What's the chatter about Twitter all mean?

Hi there

When I first saw details of the micro-blogging service Twitter about 12 months ago I thought, like many people, that it was a pretty silly way to waste time.

I mean, what can you say in 140 characters, and why the heck would people be interested in other people's moment-by-moment accounts of what they were doing??

This funny video pretty well sums it up, that Twitter just seemed an endless stream of ridiculously trivial information about people we don't know. Even if it was faster way to find out what's really happening during a crises.

But I kept following it - because I remember not so long ago when blogs were laughed at and people thought Facebook was just be 'a phase'. Well wouldn't you know it, Twitter has exploded onto the scene in the last couple of months, with twitter and tools like it also starting to become a hit in Asia. And I think I've finally it figured out, and why it'll mean a communication revolution for marketers.

1. Why is Twitter Different?
The idea finally dropped just before Christmas when I saw what some bloggers were doing with Twitter. Instead of twitter being used to write the most unimportant every day action (e.g "I am drinking coffee"), it was used to write the most important thing they thought or had learned that day. (e.g "Here's 40 of the biggest brands using Twitter")

All of a sudden, Twitters' open communication platform that lets everyone sees your comments - not a walled garden like social networks - becomes a pretty interesting tool for communicating to and learning from others.

2. How Brands can use Twitter?
Twitter is an evolving communication channel, but most of the early adoption by marketers is focusing on its speed of response, its possibilities for open communication to big groups of people, and the personal nature of the medium. In this article you can see how companies like Dell, British Airways and Starbucks are using twitter to contact customers, provide services and even to make sales.

While it is early days, Ann Handiey nicely sums up 7 ways brands can use Twitter, which are copied below:

- Extend the Reach of your blog: Deepen or further your network and ties. Good examples: Carnival Cruise Lines. The ScienceNewsBlog’s weather tracking updates. Andy Carvin’s PBS blog on education and technology.

- Retailers announcing sales and deals: Good example: Deals on Dells. Blue-light specials at Amazon

- Increasing the ability for frequent updates to blogs or web sites or news: Examples: The NY Times, CNN, BBC, Adrants, and those at MarketingProfs

- Building consensus or a community of supporters: Good examples: Presidential candidates John Edwards or Barack Obama

- Building buzz. Example: Scott Monty and CC Chapman introduce a new blog.

- Updating breaking news at conferences or events: Example: Jeremiah at the Web 2.0 Expo. Forrester seems poised to use it to update happenings at its upcoming Consumer Forum.

- Updating your network to shape your own personal branding: Example: Oh boy... there are zillions. Pick a face on Twitter. Or try it out for yourself.

3. Where to from here?
Before jumping in to Twitter, you need to understand and respect how it works. The biggest mistake you could make is to use it as just another media to blast our offers and advertising from your company - because on Twitter you can still get blocked.

In fact, it pays to understand how not to abuse Twitter. I think the most most important thing to remember in marketing for Twitter is that, in Marketing 2.0 your customers want to speak to real people, not a corporate Twitter Account.

Perhaps the first step is to try it http://www.twitter.com/, and sit back and listen. Something different is going on and it's coming to a brand near you.

P.S. I have just started my own Twitter account at bangrob@twitter.com. Strictly for digital marketing only I promise :)

Cheers, Rob

Feel free to add comments below, or for further questions or advice contact me at rob.h@th.arcww.com