I hadn’t realized this until I looked at past articles on the blog, but I’ve been on Twitter for just over a year.
I said when I first started that I would update you as I tried to figure out if Twitter was for me.
If you’re interested in those past articles, here they are in order:
http://mikeklassen.com/blog/2009/06/04/despite-many-doubts-im-on-twitter/
http://mikeklassen.com/blog/2009/06/27/twitter-the-journey-continues/
http://mikeklassen.com/blog/2009/09/22/at-least-one-benefit-of-twitter/
It was interesting for me to reread those articles and see whether my feelings and approach have changed.
Here’s the short answer to what I think of Twitter today: I don’t really like it.
Here’s the much (much) longer answer… and these are based on using Twitter for business, not personal use…
It’s hard to stand out in the mass of tweets
For the most part, any one with a decent number of followers isn’t really paying attention to what you’re saying any more than you’re paying attention to what they’re saying. If you’re spending so much time on Twitter that you can read everyone’s tweets (assuming you follow at least a couple hundred people), you probably should focus more time on finding new clients.
As soon as your tweet comes through to your followers, it starts getting pushed down as newer tweets come in. Suddenly, your message is gone.
Your tweet could literally arrive just as one of your followers is running off to the bathroom and by the time they get back, your tweet is long gone simply because each new tweet that flows into your follower’s Twitter viewer pushes yours out-of-sight. (In newspaper language, we might say your tweet quickly moves below-the-fold.)
Granted, there are people with a strong fan following. What they say is read by most of their followers. But with the millions upon millions of people on Twitter, I think those folks are the exception.
My approach today: While I hope everyone who follows me is interested in what I have to say, I know that’s not the case. Some people follow you simply because they expect you to follow them in return to boost their “Followers” number. Others just want to sell you something right now. Bottom line: It’s a numbers game.
What I learned is that when I post links to articles that I write, it helps my search engine ranking and can be helpful when people are searching Twitter on topics related to what I do. There’s a lot of value in that.
Whether anyone following me reads it is almost secondary… kind of like a happy bonus.
You can’t please everyone, but you can drive yourself batty trying
I have to admit to changing my approach to Twitter multiple times in the last year based on what I felt people wanted.
Some people don’t follow anyone who doesn’t engage or re-tweet. In other words, if all you’re doing is promoting your stuff, they don’t follow you. (Mental note: tweet a lot.)
Some people won’t follow you if you tweet too much. I unfollowed one gal – a business coach – who seemed nice enough, but she tweeted multiple times an hour. I couldn’t figure out how she managed to get any work done for her clients. (Mental note: don’t tweet a lot.)
Some people won’t follow you if they don’t like your picture. (Mental note: Go with a logo.)
Some people refuse to follow anyone who doesn’t use his or her own picture. “It’s social media,” they argue… they don’t want to connect with a logo. (Mental note: OK… back to a picture.)
Some people will unfollow you if you direct-message them. (Mental note: Ugh! Is all this really worth it?)
It’s easy to forget to do things your own way. Yet as you try to figure out how to properly use Twitter for your freelance business, you’re not totally sure what “your own way” should be.
My approach today: When potential clients go to my Twitter page, I want them to see information or links to articles that will help them or show I’m an expert in my field. Maybe it’s my own content, or maybe I’m retweeting a great article or link from someone else.
For the most part, no more chit-chat on Twitter for me. A couple of people I respect take this approach. Twitter doesn’t consume their lives… they simply use it as a tool to promote ideas they believe in and are passionate about.
The chit-chat model can work for people. I just decided it was no longer for me. (OK, I may do a little, but not as much as I used to.)
I followed you, now you should follow me, right?
This is back to the numbers game I mentioned earlier. It’s clear that some people who follow you have no interest in what you do. They’re just in full-blown “boost the numbers and try to get people to buy something” mode.
And I’m OK if with that if you feel that’s what you need to do. But I’m no longer returning the follow if you’re not saying anything I don’t think I’ll find value in.
I do look at the recent tweets of new followers. If you’re saying stuff I think I can learn from, I’ll probably return the follow. But I no longer feel guilty for not following some people who follow me.
The funny thing is, if you don’t follow those people, they’ll usually unfollow you after a few days. So much for thinking they initially followed you because they actually liked what you have to say.
And I don’t feel bad if people I follow don’t follow me back. I follow people because I think I’ll get value from what they say. If they don’t feel that way about me, they shouldn’t follow me. (But, of course, we’re back to the real issue of how much I or anyone else can truly follow what everyone says.)
My approach today: When someone new follows me, I’ll see what they’re about. If I think I’ll learn from them, I’m happy to follow them back. But because I get so many followers who are in constant sell-mode without offering any sort of real value, I’m more picky about who I follow.
To wrap this up…
I hope I don’t sound bitter or anti-social. And I know some people are having great success on Twitter. I simply found that my marketing efforts were better placed in other areas. Your mileage may vary.
In truth, I really want to have a deeper connection with people. But I’ve found that desire is not being satisfied on Twitter.
I’d prefer to share ideas with people in forums where we’re not limited to 140 character tweets that disappear from view almost as soon as you send them.
I think I said in my first article a year ago that I see Twitter as a business tool. If it’s not doing enough to pull in business, I have to evaluate how I use it and even whether I use it.
For now, I’ve found my comfort zone and the journey continues…
