RJ Metrics recently released their latest update for Twitter Number of Users and Twitter User Engagement statistics.

As a skeptic, I’m weary of most social media statistics.  However, as a marketer it’s my job to analyze data that comes my way and offer my opinions and analysis of how it will affect you or your business.

You can access the data HERE.  But here’s a run down.

• Number of new Twitter users per month is about 6.2 million (down about 20%)
• Past 6 months have shown steady decline in new Twitter account registrations
• 2009 ended with just over 75 million active users
• Average Twitter user has 27 followers (down from 42 in August 2009)
• 80% of Twitter users have tweeted 10 times or less
• Only 20% of tweeters come back to tweet in their second month

What Do These Twitter Statistics Mean For Me or My Business?

The only clear sign that these statistics show…is that most of the Twitter users you are going to interact with are going to be very loyal to the network.  Twitter is almost a perfect example of the Pareto Principle (commonly know as the 80/20 rule).

Although only 20% of users come back to tweet in their second month, the folks who do come back increase their usage over time.  That means that those who come back find value in the network and are there to stay.  This is great news for a marketer or user than can create value.  But like everything with social media marketing, it’s up to you to create value.

Actions Learned From These Statistics

• Stay In The Fight – Your Twitter usage and effectiveness will increase over time.  If you don’t see immediate results after a week, don’t give up.  We’re reluctant to engage with a new account because most don’t come back.
• You need to actively acquire new TARGETED followers – Many of your followers may drop off, actively acquire new followers and keep new conversations flowing
• Create Engagement – Those who remain active on Twitter tweet regularly.  Find your targets and engage regularly
• Monitor the conversation – spend time monitoring tweets so when you do engage you can add value
• Build Connections – Focus on users you can continue conversations over time to build deeper relationships
• Focus on Conversations, Not Just Retweets – With the average user only having 27 followers…most retweets won’t lead to much traffic.  It’s a great sign that they liked your content, but follow up with a conversation.

Although these stats do point that Twitter may have “peaked” for rising new users.  However, Twitter is not going anywhere soon.  The social network has 75 million users and although it’s not climbing as fast as last year, it’s still a social media force.

That being said, Twitter is not for every body.  Do your research and analyze how the social network will work for your business before you dive in.  Otherwise you’ll find little value and be another fallen user who never comes back.  If you’re having trouble seeing the benefits with your accounts, contact me.  I love the network and have found Twitter to be quite useful.

This is DAY 17 of my “28 Day Blogging Challenge“

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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How To Get Followers On Twitter

How to get followers on Twitter is a mad science.  Like it or not, if you’ve chosen Twitter to market yourself or your brand, you’re going to need to learn how to get followers.

Is there an exact science how to get followers on Twitter?  Yes.  And No.

There are certainly steps you can take to get followers on Twitter, but understand that knowing how to get followers on Twitter and actually achieving that goal are two different things.  It takes some time and energy to achieve your goals.  Twitter is not a quick fix and success does not happen overnight.

Your focus should be on Targeted followers, not numbers.  Buying an ebook or “system” to get thousands of followers on Twitter is a complete waste of your money.  Even if they work, the only followers you’re attracting are others who bought the same ebook or “system” and now you’ve got thousands of followers who have zero interest in you, zero interest in your company, and offer you absolutely nothing.

Your top focus for getting followers on Twitter should be attracting targeted folks who value your content, and engage with you.  If you don’t have that…there is no reason to be on Twitter and you should spend your time elsewhere.

Have a Consistent Voice

Having a consistent voice is the most basic and  best advice I can offer any brand or individual about Twitter.  Decide what your voice is going to be, and stay on target.  If you’re a brand on Twitter, this is pretty easy.  You’re going to be tweeting about your products, business, and industry.  But if you’re on Twitter as you, a personal brand, it’s not so cut and dry.  Decide what goals you want to accomplish.

For example, I was active on Twitter long before I had this blog as a platform for my voice.  My goal on Twitter was clear…I was going to be someone known for offering great marketing and social media content.  So each day I tweeted the articles I felt were solid and was currently reading.  After a while, you begin to be trusted as a source for information and a go-to for which ever particular niche you decide to focus on.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t tweet information about other interests or add some personality.  Absolutely tweet what you find interesting, but you need an overall arching theme to your profile.  It can be anything you choose, just make sure you’re consistent.

Be Active

If you’re going to be on Twitter, your profile must be active.  This means you are tweeting everyday.  If you’re scared about being tethered to a computer all day long, don’t be.  You can send a Tweet from any cell phone by using the SMS text function.  Twitter is about communication and engagement.  If you’re not active, you don’t offer any value.  If you make the decision to be on Twitter, commit to being an active valuable member.

Be Local

Being local on Twitter is important.  Have your city on your profile as where you are tweeting from.  Don’t have geo-location numbers, have an actual physical place.  When I look to see who is following me, I’m more likely to follow back those from my location.  If you live in a suburb, select the larger city for your profile.  Being local also gives you a sense of community.  Tweet about what’s happening in your city, and follow others that are local.

Some cities tweet more than others, here’s a list of the top Twitter cities.

Engage With Others

Give people a reason to follow you.  If you’re only pushing content and not engaging and creating a dialogue, you’re not creating value.  Engage, connect, discuss.

Submit Yourself to Directories

It’s a quick and easy way to have your profile become associated with specific locations or topics.  It doesn’t take long and it certainly can’t hurt to be listed.

