Twitter - what is the point?

Apparantly the number of people using Twitter has risen 93% over the last 6 months. That is some growth by anyone's standards. But why use Twitter?

To me Twitter is one of the best social networking tools. It seems the people who get the most out of Twitter are those who already have big followings - celebrities, well known politicians, sportsman etc. For their followers, Twitter is a great way of getting close to their icons. Twitter has a very personal feel to it - communication is direct and to the point. It makes for a happier fan base.

But for businesses and business leaders, Twitter is even more valuable. The great thing about social media, and Twitter in particular is that it provides a great platform for gathering market information. Got an issue at work? Not sure how people see your brand? Just ask the question and I am certain you will get valuable comments coming back.

Business communication is no longer a monologue, but rather a dialogue. You need to know what your followers (i.e. your stakeholders) are thinking about you, your company and its brand.

Twitter is an enabling tool to make that happen.

Ideas that are born on Twitter quickly take on a life of their own. Your followers, (bright and interesting people just like you) sitting at their desks in all likelihood, will provide you with a whole heap of new thoughts and provide the fruits of their imagination freely and without question.

Of course there are dangers with using Twitter as well. I was told by a former boss that before you fire off an angry email you should take a deep breath, save the email and then go back to it after you have calmed down. With Twitter it is ludicrously easy to vent without thinking.

Everything about Twitter is about speed - therein lies its strengths and potential pitfalls. Got a scoop, some valuable bit of information, then Tweet and your followers will value your contribution.

But don't Tweet every five minutes. You will appear addicted and followers will grow bored with the endless stream of verbage. My advice would be use Twitter relatively infrequently and only tweet when you actually have something to say.

So what is Twitter actually worth as a company? Well that is a whole other question...

I found this great article on how businesses can best use Twitter. Take a look http://mashable.com/2009/06/24/twitter-brand-best-practices/