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Twitter: Why Do People Use It? (Part 2 of our 3-Part Series on Social Media)

If the impact of Twitter has you puzzled, consider this: when Twitter crashed for a couple of hours in August, the outrage of tweeters was unbelievable.

Like Facebook, Twitter creates an experience that stimulates addictive behavioral patterns. It builds relationships around short interactions based on day-to-day chit chat, cool discoveries, and updated news and events.

In part because it was built to work with mobile devices, Twitter is much more immediate than Facebook. It demands urgent attention and prompt response.

But differences aside, it draws users for many of the same reasons. Last month, we discussed Doug Firebaugh's "7 A's of Social Media." To recap, Firebaugh's Seven A's are:

• Acknowledgment
• Attention
• Appreciation
• Acclamation
• Approval
• Assurance
• A part of...
  

Let's look at a few of these. Many people - and businesses, for that matter - tweet primarily for attention. All well and good, but watch your step; content devoid of value, and/or constant tweeting, can be a real turn-off to followers. Success with Twitter is much more likely if you provide links to interesting articles or post engaging questions that are good enough that your followers retweet them. A retweet drives far more positive attention, which is exactly the type of attention a tweeter should strive to accomplish.

Retweeting indicates assurance and acclamation. If you're gaining momentum in followers or responses, your tweets are having a positive impact.

Being accredited is important on Twitter. Most likely, some of the people who follow are friends; indeed, many people tweet purely to keep in touch with chums. But in order to be successful using Twitter to drive an organizational agenda, there needs to be a larger group of followers that you don't know (and who don't get the pleasure of commenting in person about that last tweet). Gaining a following beyond your immediate contacts positions you as knowledgeable in specific areas.

Here's another difference between Facebook and Twitter: even though successful Tweeters are communicating with thousands of people they never met, Twitter's immediacy makes it more like a face to face interaction. Etiquette is hugely important. And that means understanding your audience - their interests, their likes and dislikes, and what it is that prompted them to follow you in the first place.

Using Twitter as a direct sales mechanism can be risky. Think of it this way: if you run a deli and use Twitter to advise your customers what today's special is, all well and good. Your followers signed on for that reason only. But otherwise, it's better to think of it as a soft-sell tool - one that establishes your credibility (there's that acclamation thing again) as a current or future resource.

At its core, Twitter is a tool - and like any tool, using it carelessly or for other than its intended purpose can create problems. That means having a plan, and sticking to it. Know who you want following you, and why. Plan and deliver content accordingly. To the extent possible, try to stick to a schedule, even if it's no more specific than "two Tweets per week."

Talk to us. Axon can help you identify goals and strategies for using Twitter and other social media tools.


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