Trying to work out how to use Twitter

On November 14th, 2008, I posted my first ever tweet:

“Trying to work out how to use twitter“.

104 days later, I’m still trying to work out how to use it. But I’m getting there.

I keep reading about how vital Twitter is for businesses. Having run a business for more than ten years and a Tweeter account for more than 100 days, I am quite certain that it isn’t particularly vital for most businesses at all.

In fact, I think that many people are missing the point. Twitter is nothing more than a medium. If you have something to say, and other people are going to be interested in hearing it, then Twitter is one more means of communication. And in that sense it’s quite useful.

At the time of writing this, I am following 747 people, and have 1,033 people following me. The 747 people I follow are in turn following many thousands more, and the 1,033 running to catch up with me are not only pursuing many others, but have their own mobs trying to keep up with them too.

It doesn’t take long to realise that in this way, everybody is more or less connected. It’s like one big web, for want of a better word.

But how can we use it for our businesses?

I know one person who believes that Twitter is revolutionary. This same person believes that people sign up for their company’s services after stumbling across them through Twitter. I find that hard to believe. Especially when I read their posts.

Twitter is supposed to be a social networking service. There’s supposed to be social interaction, yet for many people it’s a one-way process, used as little more than a platform to stand on, rant and shout.

Having something to say isn’t enough. We all have lots to say. You have to say something interesting, and you need people to be interested in what you’re saying.

Our company website gets a decent number of visitors from Twitter each day, yet 99% of them don’t go beyond the main page. Probably because most of the people following me aren’t interested in our company’s services.

But I’ve been given an invite to a music service, received good recommendations on software, and received some useful ideas and advice through Twitter, so it’s proving to be worthwhile. Mostly.

So far I’m 100 days in to the experiment. I’ll post an update when I clear 200 days.

See you out there. @thedavecollins