Twitterpated

Have you heard of other people “Twittering” and wondered what it's all about?  About a year ago, NPR did a profile on Twitter and so I thought I would give it a serious look.  And even though it just sounded like a silly little application designed to help someone be “anonymously nosy”, it had some extra credibility since NPR was covering it.  Boy was I surprised at what I learned!

What began as an R & D project in 2006, turned into an award winning product officially launched in April, 2007.  Since that time it is gained a world wide following, and has become a mainstay communication tool in many circles.  It was awarded the South by Southwest Web Award in 2007 and has never looked back.

What,  exactly, is Twitter?

Good question!  Unless you are the kind of person who doesn't mind just “jumping right in”, understanding what Twitter is & how to use it can be a little confusing - and maybe just a bit intimidating.  Accessible through virtually web-enabled device, Twitter is a free tool with no advertising and requiring only the most basic of information to register.  It is very easy to get started and quickly “tweeting” (i.e. - creating messages in Twitter).  Limited to 140 characters or less, users can share whatever they want with any interested party on virtually any topic; these messages are called “Tweets”.  For me, it really just started out as a curiosity – after all, how could this application really help someone like me? 

Trying to keep an open mind, I did see that it was potentially useful as an application to use when attending conferences with colleagues.  “Come to booth #213 and check out this product.”  “Meet up at the bar afterwards to catch up.”  And even in this respect, I still wasn't convinced that it was any  different than IM-ing someone, or even just sending an e-mail.  Still, I decided to keep an open mind and plunged into the Twitter world in November, 2007.  Now, five months later, I use it and not only have a growing audience, but also a growing group of people whose Twitters I follow.

Often likened to a “mini blog”, I really see Twitter as an application in the social media space that can help drive active and meaningful connections.  Different people use it in different ways.  Some people I follow use it to broadcast what they are up to (“Getting kids ready for lunch w/Grandma.”  “Listening to boring speaker at a conference - YAWN!”).  They also will vary in the frequency of their updates, from once every 6 months to multiple times a minute (NOTE:  this can get to be annoying, and IMO is really kind of pointless.  I mean, if you're not going to “play by the rules” and limit your self-expressions to 140 characters or less, then send an email or use IM!). 

Twitter's immediacy drives intimacy which drives rapport.  These three elements are the keys to forming relationships in the online world, whether it's with people, brands, etc.  And while I have seen people successfully use Twitter to drive personal and professional relationships, and also strengthen their brands, I have not seen companies and/or specific products or services use this application to strengthen their online presence or position in the marketplace – yet! (Guy Kawasaki is using Twitter to do this for his website alltop.com)

Related to questions on what Twitter is and how best to use it, comes the question of one's network – quantity vs. quality?  “Should I have a big network?”  “Do I focus on a small yet highly valuable network?”  “Is there some hybrid model that I should use?”  Personally, I tend to favor larger networks of people for a few reasons:

-         the more open I am, the more I tend to learn and grow, and hence the more value I can contribute not only back to my network, but to the customers and companies and people with whom I interact

-         I find value in being a “hub” versus simply a “node” in network models.  I believe that I contribute and add more value the more I am able to help people.

-         I believe I have learned more than I otherwise would have, had I taken a different approach

And while it is valid point that the signal-to-noise ratio can decrease as the number of network nodes increases, I find that after a certain point the relationship reverses and one tends to see patterns and memes emerge that would otherwise have been readily apparent.  Different information and possibilities become more apparent and available.

Twitter isn't unique in this respect.  Richard Scoble recently had an interesting blog on this, and he posited the debate as one between are you a “listener” or a “contributor” in your networks.  A “Listener” is one who has more people that they follow, than follow them.  A “Contributor” is on who has more people following them, than they follow.  I don't think these things are always that black-and-white.  I tend to be in a little of both schools.  Quantitatively, I have an almost a one-to-one ratio of Following versus Followers (1.355 : 1).

One of the things I always enjoy about these kinds of tools are third party applications and the creative and innovative ways these are used.  To help you get started I've included a few links here that can walk you through the tool in more detail, and quickly get you Twittering – and maybe even Twooshing!

Twitter Guide & Lexicon:  http://ashersolutions.blogspot.com/2008/03/twitter-effect.html

Good, all-around portal to Twitter & Twitter tools:  http://blog.reportwitters.com/your-ultimate-twitter-guide/

Search Twitter threads:  http://quotably.com/

The Newbie's Guide To Twitter:  http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9697867-2.html

So jump in and give it a try!  Don't know anyone “Twittering”?  Connect with me (in the Twitter entry window, type, “follow ChrisKauza” and then hit the “Update” button) and some of the folks in my Twitter circle-of-friends and experience it for yourself!  I wouldn't be surprised if you soon sent me an email (or a Twitter!) telling some of the interesting creative ways you have integrated Twitter into your daily life.

As always feel free to connect with me through to these online tools (especially LinkedIn and Plaxo) and see what I'm up to!  Maybe we can help each other – see you online!

Until next month...Chris

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