Earlier this week I discovered that Ken Evoy, owner of SiteSell, has joined Twitter. Given the fact that Ken has such a huge following online already, due to the popularity of his SBI! (Site Build It!) program, Twitter would seem like a perfect addition. But strangely enough, Ken just doesnt get it.
That seems to be the case with almost everyone that hears about Twitter.com - either before they join, or when they first set up their account. I'll confess that I really didnt "get it" myself in the beginning. In fact, I set up my account on April Fool's Day if that tells you anything 😉 ...
Fast forward to 4 1/2 months later, and I now consider Twitter to be one of my best assets. This is a common perception-switch, one I've heard about over and over from within the twittersphere. Its getting to the point that its almost humorous to hear people talk about Twitter from the outside.
For example, see Twitter, A Below Average Business-Building Activity by Ken Evoy (@KEvoy). Steve Pavlina (@stevepavlina), popular personal development blogger and another twitter newbie, has a more positive outlook going in. See his "I'm giving it a shot" post here: Twitter by Steve Pavlina.
Steve offers a great overview of Twitter.com at that post, if you're still unsure what its all about. Basically, Twitter is a micro-blogging service that allows you to post updates in 140 characters or less.
The key to Twitter is in who you follow, and who follows you. Consider it a bite-size, real time, super simple RSS reader. You follow the people you want to get updates from, and you build a following of people who want to get updates from you.
These updates are called "tweets", and they are much more than just updates. You can tell your followers about your latest blog post, what you're doing, about your upcoming calendar, to announce live events such as webinars or webcasts. But you can also get involved in conversations with other tweeters, and that's where the real value lies...
As you can see in the tweets above, I spoke with Patrick O'Keefe directly regarding a possible interview at an upcoming event (BWE). Where else can you have casual conversation with almost any of your favorite authors, bloggers & speakers 24 hours a day?!
Still, those on the outside just dont get it. In a recent discussion on my forum, one of the members said:
I'll vote "a complete waste of time." Prediction: This too shall pass. Dunno. Maybe it's just me. I don't get the passion for zipping a few characters about nothing much back and forth. source
I dont see Twitter "passing" anytime soon. It has become part of daily business for thousands of users, and is currently my #1 referrer for unique visitors to my blog. In addition to meeting new readers and increasing website traffic, I use twitter to scout out new resources and content to share with my readers. I also use it to meet & communicate with affiliate managers, potential JV partners, my readers & members, and other influential people in my industry.
When I see someone like Ken Evoy join Twitter, I immediately see huge potential. As I said, he already has a large following online, and that following is made up of both customers and affiliates.
Ideally Ken would send out both product and affiliate updates, news about new products and/or sales on existing products, links to his latest blog posts, links to new SBI success stories, and more. Just imagine if he had all of his raving fans tweeting about SiteSell products, and their affiliate opportunity!
What about you? Were you skeptical at first, but ultimately converted to a daily tweeter?
Let's help Ken, and others who just havent picked up on the power of Twitter yet. Leave a comment below and share ONE thing you have achieved using Twitter, that you might not have achieved otherwise. How has Twitter helped your online business?
Best,
p.s. If you arent already following me on Twitter, you can find me there @LynnTerry. Leave your own Twitter URL in the link field when you leave your comment below.
About Lynn Terry
I, like a lot of people sounds like, didn't understand the whole idea either and was slow to adopt. I mean I can hardly keep up with stuff already! lol Then I got an email from Joe Vitale asking to follow him on Twitter.
His email said something that really clicked with me about the whole thing.
He admitted not "getting it" either then he goes on to say something like, you can follow people you really admire on a daily basis.
I wish I could find the email so I could tell you exactly what he said. Must have deleted it, darn it.
Hi Lynn,
I joined Twitter back when I first saw Dave Winer mention his profile there.
Then I did nothing with it for a long time. When I started looking at it, I was turned off by all the personal tweets and some of the most inane comments I've ever read.
But, then, one day, it suddenly made sense. I started unfollowing the people who were posting things I didn't want to read and following the people who were talking about what I was interested in, including you.
Now, I'm definitely in. I still need to do more tweeting about affiliate marketing, but I'm learning.
You've made some great points in the blog post and especially in some of your comments. I'm subscribing to the comments to see how the discussion goes.
I'm getting lots of new readers on my sites, blogs, and lenses from Twitter and I think that's great.
If anyone's interested I'm at http://twitter.com/johndilbeck
Oh, yeah, I found out about this blog post from a tweet by @charlyjl .
I use Twitterific and only check the tweets when I'm waiting for something, so it doesn't really use up much of my time and I learn a great deal and meet some great people as a result.
Act on your dream!
JD
hello! I am also here because of a tweet by @charlyjl
I love twitter because it allows me daily contact with my dearest internet friends and encouragers -- and also allows me to meet new folks, keep up with what is going on in the internet world, and sends qualified traffic to my sites and Squidoo lenses! I cannot imagine a day without Twitter!
follow me at http://twitter.com/moonvine
As a Baby Boomer who's building my online ebiz ventures and VA website, I feel I have to keep up with the latest Web 2.0 technology to stay ahead of the curve. I've embraced Twitter as a marketing tool and received tremendous exposure from it. Occasionally I use it as a social tool. In my opinion, Baby Boomers especially have to embrace the latest web tools and get out of the mindset of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" marketing.
