Being a type-A personality, I’m competitive and a bit of a workaholic. When I do something, I strive for the best.
I tell you this because I recently joined Twitter (@EricaStritch) and have only two words to describe the feeling: completely overwhelmed. I find myself wanting to build up my following and connect with others in my field—and needing to respond to everyone and everything. (Being in marketing and sales, I was pretty quickly following some power users, and every minute there are three new posts.)
Not only that, but I had to learn a new language and etiquette. Did I retweet that post correctly and give proper attribution? Should I respond to all of these direct messages that are clearly auto responders? If someone follows me, does that mean I have to follow him back?
I signed up at noon and was still sitting at my desk at 8 p.m. lost in Twitterville. Eventually I tore myself away with the thought that this is going to be a very, very bad thing. Did I really just waste eight hours of my day tweeting and following people around?
This leads me to the question: is Twitter right for everyone?
Clearly, there are pros and cons to joining Twitter.
The cons: With the information overload we all experience (one study referenced on the Harvard Business Review blog found time lost to recovering from information interruptions cost Intel near $1 billion a year), Twitter could be viewed as just another interruption that wastes time, decreases productivity, and costs our businesses money.
The pros: Juxtapose that scenario with the many benefits Twitter has to offer—connecting with prospects and clients, getting known, broadening distribution for content and thought leadership, increasing website traffic, and the list goes on. Twitter can be a strong marketing tool that helps build and strengthen relationships.
How do you know if Twitter is right for you? Here are three questions to consider:
- Who are you trying to reach? Before jumping on the bandwagon and opening a Twitter account, think about whom you want to connect with. Are your prospects and clients on Twitter? Are influential media sources from your industry on Twitter? Do those you network with have accounts?
- Do you have something valuable to say? Are you already publishing a blog, articles, or other content on the web? If so, join Twitter right now. If nothing else, it is a great way to connect with your readers, putting a face to their name (quite literally) and increasing your reach and readership. If you are not already publishing, think long and hard about what valuable insights you might have to share. It is unlikely you’ll get much benefit out of tweeting the fact that you ate your Wheaties for breakfast.
- Do you have the discipline to stay on top of it? There is much passion and energy around something new. You sign up for your Twitter account, start following people, and tweet five times a day. However, it is not long before the newness wears off and the Twitter page that once looked shiny and new looks tarnished and old. If you aren’t ready to make a commitment and put in the time to regularly update your account and connect with new people, you will not reap the benefits Twitter has to offer.
Twitter can be a great tool that allows you to connect with others in your market and build your authority. But it takes work and can be very overwhelming. Ask yourself these three questions, and you’ll be able to determine if Twitter is going to be a colossal waste of time or the next marketing tool you add to your kit.
And for you type-A personalities out there, if you do decide Twitter is right for you, don’t try to become a power user overnight. Work at it every day, and slowly you’ll start to see your following and influence grow. Take small steps, and soon you will reap big rewards (perhaps as big as Avaya’s).
So, is Twitter right for you? Share with us your thoughts and experiences.
