Mashable have (yet another) interesting article on Twitter: Inside the Minds of Twitter Users by Ann Handley from MarketingProfs.
The article explains the results of a fascinating survey of 432 “highly involved Twitter users“. And how is a highly involved Twitter addict defined? Someone who spends an average of 2 and three quarter hours per day on Twitter.
An average of two hours and 45 minutes a day. Average. 165 minutes.
That’s around a third of their working day on Twitter. Assuming they work.
I’m starting to get the feeling that Twitter is a virus. It infects people (not computers) with a range of mind-altering symptoms.
When initially exposed to the Twitter Virus, people are disinterested. “What’s the point?” and “What do I do now?” are the first reactions while their immune systems are still working, and at this point, around 50% of the people exposed to the virus become infected. The severity of the infection and symptoms vary from person to person, and may range from a person posting and reading too many mundane comments to a person spending 165 minutes a day in the Twittersphere.
Back to the survey. The closing paragraph:
“Twitter may be used as just another lead-generation tool. Or it may be about connecting with new friends. But above all, people on Twitter are truly motivated by learning new things and getting information real-time, as it’s developing.“
I’ve had enough of this. I’ve been asking the question so long that my throat’s getting sore. So this time I’m going to throw in a reward.
Background: At the time of writing this I have just under 4,000 people following my Twitter account (hello), and have posted 400 updates. That’s ten people for every post.
My updates are mainly about Google AdWords, online marketing with a little SEO and some updates on my need for caffeine. But it’s 99% work related.
We get some traffic from Twitter, but if you’re a Twaddict, you’ll already know what that means. You click on the link just to get a feel for who they are, but you don’t really explore the site. It’s usually a one-click thing.
My question: How do I use Twitter for my business? I’m not interested in abstract ideas and theories, so please don’t bother with things like “generating leads”, “finding people with similar interests” or “finding people interested in your services”. I need real, concrete ideas that I can actually use. And I need evidence that your ideas could actually work.
The person whose answer impresses me the most will get a $100 Amazon Gift Voucher, and will inspire me beyond words. Please add your comments below, and please remember to leave your email address so that I can tell you you’ve won! The email address will not be published, and you can trust me. I’ll select a winner on Monday the 27th.
So how can I use Twitter for my business?