I didn't get twitter at first and so I didn't even sign up. Suddenly, for no apparent reason I was inspired to sign up around the end of July and within a few hours I got the value.
The first thing is, twitter is helping me to be accountable to myself. Everytime I look at the screen I am asked: What am I doing right now? The answer to that question was not as satisfactory to me as I would have liked for the first week. LOL So twitter is helping me to refocus many times per day! Yay!!
I wish everyone I need to communicate with regularly were using twitter. Twitter allows me to have some idea of what folks are up to on which projects without having to intrude on their time directly.
Then of course, there is all of that yummy learning from so many people I admire. And yes, a chance to interact with them, at least those that are responsive to their followers.
Some people might find it cumbersome because of all of the posts (assuming you follow a lot of people) but I am finding that it is honing my scanning abilities. I can scan the days posts and respond to what I need to in 10 - 15 minutes. And there are a whole lot of emails I can avoid sending as a result.
Twitter rocks!!
Kat
I still don't get it. I certainly have not experienced any "focus" on Twitter. For me, it's a severe distract that I have to strictly limit in order to prevent it from destroying my whole day. I don't even understand why people would want to read tweets -- it's like being stuck on an elevator with a bunch of seriously ADD cases.
I am definitely in but have found it really is vital to have very clear and measurable objectives first.
Katherine, well done.
Your post is short enough to fit on Twitter, is rich in useful content, and inspired me to click through to your blog, which I'm exploring now.
You've proven concise value packed business building writing is possible.
Ok, it's possible.
Perhaps the question for Twitter is, how probable is it?
How many folks can both deliver value AND deliver it concisely? What will the signal to noise ratio be?
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for a great post on Twitter.
Want to include it as an asset on my WP Blog, but my style sheet is in the hospital right now.
Question: Will Twitter work on a site that is more or less static? I have BANS site where most of the CONTENT doesn't change very much; just the product listings change routinely.
Or, as you say, am I just not "getting it?"
Actually, this discussion started on Twitter 😉
But to answer your question: because we are discussing the topic in more than 140 characters 😀
Hey Kat,
Very interesting - Twitter as an accountability tool? I hadnt looked at it that way, but you have a point! I confess there have been a number of times I've realized I didnt have an "update" to share - and it made me question why... lol. Good one!
I am a recent addition to the twitter space, and it has been quite interesting, I cannot speak as a long time tweeter but am glad to have come across the site. There has been some great views shared here and that says alot.
Though usually I say ride on for now I will say Tweet On @Knatchwa
Hi Olguy,
A couple of questions: Who is your ideal website visitor? Who are the publishers, or movers & shakers in your industry? Who is most likely to link to your site? Consider each of those questions separately, and start searching/following on Twitter.
As for updates, you may find a particularly interesting auction that you want to tweet about, whether it be a unique item or an incredible deal. You might also consider starting a Hawaii Vacation Blog as an addition to your venture, and branching out that way.
Ha, good reply Lynn. I counted the characters in your reply in my text editor.
141 characters!
(I win, at only 137 characters!)
Thanks, Lynn,
Dang, you're asking me to do all the hard stuff, like THINK.
Yeah, I do have a Hawaii travel blog; that's the one in the recovery ward. When I get it home and out of the evil clutches of WP gremlins, I'm going to Twitter away.
Thanks again.
An interesting way to establish a conversation I will have to take that into consideration. Anyways certainly thanks for sharing.
Is twitter involve a lot of chatting similar to msn?
I'm in, though I have to say that I wasn't so sure a few months ago. I wrote two blog posts about it and how it was not only slow, but kept shutting down. Over the last couple of weeks, it seems to be behaving; I hope I didn't just jinx it.
I agree - that downtime was frustrating, especially after beginning to use it on a daily basis. Start-up growing pains, no doubt. I'm glad its working great now too! lol
There are a lot of group discussions going on at any given time, so it can be considered similar to chatting. But the conversations are generally on micro-topics and shared between select groups of friends or business peers.
I am sure I posted here? 🙁
Sorry Lynn, I spotted it above.... Shows how fast you are getting replies on here and it's great to see. 🙂
I see everyone else see's what I see here....quality. 🙂
THIS was the first blog I checked out when I got reconnected. 🙂
And I have 100's in my bookmarks!
See you on twitter . 🙂
Rob
John Dilbeck - Thanks for the mention of Twitterific...I look forward to exploring this.
Kat McCarthy - I ,too, love the idea of using the Twitter default question as an accountability tool...had not thought of this, yet it makes sense. 😉
Lynn Terry - Thank you for the reminder about http://search.twitter.com . I was aware of it, yet have not begun to leverage it to its fullest potential.
Phil Tanny - I love your observation about how Twitter forces us to be concise yet still strive to maximize value. I have noticed this has carried over to my emails and other writing. As someone who is prone to long-winded first drafts, I find myself more discerning with what to include and what to cut out. Interesting AND positive side effect I have found.
