Comments on: Best Little Whorehouse in Social Media: Some Milestone Observations

By: Shawn

Shawn — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:16:48 +0000

An interesting quote I just came across along the same lines…

“Brands aren’t about ‘messages’ anymore,” says Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff. “Brands today are conversations — and today the most important conversations are happening through social media such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.”

More from the USA Today article here: http://bit.ly/ljotb

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:33:32 +0000

Thanks, Shawn. Twitter should magnify good communication principles, and will likely “out” those who are hoping for the 1-way sale, me-ism, etc.

By: Shawn Hesketh

Shawn Hesketh — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:03:15 +0000

There is already a shift underway in the perception and use of Twitter as a business tool. Your article contains a lot of true insights — as it pertains to the model which folks are shifting away from.

Many folks (myself included) have compared Twitter to a huge party, during which you have the opportunity to “shake hands” with tons of folks you wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. This HAS BEEN the primary use of Twitter by many businesses.

The shift that I’m observing is that the companies who are truly leveraging Twitter no longer view it as merely a sales tool — a way to meet tons of folks. Rather, they are beginning to leverage its effectiveness as a vehicle for daily communication, facilitating ONGOING conversations with their followers.

The businesses and individuals who I follow — and eagerly anticipate their tweets — are those who consistently and frequently (a FEW times per day, no more) post relevant content to me and my world.

Further, those who do it best actually REPLY to tweets and direct messages, rather than merely using Twitter as a one-way communication tool for the purpose of distributing their ads. With regard to this usage, Twitter is just as — if not more than — effective as email as a tool for ongoing correspondence and relationship-building.

I’m getting tired of reading articles about the “Fundamental Flaws of Twitter” when those folk are merely referring to the use of Twitter as a potential sales tool.

This is tantamount to writing articles about the fundamental flaws of hammers for brushing your hair. Twitter is merely a TOOL. Use it for what it was designed for, and you’ll marvel at its effectiveness!

Stop using Twitter as a sales tool, and use it instead as a vehicle for meaningful conversations, and you’ll discover more value… for yourself and for your readers.

(Sorry to dominate your comment feed with this lengthy post, but hey, you’ve got room!)

By: Can Twitter Drive Sales? | Share Results Blogs

Can Twitter Drive Sales? | Share Results Blogs — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:30:43 +0000

But more importantly, it is also possible that many ecommerce sites that do use Twitter aren’t using it properly. Twitter is a social network, and a social network is a place where people interact with other people. So using Twitter to post repeat adver-tweets is going to fail.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:13:22 +0000

Yes, Sarah! Or – heaven forfend – a tailbone tattoo of their own face.

Thanks for reading & responding . . .
JT

PS> Love your site.