To tweet or not to tweet
We are often asked about social media, namely Twitter. So what is Twitter? Twitter is a short form push style of text messaging that allows for quick and constant updates, and just as importantly, quick and constant responses and feedback. It is in a sense, a chatroom with an ongoing dialog and the potential for easy reach of your message.
Only about 20% of small businesses appear to use Twitter. And unlike your website, it is not necessarily needed for your successful marketing. Where your website can serve as a simple thought, brilliantly engaging online brochure that markets you to the world 24/7/365, Twitter requires, for success, a constant attention and stream of information.
To many entrepreneurs and small businesses, this can be a blessing and a curse. According to Mark Frauenfelder, founder of the popular blog boingboing.net,
“It’s a way to connect directly with people in an informal atmosphere where they’re not afraid to provide feedback. You can float ideas you can’t anywhere else.”
“People with entrepreneurial spirit are so interested in creating a fascinating life for themselves, they would have less trouble creating a compelling story than someone who’s a cog in a machine.”
But like anything else, and more so, you get what you put into Twitter.
On the other hand, Twitter can become a huge time waste and costly distraction. Opening the flood gates to yet another source of information overload, and just one more task to add to the todo list.
So what does it mean for you? Look at Twitter as a tool. If you enjoy the idea and will maintain it and bring value to your client with Twitter, then it makes perfect sense. On the other hand, if you don’t have the time or see the relevance, you can still build and market a very successful business.
