twitter fail image (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As a self-professed Twitter-holic since early 2009 in a 24/7 pattern, I know and whine about the changes to my first-love social media channel. When Google+ launched Communities Dec. 12, 2012, Twitter was a veritable graveyard. These days, the stream is littered with retweets of others’ content. Instead, I strive to post personal messages or say good morning to someone missing from my columns on HootSuite. In fact, last week I suggested we’d need to work harder to keep Twitter viable instead of it becoming a re-posting only channel.
What’s your view of whether Twitter can survive other channels’ apparent popularity? According to The Wall Street Journal, Twitter only has 140 million registered users, dwarfing that of other channels (remember Facebook’s news of 1 billion this summer?). Can Twitter survive?
News on December 17, 2012 in The Wall Street Journal suggests a resounding yes! “Now On Twitter: Holiday Shopping Deals,” is all about big-box retailers flocking to Twitter to share Black Friday and holiday gift-giving deals. Among them are Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Radio Shack, and Toys ‘R Us.
Great article about the purchase of sponsored tweets by Best Buy and its use of Twitter “parties,” hour-long Twitter chats about gift ideas for target shoppers like moms and fitness buffs. Best Buy and its peers did not disclose to reporters how much their collective ad budget was; however, when you read the piece, it’s heartening to see that Twitter is finally getting some respect:
Marketing brand strategists prepped Best Buy retailers in various markets in advance with holiday-marketing planning sessions.
Eight weeks of Twitter attention was launched prior to Thanksgiving and is still going on during this especially zany last-minute shopping week for Best Buy.
A more creative strategy was launched other than just tweeting all day long with an inside-out perspective. Best Buy targeted shopper demographics and held 60 minute Twitter chats (there’s probably a hashtag out there somewhere) to engage peeps about gift giving.
Here’s the coolest thing about what’s happening on Twitter that the Best Buy brand strategist learned from his location-based retailers – tone of voice and authenticity were critical to the success of the campaign.
I absolutely love, love this. We on Twitter, engaging all day long for years, know the power of authentic voice. We know which brands are real, which ones care and which ones are one-way (inside out). For brands to get Twitter, they need to appoint a solid and seasoned team on the frontlines that can engage appropriately and with authenticity. When they invest in that way, the return on investment comes back in spades.
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And, this morning’s news in the Wall Street Journal announced that Twitter and Nielsen are pairing up to launch the Nielsen Twitter TV Metric (need to check that name again). When peeps watch a program with smart device in hand and yak about it on Twitter, this is what will be scored, measured. It’s already happening, and they’re finally putting some wrapping paper around it. Cheers!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I knew this was coming….It makes so much sense! Twitter is a good match for the entertainment industry. I am surprised it took so long to get this together.
I struggle with this Jayme, because I’m a link consumer and sharer on Twitter. That’s what I do…trade links!
@Frank_Strong Everyone uses channels differently; I was never just a link trader as I got on early and that’s not what we did. We had banter parties about 10 p.m. most nights; I really miss that. Social media was new; everyone was excited … something and someone new every day.
Now, we need to find the what’s new, and as per Kate above you, Instagram/Facebook is really screwing things up.
Great insight, Jayme! I’ve only recently fallen in love with Twitter. I seriously don’t know what I did without it before! On a social media related note … What do you think of the Instagram announcement?
Thanks for sharing your smartness via these posts. Love it!
@kateupdates Hi, Kate! Nice to see you here! The comment section has been a bit low key this week and likely until January, I bet. Thanks for your lovely comments.
The news today from Instagram’s corner? Sucks! Royally. Another Facebook negative. I am likely to delete my profile all the way. I have some highly publishable photos I’ve taken and when you have a company trying to capitalize on that (I need more details and will likely write on it when the dust settles in a few days), you take away authenticity and trust.
Your views?
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I feel the similarly. It’s too vague and I will opt-out January 15th if nothing changes. If they decide to move forward in this, I think it will just create an opportunity for another social medium to rise up and become the go-to option.
@kateupdates Did you see this, Kate?
https://www.theverge.com/2012/12/18/3780158/instagrams-new-terms-of-service-what-they-really-mean
Perfect explanation; another reason why to hate Facebook; indeed.
I like sharing links. But when I met a fellow twitter user at a local Tweet-up, he said — “You’re the guy who posts all those links. I read some of them but there are so many.” I don’t want to be known as the guy who posts all those links… so I’m making an active attempt to engage directly with more people, more often.
Nice topic — I like Twitter a lot (not sure if it’s luv…) and I get a little irritated when people who don’t use it, and don’t understand it, dis it. Just goes with the territory, I guess.
@barrettrossie I have had that said to me, too, Barrett. I thought I should alter course, as well; then I got to thinking…someone making that ignorant statement about “the guy who posts all the links” is not a true Twitter user. They’re not in the know.
Never let folks influence you like that! And, it doesn’t sound like you do.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing It’s true, he’s not a heavy user. But still, when people look at my tweet stream, I want them to see engagement, not broadcast. So I’ll agree to disagree with you. It’s not the first time. 🙂
Twitter works best as a tool for engagement and not broadcast. If we don’t use it to engage we kill response rates and eventually people stop paying attention to us.
@Joshua Wilner/A Writer Writes I’m trying to engage more without RTs. People are responding frequently to those tweets like yore. I won’t change, but I want it to be a healthy balance (ooooh, where’s Kaarina Dillabough ?). Heh.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing @Joshua Wilner/A Writer Writes Kaarina Dillabough Did I hear the word “balance”? 🙂
I have a hard time seeing Twitter going away, really. If anything it seems to be the most stable of platforms. I think the Instagram drama played out on Twitter and G+ for me. But I also know Facebook was a place for others. The majors are here to stay for a while.
I love Twitter but avoid Facebook where people push the “look at how cool my life is” ….somebody who has “a life” don’t need Facebook for assurance, I think.
love
Akos
Hi Jayme
I see so many things rushing past on my Twitter feed these days and many of them, in fact most of them are RTs.
It’s nice that people do RT stuff but then how many do I actually read? Well, maybe 1 in 20, 1 in 30? Not a great number, huh?
I’ve got a few lists set up so I can at least see the wood from the trees. The Tweets that get my attention are always the ones that engage with me.
Like I read somewhere – Facebook is where you lie to your friends, twitter is where you are truthful to strangers!
I like tweets that are engaging, not only retweets!
Twitter is a great community builder, there is something about 140 characters that focuses what you talk about. Links are okay to share, in context. I love the real time conversation that Twitter produces. Chats are where it is at 🙂