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I read a prediction that metrics will be more important in 2011. All I have to say to that is, "well--duh." It's time for those of us that have been bragging about social media to learn how to "show them the money." It's not going to be enough to know how to use social media in 2011, you're going to have to know why you're using it and what the ROI is.
Also, I hear popularity will be replaced by influence as the new social media currency (sorry Bieber). Finally. Those of us who use Twitter faithfully for curation and news feeds have known all along that Twitter makes a much better information pipeline than it does a "gathering place" like Facebook. Matthew Creamer recently wrote in Advertising Age inferring that Twitter may not be a good medium to increase influence. I agree. But the real question is, can Twitter measure "strategic influence"? In other words, if I use Twitter to try and get as many people as I can to follow me in hopes of growing my business, I need to measure that. Or, if I am using Twitter to find important information for my business, I need to measure that. Or, if I am using Twitter for customer service only, I need to be able to measure its effectiveness for that. If I am using Twitter to promote my blog, I need to measure that. One measurement for every use of Twitter is not effective. Measurement has to match your strategic use. Apps like Klout and Twinfluence don't work for me. What are they really measuring anyway?
Twitter, unlike Facebook, is a multi-faceted medium. There are as many uses for it as there are people on it. Just because Seth Godin only uses Twitter to post links to his blog (as Creamer states) doesn't mean Twitter is not a medium of influence for Godin. It just means that Godin is using Twitter as a one-way news feed. Hopefully, he is measuring its effectiveness for that--driving people to his blog--and is not real concerned with his Klout score.
When I look at Twitter, I am looking for leaders--and I follow them. For me, they are people who are providing links to great content that interests me. I don't think Twitter is going to make me rich or famous or popular, but it is my primary pipeline of information to blogs, articles and thoughts from people I want to hear from. I know this is only one of the myriad ways Twitter is used. How do you use Twitter?
4 comments:
Great post, Chris. I use Twitter in much the same way. I follow thought leaders, intelligent bloggers who have something to say on topics that interest me. But there's a secondary reason for using Twitter, and that is the community aspect. I enjoy the witty banter and free-flowing exchange of (tersely composed) ideas, the mixing it up that occurs among sharp minds. I don't find that on Facebook. Too many whiners there for me. I log on to wish people Happy Birthday and that's about it for me. ;)
Oh--and I love that banter too. One thing I love is seeing what makes other people tick besides their jobs--like your love of music. It really makes curating and following on Twitter a lot more fun. I have several people I have great 140 character convos with--great point.
I use Twitter primarily as a 2-way information pipline: I share information from both my blog and other resources as well as glean information that others share. I do think that Twitter can be a tool for influence, yet not as effective as other mediums like Facebook or YouTube.
I agree, Mike. One good indicator Twitter is becoming a more influential medium--the emergence of tools for curators such as paper.li. that are engaging and well laid out. Influence on Twitter, I believe, will come though curators and mavens.
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