Twitter this, Twitter that, ReTweet, DM, Follow Me – Once you’ve found the “Twitter craze” there’s no going back – right? Everyone is on Twitter – right? You can even meet famous actors, actresses, politicians – hell, even the President twitters… Right?
Erm – I hate to burst your bubble… but I’m about to burst your bubble. So, if you’re a Twitter-holic and this particular medium can do no wrong, stop now. No, really, don’t read on.
I’m waiting.
Okay – those of you who stuck around, get ready for some nuggets of knowledge, starting with: Twitter ain’t all that.
When you read about social media, Twitter is one of the first things that pop up. There are even “gossip channels” about the higher-ups on Twitter. You hear about the A-list, where people like Guy Kawasaki smile down from on high. However – did you know that less than 10% of American Internet users are actually on Twitter?
Did you know that a lot of businesses, famous people, etc. use ghost writers? That’s right. That personal message from Mr. Famous Muckety-Muck you’re so proud of may actually have been written by Ms. Not-so-Famous Ghost Writer. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg ladies and gentlemen.
Now, let’s see: there’s Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, DiggIt, Technorati… probably a few more social media or book marking places at the top of the list. But, did you know there are more than 1,000 other social media sites? That’s right, over 1,000, and the number is growing daily. The number also doesn’t add in the sites created for specific groups.
Recently, I had a client who really wanted to get into the social media arena. Now, I know a lot of the big players, but he needed more than just seven or eight. Conscientious, hard-working woman that I am, I took myself to the Internet and began to search. What I found was absolutely astonishing.
People from every walk of life use Twitter, and for every purpose conceivable. However, the information I gathered pretty much makes Twitter moot. For instance, if you’re looking for business connections and couldn’t care less about who’s in line for coffee at Starbucks, you might want to take a look at Ziggs or Gather.
Ziggs is a social media site committed to “organizing and connecting people in a professional way”. The site is specifically for increasing your company’s online presence and meeting professional career goals. Gather, on the other hand, is perfect for meeting your target audience and finding out what they want – what they’re looking for.
Sphinn is another often-used site, though seldom mentioned. An online forum and networking site for the Internet marketing crowd, Sphinn can help create interest in your company or connect with other like-minded professionals. For small business owners wanting to share entrepreneur-related articles and gain exposure, Small business brief is the site to be.
Now, I’m not knocking Twitter. Who wouldn’t love a platform that allows you to communicate quickly and precisely in 140 characters or less? I mean, really? The point is, however, not to get stuck on the idea that Twitter is the end all and be all of social media. Ask yourself why you’re using Twitter. Why are you really there? Business, friends, contacts, just because?
If you’re using Twitter by itself and not getting the results you’re looking for, it might not be your fault, though many may say it is (you aren’t engaging, you’re not following the right people, etc, etc, etc ad nauseam). It could just be that you’re using the wrong platform. One last thing it’s a blancing act that has to be waged. What works for you may not work for the next person, therefore look into all options and make sure you have a strategy.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree that Twitter isn’t the be-all end-all of social media, but I don’t think any self-respecting business owner can ignore 1000% growth, Twitter’s use in SEO, or the massive amount of buzz surrounding Twitter. Even Google is copying Twitter, as are many others. And as far as results, Twitter can give you an initial traffic boost that until now has only been possible by spending money on PPC ads. If you want to see real results fast with Twitter, here’s how I get 10% click through and made money in my very first month on Twitter (with a new blog):
Marketing Your Blog on Twitter
Thanks for sharing the other social media sites – I’m checking out Gather and already getting great info from Small Business Brief!
- Peter (@absurd_human)
Question: so if Gather & Ziggs are intended to increase the online presence of a company and the general consumer doesn’t know about it/nor do they use it then how exactly could that be successful? I can see if it is intended to help network your business, but if you aren’t reaching out to consumers directly how exactly are you leveraging your brand, and how exactly is that truly increasing online presence? While I am not saying Twitter or any other social media tool is appropriate for every single business; I am saying that being present online is one thing but being present with your customers online is something completely different.
Hi Melody – great question, and one that I had to think about for a little bit. The main reason I wrote the article was due to the huge amount of articles and blogs hitting the Internet about Twitter; my thought was that, yes, it serves a purpose, but it isn’t the end-all, be-all to social marketing. Having said that, I think that what social media service you use all depends on what you want for your company, and what you expect from the service. There are small-to-medium businesses out there, many of them start-ups, who could use more business contacts as well as connecting with the customers. There are other businesses out there whose clients are other small-to-medium businesses, and business contacts are what they need. In cases like these, Gather and Ziggs would be excellent tools to use.
What I’d like others to really get out of the article is not to put all their eggs in one basket, to use an old cliché. There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of “general consumers” on other social media sites. If people focus only on Twitter for their consumer connections, they’re missing out on several opportunities. Stretch a little bit – flex your social muscles. Mingle in the big and small places. You’d be surprised where some of the best information, business connections and clients come from.
The article is usefull for me. I’ll be coming back to your blog.
Hey Jane Social Media is still very much at the forefront on how we do business today. I am always wondering what people will say about these posts in say 20-30 years from now. Thanks for dropping by.
Where did you take from such kind of information? Can you give me the source?