Great discussion!
Hi Lynn,
Great topic, I'm in! Using twitter has given my blog more exposure. I'm working on a book and it's helping me introduce myself to others more "naturally".
I also enjoy the professional and personal relationship building aspect. In order to get the most out of twitter, you have to look at it strategically.
I agree, Denise - strategically, and with a specific objective in mind (that suits your unique business model).
Amy - I agree with that, and have heard several others mention the same. It is shining through in blog posts, emails, and other forms of communication - that whole "less is more" get-to-the-point thang 😉
Never really got it. It's just for egomaniacs isn't it?
I admit I watched Twitter for quite awhile before joining in. I'm using it as a tool to send out tips and interesting tools to my subscribers. It's a fun way to stay up on the latest from my favorite affiliate marketers as well.
I didn't 'get' twitter until I heard about some chap that got rescued because he could get to a cellphone and post a 'help me' message. Some kind of political arrest.
I dare say, however, in the future the problem won't be being known, it'll be privacy; to be blissfully unavailable.
PS: 75 posts before mine. Cripes!
Blissfully unavailable *sigh*... that may very well be true, Tom -lol. Believe it or not, I am a very private person and cherish my "me time". There are times I simply have to "unplug" 😉
LOL Stuey 😆
Not at all...
Twitter, I just love it. Great for all sorts of things and I love the new tool Twhirl. Just dandy.
81 replies - I wondered if I should even bother posting! 😉
Nice blog, Lynn. I wrote one some weeks ago:
http://Guydz.com/moneypowerwisdom/oh-twitter/
All success
Dr.Mani
I'm glad you did 😉 I read every single one!
Off to check out your post - thanks for the link 🙂
I had enrolled in Twitter last year but didn't do much about it. Then I read where the blogger in Egypt got arrested and used it to alert his buddies -hence my renewed interest.
Meanwhile, it's a good way to get the microblogging Q&A going with compatriots in my industry. Still having trouble getting my customers to follow, tho.
@ecstewart
This comment is PROOF that Twitter works. That's where I found you, now I'm following you. Hope you'll follow me @freerangemom.
Also check out "5 Things about Twitter, branding and relationships" http://freerangemom.blogspot.com/2008/08/5-things-you-need-to-know-about.html
Let's not go gaga about Twitter. Twitter is okay but it can be better.
Now, let us be honest with ourselves. How many people actually interact with others at Twitter?
Take a closer look around, many used Twitter to post links. Twitter has become more like a pingback mechanism for some people and I hates that.
All hail Twitter... The best one-way traffic in town.
Tweet.. Tweet.. Follow Me
Like most here I joined twitter not really understanding what it was all about.I have been using it more now,but really do not have many followers.I will stick it out for the long haul though seeing so many talking it up.
Steven - your blog is a perfect match for topics discussed DAILY on Twitter. Start by following bloggers & industry leaders that you admire, and joining conversations already in progress.
Many of the topics you blog about would make for great discussions on Twitter, so just get the ball rolling! 😉
And coming from someone named "Home" - or that is keyword spamming my blog 🙄
I'm not worried about what "everyone else" is doing on Twitter. I focus on how I can use it to communicate with people, and on consuming the information I want (very specifically). Definitely 2-way communication for me...
Lynn, I haven't taken the trail to Twitter just yet, but your enthusiasm for social networking is finally hitting home here.
I think I'm going to have to argue with you more often 🙂 it's quite educational.
Now if I can just get tweeting before Ken Evoy, then *he'll* be the last one to get it, not me. 🙂
Anyway, thanks for the patient prodding, we of the GeezerNation thank you.
LOL Phil - "argue" away!
Just so long as you do it in 140 characters or less 😉
That's funny, cause some of the people I argue with have asked me to do it in zero characters or less. You're being quite generous! 139!
you've inspired me to start Twittering!!
Now off to figure it all out...
Hi Lynn,
I was a bit surprised by Ken's take on twitter too. Seems like he is mellowing a bit though. Mike Logan, by the way I am an SBI owner and affiliate. I love the product.
Hey Mike,
Nice to meet you! Sorry to be so long in posting a reply - I left for Australia the day you posted the comment above.
Anyway, big fan of SBI myself actually. I'd love to see Ken get more involved on Twitter - SO much potential for him if he does!
Stick around - I look forward to hearing more from you 😉
I'm really late jumping into the Twitter pond. One reason: I'm on dial-up (no high speed available in my area) and this has caused me to loathe social networking platforms like Facebook - where things like logging in take half-an-hour I just don't have - with a passion.
Now, of course, I'm kicking myself for not joining Twitter sooner! I love it! I've received more high value news and marketing tips through Twitter than any other method, plus it's fun too. And SO fast. I can check Twitter and learn something new while waiting for other sites to load into my browser tabs. Makes the day go faster, and cuts load-in stress (something dialup prisoners are prone to.)
I'm so new, though, I'm still a Twit, as opposed to one of the savvy, elite Twittorati.
But I'll learn.