Posts Tagged ‘using twitter’

Twitter, What We Have Done; What is Possible?

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January 19th, 2009

twitter updates

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that twitter has become a very powerful tool.  Twitter is still a baby but has already changed the whole social media world.  It’s interesting to think about this because tomorrow another tool may emerge that changes the way we look at social media and communicate with each other.  This is why it is so important to stay on top of new tools and strategies.  Let’s take a look at some of the things that people have been able to accomplish through twitter:

  • we have seen people use twitter for fund raising
  • doctors have used twitter to live tweet surgeries
  • companies such a Dell has used twitter to make over a million dollars selling products
  • twitter has been used as an excellent customer service tool, check out my Comcast example
  • companies and individuals have been using twitter to recruit and find new jobs
  • blog posts and stories have been written solely through twitter
  • twitter has been used as a real time focus group and information platform
  • companies like Best Buy are using twitter to allow users to locate product merchandise

I’m sure there are many other things you can point that twitter has been used for (and would love to hear about them in the comments).  Now, let’s try to think of the future possibilities for twitter.  Look at the next 6 months, 1 year, or even 2 years.  What do you think businesses and individuals can accomplish through twitter?

Twitter as an e-commerce platform

What if you were able to purchase products directly through twitter via company/brand channels.  Let’s say I want to sign up for the Comcast triple play media package or buy a product through best buy, will I be able to?  Would I want to?  I don’t know but it’s possible.  Just imagine purchasing your Disneyland ticket or movie theater through twitter.

Twitter as an ordering device

Let’s say I go into a starbucks or some restaurant in San Francisco.  What if twitter was able to pinpoint my location and instantly recognize the store I was in?  Maybe I could place my order directly through twitter.  Starbucks is usually packed (so are popular restaurants) what if I could just tweet my order and the person behind the counter had an instant order request for my late?

Twitter as an entertainment platform

What if we started to see soap operas or reality shows being tweeted out?  I would be able to follow my characters, plots, and conversations directly through twitter, would I want to?  maybe, but is it possible?  Sure.

Of course there are going to be issues that need to be figured out in terms of “how” do you make all of this work and sync together.  The point here is to try to think outside of the box in terms of what’s possible with instant micro-conversations.  I want us to think more “bigger picture” in terms of how we can can begin using tools such as twitter.  Think of integration with shopping carts, GPS, telephones, automobiles, politicians, pilots, laptops, gadgets, devices, etc.  What you you put together and why?

So you tell me, what do you think is possible with twitter?  What you like to be able to do with twitter in the future?

thanks for reading!

TAGS: future of twitter, people using twitter, possibilities for twitter, twitter accomplishments, using twitter

Get Through the Fluff with Twitter

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November 25th, 2008

I get a little tired with marketing fluff and superfluous words that people use, don’t you?  I mean how many characters or words can it possibly take for someone to convey a thought or an idea?  I know we all use superfluous words but sometimes people layer it on just a little thick; there have been many a situation where I just wanted to say “shut up and tell me what you want!  I wish people could just get to the meat of what it is they are trying to ask me (or pitch/etc).  What happened to efficiency?  What happened to effective communication?

If you think about twitter for a moment you will see that it is a great solution for taking care of fluff.  You have 140 characters to tell me what it is you want to tell me…go!  Stowe Boyd used the term “twit-pitch” to describe this.  Actually, Stowe reserved twit-pitch to companies that wanted to pitch him.  I’m saying we can use it for a whole lot more.  We can use twitter as a general way to see if we can convey or ask something in a straightforward no B.S. manner.  I have found that a lot of people have come to appreciate twitter, not just for the valuable connections you can make but because of the straightforward communication you can have.

When I first signed up on twitter I found that I was trying to write these fancy tweets to connect and introduce myself to people (for business opportunities and such), you know, the one’s that go:

“Hi bob, I came across your profile on twitter and noticed that you were involved in selling peanuts.  I love peanuts and I think it would be great if…..”

After using twitter for a while I now send the following messages:

“hey bob, you sell peanuts?  i love peanuts, we may be able to collaborate and help each other out, interested?”

Notice how tweets get right to the center of what needs to be said and eliminates all the extra words.  Basically what I’m trying to say is that you should be able to get across a whole thought/idea/product pitch/etc. in 140 characters or less (remember some characters go towards sending the message to the person).  If you need more than 140 characters then go over what it is you’re trying to say and eliminate all the garbage fluff words.

It’s funny because I have found that in casual conversations I am now much more direct and to the point than I was before I started using twitter.

How has using twitter changed your conversation, both on and offline?

Thanks for reading!

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TAGS: cutting through fluff with twitter, shorten conversations with twitter, twit pitch, twitter fluff, using twitter

Do You Need 2-Way Communication on Twitter?

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August 23rd, 2008

An article by the “Technology Evangelist” states:
“You don’t need to have a 2-way conversation to build a large following on Twitter. Publishing content people interesting, such a software updates, headlines, or humor are valuable whether or not you engage your followers.”
Oh Really?  You mean I’ve been wasting my time communicating with my twitter followers this [...]

TAGS: 2-way twitter communication, technology evangelist, twitter communication, twitter followers, using twitter