Should your Business be on twitter?
A little over a year ago I posted to this and believed that while it might be good to have a twitter presence it certainly wasn’t right for all businesses. Today I have modified that thought and here’s why.
This week has been rather interesting in the world of technology. LeWeb, the conference held in Paris, is an opportunity for startups and entrepreneurs to come together and present, learn and coexist in an environment that offers collaboration as well as partnerships, providing both funding and help in building towards a funding stage. It also allows advisement to those unsure of how to proceed and really offers much more.
What’s interesting about this particular iteration of LeWeb is what happened when Robert Scoble met several entrepreneurs and asked the basic question, “Do you have a twitter account?” When he was told they did not he blew up at them. Hmmm, well, it raised a really good question about necessity in my mind.
Robert suggested that every business should have a twitter account, but in my opinion an opportunity was missed. He suggested that without a twitter account he can’t promote the company. I don’t completely agree. What would be wrong with twittering out a web address? After all, whether you’re on twitter or not, doesn’t every company have a web address? Another question to answer!
I’ve talked to several people recently and felt compelled to quote someone I respect for having pointed out that in todays world without a web presence you simply won’t exist to the young adults who are quickly moving into the business world. But I digress.
I think Robert missed an opportunity to educate, inspire and influence others with his current belief system. Rather than get annoyed and take it personally, Robert could have talked to these people and expressed his opinions, both why he thinks it’s important and what he thinks they should be doing. I understand that Robert is a big name in the world of technology, and I understand he may not feel it’s his job to teach, but whether he takes that as part of his job or not, people do follow his lead much of the time so he has a responsibility to his network to be an example.
Yes, Robert has a twitter presence and he uses it, today, but he also vacillates much of the time, moving to the next big shiny and frequently balking at the very things he claims are necessary today. Much of ’09 Robert talked about how great friendfeed was and how it was much more powerful than twitter was. Then, once friendfeed got bought up by facebook he switched and started posting more to twitter talking about how it was worth 5-10 billion dollars and the best, most important tool out there. It’s not a good testament to the value of having your business on twitter.
Having just chastised Robert, something good came of his behavior and the much discussed berating he gave the people in France. I started thinking about my own views, I also came across some other articles that sort of support my own thinking and I’d like to share those with you and let YOU make up your own mind.
The first article I read this morning was – a berry business blog hosted on Chicago Now. The blog post that set things in motion was, To Tweet or Not to Tweet.
I recently took a meeting with a potential corporate partner to discuss an opportunity for co-branding and quickly found myself in a heated discussion about social media and its effect on our respective company’s brands.“You don’t tweet?” I asked, in disbelief.
“We don’t tweet. Corporate is nervous. Too much room for discussion,” responded my associate.
“But that’s the whole point!” I exclaimed.
The rest of the story is here.
People still aren’t sure what they should do, which is one of the reasons I think Robert should have been a little less harsh. Just because he does it, and he gets it doesn’t mean the rest of the world does. They do have an obligation to learn, but it takes time and anytime we try to force our ideals, our views down someone else’s throat without giving them an opportunity to understand the value or make up their own mind, we essentially say to them, if you don’t agree with me, you are not worth my time. That’s a huge mistake. What business would exist if that were the perpetuated mindset?
In reading the article, To Tweet or Not to Tweet, what occurred to me was the value in having a twitter presence that is a representation of the company’s views, a visual helpdesk, a persona people can identify with and a LINK to the website for the company. It’s becoming the norm to see all across the web the twitter equivalent to a web address by using a ‘@’ in front of a company logo or name like this: ‘@so-and-so’, or in my case, @sherylbreuker .
We used to believe that aggregation was where it was all going, and while there may be some value in having a single point of reference for all of that, that was still about sites like friendfeed or jaiku where all your blogs, all your weblinks could be found in one place. Great as that is, what has changed is now people look for you on twitter, and will click through to your blog via the sidebar. My sidebar very clearly shows a Web address which directly links to my website. It’s a lot easier to have a single name, @sherylbreuker, for instance.
Today as a company trying to stay afloat in the business world, you have to meet your customers where they are. Twitter is powerful. Twitter isn’t all, though, and you need to seriously consider a presence not only on twitter but every other place there are potential customers for you. The web is bigger than anyone could have predicted. Existing there, is the only way to stay alive.
The next article I read that also gave me food for thought was by Ari Herzog. Ari posted a Case Study of 4 Companies on Twitter. The opening paragraph is, in my opinion, a fabulous directive to all companies sending one of their own into the marketing realm of twitter.
Short of the official Twitter rules and usage guidelines left and right, it is the choice of each business to either emulate best practice or test how to write and respond to 140 character updates on their own.
I have long believed if a company is to succeed on twitter, they need to keep in mind a couple of basic rules:
- Reciprocity is mandatory and should be written into a company policies and guidelines, under rules of engagement
- Authenticity, another critical piece of the corporate pie today, largely because people can smell a rat and if you’re simply sending a front person into the lines and provide them a script, it’s not real and they will be eaten alive
- Trust is what you gain by allowing for the above to take place and there is precious little else as valuable
Having said that, what is more important today, even than engagement is protecting your brand. A future proofing of sorts. Having a twitter presence and growing organically a following is just as valid as seeking the instant gratification so many large corporations expect and desire to prove ROI.
