Practical aspects on the social media platform Twitter.
Friday, June 4th, 2010It doesn't take long to get a grasp on Twitter
Within a few weeks of using Twitter it becomes clear how it works and more to the point how you can make it work for you. However if you are feeling uncomfortable using it and have thoughts in your mind like:
"Why on earth am I exposing myself to this nonsense"?
or
" I really don't have time for this, it isn't working for me".
Then you might be suffering from a mismatch scenario. The platform is mismatched to you. What you need to appreciate is that there are lots of other platforms available that might better suit your skills and personality.
Don't give up, instead change platforms and give it another go!
Micro-blogging is fun for personal interaction and for business, it's a very worthwhile addition to your marketing tools. Remember though it is not a broadcast medium, people do not want to get the business 'hard sell' all the time, they can after all simply unfollow you. They want to get to know what makes up the brand.
It's called 'pull marketing': when you like something well enough you gravitate towards it. So when people on Twitter like your message and begin to understand your ethos, they warm to you and will in all probability want to recommend you to others, at the very least, and may even choose to buy your product over another.
Here's a super screencast production by one of my Twitter contacts Su Butcher who uses the Twitter ID @justprofs, she explains the issues very clearly.
She tells us Twitter isn't the best interface for beginners and shows us how it lets us down. Sometimes the frustrations we feel with a piece of software can deter us from using it, right from the word go. Other times when we use something that we like from the word go, it often becomes a favourite of ours.
Did watching the video change your mind? Will you give Twitter another go? Do let me know if you found more satisfaction using something else – may be Tweetdeck or Hootsuite?
You might like to follow my Twitter account @LadyBizBiz
Slightly longer version of this blog appears here.
PhotoCredit: Fotolia © Destinyvp
