure, I can ignore the request for validation, but in the end I’ll end up talking to myself. Although there are a select few I follow without a follow back, I don’t like to make a habit of it. Not because I’m a jerk, but because it shows good faith. If you aren’t interested in what I have to say, then we are going to have a hard time communicating.

We can blame the spammers for this, but they don’t care if they ruin the experience. Still, why should we let them change the way that we communicate online? Eventually, Twitter will find a way to weed out messages in the same way that Gmail does, but in the meantime, consider removing the validation from your account and taking the time to filter on your own. If you don’t want to communicate with the masses, then maybe a valdiation service will work for you. However, if your business or brand relies on open communication, then you should think twice about placing roadblocks in between you and your customer.

If you are truly concerned about a cluttered or spam filled Twitterfeed, then consider using groups via TweetDeck or Seesmic. If there are only certain Tweeters that you pay attention to, you can also import their stream via RSS to be sure you don’t miss a thing. Lastly, it only takes 5 seconds to block or unfollow someone, but it takes nearly 20-30 for me to validate my profile for you. Multiply that by a dozen or two and you’ll see why most people don’t have the time to make it worthwhile.

The concept is noteworthy, but the execution leaves something to be desired for. One of the reasons that I love Twitter is that it opens the doors to communication. The problem with validation is that it closes them. What do you think?

[image: Unhindered by Talent]

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Twitter Validation – My Take

I can’t help it…sometimes my Twitter feed makes me want to scream. I’m reading through my DM’s and wondering what people are thinking when they send me this stuff. I don’t want to make 4,000 per month with Twitter (I do this fine on my own thank you), I don’t need 1,000 followers by the time I wake up, and I don’t need any gifts, free-reports, or webinars. Look, there is absolutely nothing wrong with pitching people on Twitter, but this DM madness has got to stop. While we are on the subject, let’s get specific about how not to pitch on Twitter:

• Only sending out affiliate links
• Attaching people’s names to your affiliate links (i.e. @nhangen @problogger http://myaffiliatelink.com Great Tips!)
• Using automated software to auto-tweet your links based on search in batches of more than a few per hour
• Auto-DM’s with an affiliate link, free-report, or anything else mentioned above

There’s a right way to pitch and a wrong way, but for some reason most of the people on Twitter take the most annoying and least effective route as possible. I don’t get it, but maybe this post will help.

The first thing you need to realize on Twitter, is not that it is like a party (is anyone else gettting sick of hearing that phrase?), but that there are accepted protocols. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of backlash about how there aren’t any rules on Twitter, which is also true. However, the protocols I mention here serve to help you sell better without being marked as a spammer. It goes like this:

• Don’t just sell – If every Tweet in your feed is a pitch, then you aren’t going to do very well. Mix it up a little bit by Tweeting blog posts, RT’ing other people’s stuff, and replying.
• When you do sell, be casual – Pitching someone at their kitchen table is different than pitching them at a bar. There is a right place  for the hard sell, but Twitter isn’t it. Mention your product as a proud creator, not as a telemarketer. Do this enough times and people will start to notice.
• Get your friends to help you out – Leverage your network to help you promote your product. Social proof in the form of other people pitching your stuff works much better than you trying to pitch it on your own.
• Link to testimonials, blog posts, and opt-in forms, but transparency is crucial – Tell people what you are linking to or they won’t click the link. When they do click, they don’t want to feel like they were tricked, so be honest and up front.

Don’t be afraid to send out an affiliate link from time to time, but be careful. If you trick someone once, they are likely to unfollow you or simply ignore future requests. Don’t use the 140 to pitch, let your web copy or blog post do that for you. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to sell good stuff on Twitter, but it does take some patience.

You can also use some of the cool Twitter video services, like Twiddeo and Twitcam to talk about your products. Just don’t forget that the key to marketing on Twitter is to sell yourself first. Once people like you, they are much more likely to buy your product, even if they don’t need it. People want to buy from people they connect with, not some random eBook avatar screaming out affiliate links. When it comes to pitching on Twitter, if you let discretion and transparency be your guide, I promise you’ll have success. People will buy your product, but 9 times out of 10 they’ll buy it because of the connection rather than the copy.

[image via freezelight]

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



The Proper Way to Pitch on Twitter

I know, it sounds strange in theory. But think about it like this: you spend a lot of time building a network on Twitter, engaging with your followers, and creating powerful partnerships, but what would happen if this single asset went belly up? You don’t put all of your cash into a single stock, so why should you invest all of your social capital in a single service?

Don’t get me wrong, I like Twitter, but I want to be prepared in the event that something kills my favorite social tool. I’ve never invested this much time in any other platform, nor have I met so many great people all over the world. Twitter excels at connecting people and helping them share ideas, but it can’t be the only way to connect, especially if your business or personal brand depends on it.

Diversify

Since we’re going to be treating Twitter as an investment, it is time to start talking about diversifying your capital (social in this instance). The type of friends and associates I have on Twitter generally fall into on of several categories:

• Real life friend
• Business partners
• Hobbyist
• Someone I support or admire
• Blog readers, customers, and supporters
• People I’d like to know more about

I usually group them as such within Twitter using TweetDeck, but there are other places I’d like to interact with these groups too, so I start diverting them to other sites or properties of mine. Some I’ll send to Facebook, some I’ll send to a business platform, like LinkedIn, and some I’ll send to my newsletter opt-in. Others, I’ll simply follow where I can.