Today I rescind my past assertion that not all business should be on twitter. I embrace the need to look toward a future where all things are based on the web. Even the small town business will need to be findable. Why? Geo location services/devices will not find you and someone just passing through will be pointed to a competitor. Many twitter clients offer location services and people are using them.
Twitter is no longer a flash in the pan, or fluff. Twitter is one of the most powerful tools in the industry.
on December 12th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sheryl Breuker, Old Mac Donald. Old Mac Donald said: Should your Business be on twitter? | Stardust Global Ventures: A little over a year ago I posted to this and believed t http://url4.eu/v6us [...]
on December 12th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Thanks for the plug! Spot on with your thoughts.
While I have you on the subject of businesses communicating as they fit, may I point out if you or someone else comments below me, I have no way of knowing. That is, without subscribing to a RSS comment feed which involves multiple mouse clicks. As you use WordPress, have a look at http://ariwriter.com/1-essential-plugin-for-your-wordpress-blog/
on December 12th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by SherylBreuker: Should your Business be on twitter? http://bit.ly/87O0hY – My post on twittering…or not!…
on December 12th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Ari,
I like the plugin and it’s a wonderful idea. And if it worked with our out of the box theme, I’d install it. But I just spent a bunch of time mucking about only to find that without digging into CSS, the check box goes to the bottom of the page where nobody will ever see it. Sadly my CSS skills aren’t such that I can go muck around any further with this particular plugin. I will look around for one that actually works for us because I do like the idea and agree it should be here.
Thanks for reminding us how important a feature like this is.
on December 13th, 2009 at 7:37 am
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on December 13th, 2009 at 8:15 am
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on December 13th, 2009 at 8:28 am
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on December 13th, 2009 at 9:05 am
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on December 13th, 2009 at 9:27 am
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on December 13th, 2009 at 9:59 am
With this sentence, I think that you hit the fundamental issue:
“Today as a company trying to stay afloat in the business world, you have to meet your customers where they are.”
That may be Twitter, LinkedIn, the mainstream media, or Main Street It may be something industry-specific. It may be some, all or none of them.
However, all of these take time and resources, which are not unlimited. So my advice is prioritize based on where the customers are.Especially in B to B companies, it may not include Twitter. Yet. Admittedly, that could very well change over time.
Rob
on December 13th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Thanks Rob. I think, if it wasn’t clear,that the biggest reason for every business to be on Twitter is to protect their brand. We have no idea what will happen with Twitter in the future so to future proof our company we need to grab our place and at the very least save our brands identity.
on December 13th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I agree with making sure to protect the brand.
on December 13th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
I can appreciate the reminder of the responsibility to teach. It is easy to be frustrated but it is a much higher honor to help them understand.
To me this gets to the heart of twitter, “the value in having a twitter presence that is a representation of the company’s views, a visual helpdesk, a persona people can identify with and a LINK to the website for the company.”
This @ presence is a culmination of your brand. With a single link you can find my pic, my site, my ideas, and gain insight into who I am and that makes it a very powerful link. I realize that platforms change but @tsudo is becoming one of the truest representations of my brand.
Great piece and good links. Thanks Sheryl
PS: try the Disqus Commenting platform, here’s my thoughts on commenting and Disqus http://bit.ly/5CcqP
on December 13th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Just a thought from Rob and Keith’s comments. I think the greatest branding image we create on Twitter is what we contribute. It’s how people see us as a resource. Adding value is the only value there is.
on December 13th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Keith, thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. I appreciate good writing, things that make me think, and your post linked to here is certainly one that had me chomping at the bit.
With regard to the commenting system, we have tried a few different ones and are still searching for just the right fit.W may well try disqus, but have not so far. Partly because we haven’t loved it when using it on other sites. We definitely need to implement something better so people aren’t left hanging in mid air.
I love the conversations. This topic was timely.
on December 13th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
>>He suggested that without a twitter account he can’t promote the company.
I didn’t explain this well. It’s deeper than that. I have conversations with many CEOs/founders/VCs/press people over Twitter. It’s a LOT nicer than on email. Why? Because it’s scalable. When we have a conversation in public everyone can see it, which saves us a lot of time (many people might be having the same questions I am). I get a lot of value out of following people’s Tweets, too, much more than on blog posts (which I will never see because I rarely visit blogs anymore) and certainly better than email (I hate having conversations behind the firewall unless we absolutely need to and even then a DM is better because it forces brevity, which makes it a lot more productive).
>I think Robert missed an opportunity to educate, inspire and influence others with his current belief system
It’s 2009. If you aren’t on Twitter now you are simply lame and you should be told that in no uncertain terms. Especially if you’ve invited me over to get access to my audience (which is what these startups did).
