Are you a business Twit?
- 03 March, 2009 13:22
- Comments 7
Kevin 24/7 does it and so does Malcolm of the opposition. Britney and Barrack are also on-board, joined by the stellar crowd of William Shatner and MC Hammer. Twitter certainly attracts an eclectic bunch of users as it does a generally flattering amount of press.
But I’m not convinced most Australians are that keen on the micro-blogging service – especially in the business world and with the restrictive mobile phone contracts we are stuck with. It’s clearly great for self promotion and keeping friends and family up to speed on your movements, but unless you’re desperate to show your tech-savviness, I don’t see how Twittering can ever be better than IM or an old-fashioned email in a business context.
We just did an online poll of how people use the Twitter service and 71 per cent said they didn’t use it all. Only 15 per cent nominated a business use. I signed up and used it for about a day, then lost interest.
Sure it can be fun to see what a celeb has been doing and perhaps, if you are that way inclined, your favourite pollie. But aside from out and out advertising, I don’t think many CEOs or other senior management-types would want to let people know their movements – at least not the important ones.
And, until clients or even the general public can see what is happening – without the marketing guff – at some of the companies they take an interest in, I don’t think Twitter will play a substantial role within the four walls of Australian companies.
Twitter’s essence is as an information service and yes, companies may use it to promote themselves. But unless you are interested in another (limited) marketing channel, it doesn’t really hold that much for a company as the service currently stands.
Perhaps, if we started to see Ricky Ponting mid-test or Chopper Read mid-whatever he is doing now twit away there might be a spike in interest in Australia. Add in a Sol Trujillo twit and perhaps a business version might get developed. Until then I think the business community is stuck watching wanna-bes. What do you think?
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Comments
Rodos
Depends on the community
I think it may depend on the community in question. For example in the virtualisation community there is a large number of twitter users and at the VMworld conferences the use of twitter heavily increasing.
Rodos
Jye Smith
More than that..
The Kevings, Baracks etc belong to one of many communities on Twitter.
There are many, many other influential communities across design, IT, PR, Marketing, Futurism even hairdressing. Story Tellers and Writers get really involved in telling their 140 character stories.
Twitter also offers are picture of collective insight around topics in the news and around the world.
Like other social networks like Facebook the uptake is slow, and it's still very much in an early adopter phase. The uptake has increased dramatically yes, (website views up 500% in Australia), but it'll still take a while.
Facebook today has 5million Australian users, up 300,000 in January alone.
Sure, we mightn't see the exact same amount of growth, but peoples desire to share and explore their passions will continue to rise as Australia (both business and personal) learn to embrace these medium.
I know the CEOs and MDs of many leading companies have begun their ventures, in fact, here's a big list: http://laurelpapworth.com/ceos-that-twitter/
I'd like to disagree with you and make the point that Twitter's essence is more about the people behind the information.
It's allowed for people from all segments and positions within business to connect. I personally have made some really strong networks and ties with the very elite of my industry. They've been open and embraced an even playing field whereby anyone can get inolved.
Twitter is about communities and conversation. It's a digital form of network that is growing at an exceptional rate, and really connecting people.
Jye Smith
Jye Smith
Seems me details didn't apppear.
Jye Smith
http://jyesmith.com
Thanks :)
Anonymous
Dear long-winded person,
The
Dear long-winded person,
The reality is that twitter is not doing anything that it promises at this stage of its existence. It's not being used by the CEOs of the big companies, and it's still got a ways to go before it can be the groundbreaking thing it claims to be. Until then it's a niche product for a niche audience, and as such, its application to business is limited - it leaves out too many people.
Jye Smith
Which Promises
Dear Short One Paragraphed Person,
What promises?
It's only starting yes, but I thought I mentioned that? It's the recent growth and adoption by wider audiences that are just the beginning of it's potential.
For me, it's business use has been about network and information. I think they are important business tools -- and I'd hope that other businesses agree with me.
Jye
Anonymous
But Jye,
Can you blame the
But Jye,
Can you blame the current skepticism around Twitter, given that, as you yourself admit, it's not really anything at all at the moment.
It may take off, sure, but it also wouldn't be the first time an internet gimmick died before it hit the mainstream. For now it's not offering enough networking or information or community or communication, or anything else that it would like to claim it does offer, to be considered anything more than just that, a gimmick.
Jye Smith
Would never blame the skepticism -- but if you've identified your market as one in involved in Twitter, then I say go for it. If not, or you don't know -- then have a listen, and see what your audience is saying and where (like all social media).
Twitter is still very much in it's infancy compared to say a Facebook. 20,000 daily uniques verses 800,000 uniques respectively.
If you're in the IT business it pays to get involved. If you're in other business it pays to have a listen.
Thanks for the discussion guys.
Jye
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