For instance, obviously you probably already connect with your friends on Facebook, but consider meeting up with fellow hobbyists there as well. As a Triathlete, I take part in many bulletin boards and forums, where I’ll often find others to connect with on Twitter. However, I don’t stop there. Over time, I’ll connect with them on Facebook and if all goes well, ask them to check out my Triathlon Training Blog. The goal is to move from an asset that I don’t own, to one that I do. In the event that the forums close down or Twitter disappears for a while, I can still connect with them on Facebook or on my blog.

If the relationship is one of a business nature, I’ll make sure to connect with them on LinkedIn and either ask for or offer a recommendation. The power of LinkedIn lies in its ability to connect powerful businesses with powerful business minds, but for some reason many people don’t find the time to hang out over there. I think that is a mistake. The networking within that community is intense and making sure to invest some capital in that site will do wonders for your portfolio.

As a way to stay in contact with your fans, supporters, and readers, consider creating a Facebook Fan Page or at a minimum, making sure they know about your email list. Send blog readers to follow you on Twitter and Twitter readers to follow you on your blog. You should be constantly redirecting people to as many parts of your web portfolio as possible. This is the only way to ensure that the hard work you’ve done on Twitter won’t disappear in the future.

Integrate

All of my social sites, at least the ones that allow me to, have a badge, icon, or link that tells people how they can find me on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. From those sites, I send people to internet property that I own. Fairly simple concept really, but it is one that people often overlook. In the past, I set up auto-DM’s to let people know how to find my blog and Facebook profile, but the anti-auto-DM lobbyists convinced me otherwise. Still, from time to time I’ll send out a Tweet to make sure that people know where to find me outside of Twitter.

Use the left side of your Twitter background to your advantage and offer links there. If you have a blog or website, consider crafting your links like this:

• myblog.com/twitter
• myblog.com/facebook
• myblog.com/youtube
• myblog.com/linkedin

What I’m getting at here is not that people are nothing more than property or an investment, but that you need to make sure your relationships are safeguarded in the event of a Twitter catastrophe. If you read my post about Why Twitter isn’t Going Anywhere, you’ll know that I don’t expect this to happen, but after last week’s DDoS attacks you can never be too sure. I’ve met more exceptional people on Twitter in the past year than I’d met in the previous 20 and if the past is any indication of the future, then I expect this trend to continue.

[image: monojussi]

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Treating Twitter as an Investment

I’m still amazed by the people that think Twitter is nothing more than a fad that is soon to disappear. That’s what they said about MySpace, then Facebook too. Obviously, nothing lasts forever, but by the looks of it Twitter isn’t going anywhere in the near future.

Just take a look at who is using Twitter these days:

• Movie Stars
• Musicians
• Radio and TV Personalities
• Authors
• Marketers
• Athletes
• Etc

The list goes on and on. People are getting on Twitter at an amazing rate and although many don’t use it much, those that do spend more time on Twitter than on any other social network. Twitter integrates easily with blogs and website, but it is also easy to use via a variety of clients. I can Tweet from my iPhone, upload pictures on the go with Twitpic, and even send Tweets straight to my MySpace and Facebook accounts in seconds.

Twitter is fresh, but it’s also relevant. News spreads virally on Twitter faster than it can hit CNN. Professionals use it to spread the word about their latest products and services, while businesses use it to keep consumers up to date. The local 5 O’clock news uses it to get feedback on coverage, and small businesses use it to offer special discounts and coupons.

There is no limit to what Twitter can be used for, but it isn’t for a lack of trying. Every day programmers and designers are creating new applications to test Twitter uses and its limits. Every day there is a new way to use it. I’m in the business of staying up to date with Twitter and even I can’t keep up. It is growing at an exponential pace.

Business are making a living by offering Twitter services, clients, and software suites. Sure, it might be a little risky to stake the future of your business on an online service that isn’t profitable yet, but if I were a betting man I’d say that Twitter is the perfect vehicle to ride to internet stardom. Twitter’s rise is so huge, I liken it to a mini dot-com opportunity that you can ride into more profitable ventures. Twitter’s climate is the perfect breeding ground for startups, tech junkies, and software developers.

Yeah, I expect something to replace Twitter down the road, but I give it at least 2-3 years of solid growth before it levels off. That’s plenty of time for you to jump on the bandwagon and make something happen. Even if Twitter only lasts a year, you’ve got plenty of time to make some waves and build a following. Twitter connects people better than any other service can…people want that. 3 years ago I couldn’t imagine using something like Twitter to talk to the world, now I can’t imagine a world without it. Twitter is now the default agent for spreading news and information and it is a preferred way to connect with people all across the globe. You can try to convince yourself that Twitter won’t be around long, but soon you’ll have to find an excuse for why you were wrong. What’s the point in trying to fight the future of communication?

Remember that guy that you make fun of for talking about walking to school for 10 miles in the snow without shoes? That’s what the guy that thinks Twitter is already dead sounds like. Don’t knock it until you try it, that’s my recommendation.

[image credit: Matt Hamm]

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Why Twitter Isn’t Going Anywhere