Twitter is very much akin to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
There are millions of people watching the stream of people parading by. And just like the spectators, there are private conversations occurring through "DM" (Direct Messages), as the parade streams by.
Furthermore, as this mass of humanity passes by, each of the members of the band are playing their individual notes in the stream. If you like, you can listen to the individual notes, by "following" the individuals.
If you prefer to simply listen to the overall parade, then you simply watch a search stream, and watch all the individual conversations stream by you.
So the question of the day is this, "How might this be valuable to your business, or organization?
I am glad you asked, please continue on...
Spectator/Listening
One of the valuable functions of Twitter, is your ability to simply listen to the parade, as it goes by. A while back, I was trying to read an article on Business Week's website. The site was loading painfully slow. So slow in fact, I went to Twitter, and Tweeted:
"I could grow a beard, in the time it takes Business Week's website to load!"
Business Week, being the smart organization they are, was listening. They created a "Business Week live search" on Twitter, which allowed them to monitor what people were saying about their organization.
Within a few hours, I received a Tweet from Business Week letting me know that they heard my concern, talked to their technology people, and wondered if their site was now performing to my satisfaction! I must admit, this made a HUGE impression me.
Twitter will allow you incredible opportunity to respond to your patrons, be it negative, or positive, immediately.
Playing in the Band
If you like, with Twitter, you can step out of the crowd, pick up your trombone, and play in the band.
Your company has something to say...right? You exist to serve a need.
Let's say that you are the Desert Botanical Gardens, in Phoenix, Arizona. You are nearing the end of your fabulously successful "Chihuly: The Nature of Glass" exhibit, and you want to remind people that the exhibit is closing, and they better hurry if they don't want to miss it.
The Desert Botanical Garden turned to Twitter (@dbgtweet) to communicate this message.
Furthermore, others using Twitter, are easily able to Re-Tweet (forward) this message to their personal communities on Twitter.
This is a marvelous way to communicate certain messages directly to those who might best use the information.
Becoming a Balloon
Many organizations are already well know without Twitter. You don't need Twitter to become known. However, Twitter gives you the ability to speak directly, without any filters with your patrons.
One of the best examples of this is probably President Barack Obama (@BarackObama). As of this writing, President Barack Obama has 1.2 million followers on Twitter. With a few simple keystrokes, he has the ability to communicate directly with 1 out of every 300 people in the United States.
Think about that! Is your organization already well known? Would you like a completely free, instant communication channel with your patrons?
Twitter can do that for you. The crowd is already lined up along the streets. You simply need to blow up your balloon, and march down the street!
How we can help
Every organization is a little different in its communication needs. However, it is highly likely that a Twitter outpost will be a valuable addition to your social media strategy.
Although Twitter, in my opinion, is not a contender to replace your need for a blog, it does make a wonderful addition to your overall strategy.
I would be honored to discuss this with your organization.