>. Much of ‘09 Robert talked about how great friendfeed was and how it was much more powerful than twitter was.
I was right, too, and still am. The real time search there blows away Twitter. And so do many other features. The reason I got pulled back to Twitter is because of the community. Most everyone has decided that Twitter is THE place for the tech industry to share what they are doing. That overrides any feature set that FriendFeed has. And, sorry, I go to the best-of-breed.
>People still aren’t sure what they should do, which is one of the reasons I think Robert should have been a little less harsh
Keep in mind the four CEOs that pissed me off weren’t asking for help. They explicitly told me “I don’t have time for that.” Well, then, I don’t have time to help them out either and I won’t talk about them to my 100,000+ followers. IE, if they are looking to build a global brand they are hurting themselves and need to know that.
on December 13th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Robert, perhaps I can gather my thoughts now and try to convey what was on my mind in FriendFeed the other evening when this started.
First, I don’t refute most of what you say. I think the heavy-handed approach hurts your personal brand. I know you’re resilient and all, but as a thought leader, I don’t think leading with the wording and examples used serves our community well.
To say “It’s 2009. If you aren’t on Twitter now you are simply lame and you should be told that in no uncertain terms. ” is, again, heavy-handed and not helpful to those of us who are building the conversation. It insults millions of people. Broad sweeping statements are generalizations…stereotypes if you like. They don’t serve any greater good in practice.
I’m disappointed because you are an incredibly smart and likable guy. You have to opportunity to be at some point, one of our elder statesmen (think Doc Searls). Moments like this are more likely to be recalled like some of Chris Locke’s harsher moments. How would you prefer to be viewed 10-15 years from now.
You say you “go to the best-of-breed” and I think that’s overestimating. You admit you went where the network is. Not the best-of-breed. Like all of us, you followed the crowd. I’d even say, those many of us who engage with you drew you back. But being where the community is has nothing to do with best-of-breed.
I’d also argue that there are hundreds global brands that don’t have, need or care about Twitter. I know I’m doing major architecture work for one such company in the Fortune 100. A tech lead no less.
Sometimes we, you included, grant Twitter more power than it truly has. Twitter is nothing but a dumb pipe, just like a phone line. The power is in the message, not the pipe. You deferred the power of your message, your voice, your brand, to the dumb pipe that is Twitter.
Just plumbing, no? Like the phone network.
on December 13th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Robert, I appreciate your taking the time to come here when you don’t visit blogs much. I don’t comment much on blogs myself, but I do scroll them in my reader!
I think you make good points, and again, I believe you know enough about me to know I agree with you on the need to be on twitter. Maybe because I’m softer, haven’t been thrown into the foray of stupidity as often…I’m sure there are any number of reasons, but I still think there is nothing to be gained in being over harsh. What benefit is there in that? To you? To them?
Again, thanks for commenting. I do appreciate it and you. if I didn’t you wouldn’t have been my example.
on December 14th, 2009 at 12:38 am
To take up Robert’s first point- I think the difference between sharing a link to a website via twitter versus sharing a twitter account of the company or CEO is the difference between being talked about and being invited to the conversation.
It escapes me how you could be interviewed by Scoble and not expect a question concerning your twitter presence. I think it speaks volumes when the CEOs say they don’t have time for twitter because they’ve missed the boat entirely.
As to how Scoble handled it, I’d been more gracious. (or at least tried to be, I can be a bit intense and blunt at times as well.).I’ve followed Scoble for sometime and highly respect his passion and intelligence but at the end of the day we can’t forget that the most satisfying part of technology is opening people’s eyes to its power.
We’ve have the great privilege of helping others reach their Eureka moment.
Never the less it is 2009 and they probably should be on Twitter.
-@tsudo
on December 14th, 2009 at 12:56 am
Robert’s right that *some* businesses need to be on Twitter, especially the cool startups that he wants to follow. But traditional businesses need a lot more time before they decide whether Twitter is a flash in the pan or if it has staying power.
No matter how important you think Twitter is, the jury is still out on whether it’ll be around in 10 years, which is the time horizon of typical big huge companies deciding on IT investments.
on December 14th, 2009 at 8:27 am
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on December 14th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Thanks Richard,
Part of the struggle business has today is the pace of change of technology. To maintain relevance, we have to be adaptable. Expecting ANY technology to still be useful or used in 10 years is pushing things, which for many companies simply means they will not get involved. That is, in my opinion incredibly shortsighted. Especially in the tech sector.
It is clear that the rate at which technology is moving is not slowing down. Part of my consideration in re-thinking my own views has to do with that growth pace. It’s why I believe today, that no matter what your business, no matter that Corporate business have in the past created a whole list of barriers between them and the rest of the world, TODAY, they need to be prepared to turn on the proverbial dime, and join the ranks.
The inability to change direction and make quick decisions will most definitely alter one’s relevance in the future world of business.
on December 17th, 2009 at 9:10 am
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on December 17th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
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on December 20th, 2009 at 1:23 am
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