Should you be using Twitter? (Win a new Amazon Kindle)
Okay I think I need to admit I was wrong.
I’ve been telling my friends that Twitter is one of the silliest things in the world – but now I might have to eat my words…
You see, I was thinking about Twitter for my own personal use – i.e. wanted to know exactly what my friends were doing at all times. Who cares? Well – it seems like a lot of people do. In fact, I just started updating my Twitter profile – you can follow me at www.twitter.com/yaniksilver (So in case you wonder what’s going on in my world aside from when I update this blog – you can follow along! Plus, I’ve got a new Amazon Kindle ebook reader that I’m going to give away to someone who follows me. Not sure how yet – but we’ll figure out something fun together. So click here to follow me.) 
The reason I’m going to be using it is applying to what I’ve discussed before in a recent Secret Society newsletter – and that is applying personality to your web presence. Twitter is perfect for this. Just a quick recap in case you haven’t seen twitter – it’s a “microblogging” platform. You’ve got 140 characters that you can update via web or text messaging and let your ‘followers’ know what you are doing at this moment.
For companies who want to put out more personality – this is great. Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos.com, who spoke at Underground® 4 is using Twitter in a big way. He’s got over 9,026 followers (that’s huge). Funny enough, I was buying new flip flops and on the thank you page at Zappos – they had an invitation to follow Tony via Twitter. Check out Tony’s twitter profile at www.twitter.com/zappos
Notice the kinds of ‘tweets’ he puts out. Not too much to do with business but a whole lot to do with the personality of Zappos. It’s about solidifying the fact they truly live their values. Tony is such a big fan he’s even put up a page on Zappos dedicated to Twitter and getting started with it -
http://twitter.zappos.com/start
If you go back and look at the history of Tony’s tweets – they are a tiny amount that are promotional in nature.
I think this is taking blogging to the next level. I love my blog for the interactivity and the ability to transmit my personality across to readers – creating that bond. With Twitter – you can do this 140 characters at a time. Try it and don’t forget to follow me for a chance to win that Amazon Kindle.
What do you think?
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I have to give credit to John Reese to opening my eyes to the potential here on Twitter. Now as ‘big, bad marketers’ we are always looking at new ways to getting our message across – but Twitter is interesting because only your ‘followers’ will get your messages. So you cannot blatantly bombard your twitter contacts with pitches because they’ll stop following you (just like opting out). If you don’t have anything interesting to say or do (hmmm….like a HALO skydive!) then they’ll drop you. John covers Twitter and a slew of other new ways to get traffic to your site in his new Traffic Secrets 2.0 resource. It goes on sale today at noon.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Welcome aboard Twitter, Yanik
2 links for you to think over…
1. Oh, Twitter – http://Guydz.com/moneypowerwisdom/oh-twitter/
2. What Are You ALWAYS Selling? – http://guydz.com/moneypowerwisdom/what-are-you-always-selling/
All success
Dr.Mani
I tweet as @drmani
July 15th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
In response to your Kindle Give-Away, is there any idea or solution you need? You are asking the Web-world to help with the Kindle contest, and my answer is another contest. Link the Kindle problem to another problem you have (”what background color is best?”, “Where should I hold my next seminar?”, “what would would someone do to GET the Kindle (short of promising cash to you?”). Pick the best answer you like, and give that person the Kindle.
I am an inventor with over 100 ideas (on paper). Please let me know if I can help with any other ideas. My Twitter handle is mcarrieri. Thank you for your time and consideration.
July 15th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Twitter is the “great” tool to build relationship with your subscribers. The money is in the relationship you built with your list. You can update your list with latest news from time to time and even through the mobile phone.
To Your Success
Bryan Hee
July 15th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Hi Yanik,
Since the Amazon Kindle is for people who love to read and you often refer to some of your favorite reads/recommended books for your IL subscribers, why don’t you pick one impactful quote from 5 of your favorite books (make them challenging so that they can’t easily be searched on the Internet) and whoever can guess the book the quotes are from can win the Kindle. Because if they know the books they obviously take your advice and read!!!
And also to tie in Twitter they have to tweet about their reading adventures and the quotes they were impacted by from whatever they are reading on the Kindle once a week for a month or something.
Looking forward to your tweets.
Your Fellow Washingtonian,
)
(you make us proud
Shonika Proctor
XOXO
July 16th, 2008 at 2:39 am
Yanik, glad uv seen the light. Welcome 2 Twitter.
hook up with @coachdeb, @warrenwhitlock & @donnafox. They KNOW Twitter and you’ll connect with others that do too thru them.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Yeah, somebody else awesome to follow on Twitter!
I was a hold-out on Twitter for a really long time, but I’ve grown to like it. Having friends on there really helps you use it more.
BTW I HIGHLY recommend http://www.ping.fm for updating it, and all your other social services. Oh, and check out http://www.plurk.com
Darren Rowe @ Problogger likes it, so it MUST be good!
-Alex
July 20th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Personally I think twitter is total BS!
It is a FAD that will die just like BIG BROTHER.
It is completely POINTLESS and a WOMBAT (Waste Of Money, Bandwidth And Time).
Even the name SUCKS.
Here’s to hoping I NEVER get sucked into it!
Focus on blogs, and stop wasting time telling poeple about the shop you just went to.
August 10th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Aloha Yanik,
Welcome to the Twitterverse!
Always nice when I guy can admit he was wrong
(too bad “nic” didn’t follow your lead… but that’s ok
because the party that which is Twitter is happening NOW
and you’re “right on time”.
John Reese is doing a great job at Tweeting. It’s the perfect mix
between business and pleasure – not to mention how it gives
all his many fans the opportunity to rave about his Traffic Secrets
program – so HE doesn’t have to!
aye – therein lies the secret!
Let your Tribe rave about you on Twitter & send others to you.
Then – u just let your personality shine through.
Oh – one caveat. If this nic dude above has no personality,
or if an internet marketer is just going to use Twitter to talk
about their business life ONLY – then he’s right – it IS a WOMBAT
and peeps like that are better off staying OFF twitter so the world
won’t realize just how boring of a life they lead. (i.e.: NOT attractive
in re: to an “internet lifestyle”. ya know?
Whereas, tweet about you flying out of a perfectly good airplane
with my buddy Mike Filesaime – THEN you’ve got the winning formula
to attract others to follow you.
oh – btw: I found your blog here…. through your TWITTER profile.
you can follow me @CoachDeb
http://Twitter.com/CoachDeb
and YES I’m Completely biased & writing a book all about Twitter
with @WarrenWhitlock http://TwitterHandbook.com