5 Reasons to Avoid Twitter, and Why You Shouldnt Join
If you’re not familiar with Twitter then you are probably not up to speed on social networking. But if you haven’t decided to create a Twitter account, you’re definitely not alone. Many internet marketers are wary of using Twitter for a number of reasons. Here are the top 5.
1. Useless Information. It’s true that many Twitter users update their Twitters with completely useless information. Do you really need to know that someone just finished their second cup of coffee or is leaving the office early for a pedicure? The good news is that if you find that you don’t particularly enjoy a person’s tweets, you don’t have to continue following them. But don’t eliminate this option altogether. One of the most important aspects of Web 2.0 is engaging people in all aspects of their lives, even the mundane stuff. Share yourself, welcome the opportunity to let others share themselves with you, and you will go a long way toward building a loyal customer base. People are much more willing to do business with you if they think you have a vested interest in their needs and thoughts.
2. It’s a Waste of My Time. This is probably the most valid reason of all. But the truth is that many marketers generate traffic and leads when potential customers find them through Twitter. When the content you share is relevant and high-quality, you can drive visitors to your website to learn more. Twitter is simply another tool for online marketing, so don’t write it off until you’ve given it a shot to see what it can do for you. Do some of your own research to discover the multitude of business uses for Twitter and you might just be convinced that it’s not a total waste of time after all.
3. It’s Time-Consuming. Like any online endeavor, you can blow a lot of valuable time following your streams and entering your own tweets. But you can salvage some of your time by using RSS feeds to follow relevant conversations. Visit search.twitter.com and click on the link to “Feed for this query.” You can then follow the conversations that are most important and relevant to you and your business. If that’s not optimal for you, simply discipline yourself to check only once or twice per day.
4. Twitter Doesn’t Cater to My Customers. Before you decide that your customers aren’t on Twitter, look for yourself. Go to Search.Twitter.com. Search for the name of your company, the name of your product, and keywords relevant to your business. If you’re afraid that your market may be too niche-y for Twitter, remember that your job as a marketer is to find people where they are. If there are a few folks on Twitter within your niche, put yourself there as well.
5. It Could Lead to Bad Press. Whether you’re on Twitter or not, people are still talking about you, and you need to know about it. Even if there’s poor feedback on Twitter, you need the opportunity to let folks know that you’re aware and that you’re going to do something about whatever it is that has disappointed them. If you respond quickly to the concerns of your detractors, you will go a long way towards putting out potentially damaging fires. Thoughtful responses make a huge difference in customer attitudes. Remember that if a critical mass of bloggers pick up on negative press and write about it themselves, things can get out of hand very quickly. On the other hand, you can make a great name for yourself if you address customer concerns promptly and tactfully.
There you have it. No more excuses for avoiding Twitter. Even if you think it’s the most ridiculous tool ever invented, you still need to check it out for yourself. Give it some time and see what it can do for you. Explore different applications of this valuable tool and let it help you grow your business.
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Who says Twitter is just a waste of time and full of useless information?
Love this:
“One of the most important aspects of Web 2.0 is engaging people in all aspects of their lives, even the mundane stuff.”
I completely agree.
Oh, and I just ate a handful of almonds and wish I had a 2nd cup of coffee to wash them down (Is that over 140 characters?
Good thing this is a comment on a blog and not a tweet!)
Thanks for your post, I’m going to tweet about it right now and hopefully send some readers your way.
Although mundane at times I would certainly not say it is useless. It’s quite addicting meeting and engaging with new people on a daily basis. While my world may not revolve around someone buying a new car or an office chair trained to digitally report the flatulence of it’s inhabiter, it can be somewhat interesting. Social networking is the new way to connect!
It’s also officially an effective way to market online, I was just followed by an ad sent out by the company I work for. NICE…
For me personally, I am a social guy, and love networking… so I use Twitter… BUT, I use it strategically, I remain aware of the time I am putting into it, and I don’t build a business or website around it.now that is a waste of time!
I hear you. I really want to hate twitter. I don’t really want people to know what I am doing all day. Plus, it’s not all that interesting. However, it seems like EVERYONE is on there. And if you don’t jump in you feel like you are missing something.
think about whether setting up a Twitter account is the most efficient way to collect data from its Twittersphere, since you can periodically search the Twitter network anyways without actually joining it.
hm… I do think it’s useless as it is, but you can use it for SEO… then it will bring you couple sure back-links..
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