• Twellow
• We Follow
• Geo Follow
• Just Tweet It
• Twitterhollic

Follow Others with Similar Interests

Use #hashtags to find others that are tweeting similar content, but use them sparingly.  You can also look at lists you or others are on to find folks that may be tweeting valuable content you’ll find interesting.  Follow some of these folks, and if you’re adding value, many will follow you back.  Again, use common sense when following people.    Twitter has rules about how many folks you can follow at one time…and it just looks bad when if you’re following 2000 people and 145 and following you back.  Choose targeted folks to follow.

Work With Me

I hate to slip in the self promotion, but the reality is that many business owners simply don’t have the time to be active and focused on Twitter.  I’ve helped get new brands up and running on Twitter with targeted followers.  If you simply don’t have the time to do it yourself…let’s chat.  And of course, if you’re not currently following me on Twitter…lets connect.

This is DAY 6 of my “28 Day Blogging Challenge“

Get the Real Time Marketer Directly to Your RSS HERE

Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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If a tree falls in the woods…will it make a noise?  I have no idea.  But I do know that if you send a Tweet…there is a good chance that no one will see it.

Think about it…for someone to see your tweet they need to:

A) Be on their computer at the time of the tweet (which is small percentage of your total follower count)

B) Even if they are on their computer, they need to be on Twitter (an even smaller %)

C) And even if they are on Twitter, they have to be looking at updates

D) While they’re looking at updates…your tweet needs to pop up at that exact time.

The percentage of that is very small.  So most Tweets, I argue, float alone in cyberspace…never to be seen again.  Many social-media “gurus” will urge you to get a higher follower count.  And while that makes sense, I have a better idea.

Rather than increasing the people who may be staring at a computer screen at the precise time you send a message on Twitter.  Why not get people to look for what you have to say?  Why not have people see your tweets by making them care.

You don’t want people to just see your tweets…you want them to care about them.

So here’s some quick steps to get people to care about your tweets:

1.  Have A Twitter Brand Identity

You need to decide who you are on Twitter.  You need to have a brand identity.  Figure out why you’re on Twitter and what you want to be known for.  I started out wanting to be “A go-to-guy for marketing and social media information.” With that idea for my brand I sent out articles related to those topics.  After a while, people begin to trust that you send quality content.

2.  Attract Targeted Followers

After you establish a brand identity…its time to pick a targeted audience.  Way more important than follower count is targeted followers.  5,000 Followers on Twitter is useless if they are not targeted.   If you are a store or a restaurant…you want to attract local followers.  If you tweet primarily about Photography, you’ll want followers with similar interests.  Otherwise, nobody is going to care.  Decide what target you are going after…and attract that crowd.

3.  Tweet Quality

You need to tweet interesting and quality content.  This is obviously a judgment call by your followers…that’s why you need a  targeted following.  Don’t just send info about you, or your blog, or your company.  Send information and tweets that are consistent with your brand.  If you’re reading a blog post or article that you find interesting, your followers will probably find it interesting too.

4.  Interact With Others

Twitter is about conversation…and no one likes one sided conversation.  If you don’t interact on Twitter, why will anyone interact with you?  They won’t.  Jump into conversations.  ReTweet other interesting articles.  Have opinions.  Answer Questions.  Interact.

5.  Tweet With Frequency

If you decide you’re going to have an active profile…then be active.  That means you need to tweet a few times a day.  If you can’t commit to that activity, then don’t waste your time with Twitter.

6.  Display Emotion

Not moon-bat crazy hysteria.  But people want to know that you’re a real person.  If your favorite team is getting the tar smacked out of them again and go 1-15 in the regular season…then tweet how your heart was just ripped out again.  If you went and saw a wonderful movie…let people know about it.  You don’t always have to tweet business.  Yes stay consistent…but let people see a glimpse of the person behind the profile pic.

Follow these simple steps and you’ll start seeing a lot more interest in your tweets.  I’ve tried to follow these steps and I’ve seem good results…I expect you will too.

*Think my ideas are solid and may work well for your business…let’s chat!*

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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I really find it fascinating and yet unbeleiveable when a large brand or company jumps into social media…and seems to kind of “not get it”.

How is this possible?  With millions of marketing dollars dedicated to huge in-house teams, and an additional large chunk of cash tossed at Marketing or PR agencies…shouldn’t somebody be coming up with mind blowing ideas?

Yes social media is a fantastic way for a brand to create a true connection with customers.  And yes, social media is a medium in which you can truly create a personality online.  But not every social media platform is a good idea for your brand.  Not every social media tool makes sense for your product.

WILL BRANDS PLEASE CREATE VALUE!

Case And Point:

Today Ford announced that they’re producing lines of cars that Tweet.  Of course this got my attention becasuse I can see there actually being a sensible way to connect a car to your social networks.  Unfortuanely, it doesn’t appear that the Ford cars will do that.

According to Ford, they will produce a range of vehicles which can read motorist’s twitter messages to them as they drive down the street.  You can read the full article HERE.

Uhhhh, that’s it?  You’re tying a motor vehicle to my social networks and all it’s going to do is read me Tweets?  Rather than listen to a creepy robot voice, I’ll stick with my Sirius radio and read my own tweets…from my phone.

This is another case of a BIG brand getting into social media only because it’s popular, and not thinking about the value.  Ford will use this to say they’re saving lives from this “innovation” by keeping drivers less distracted.

To me, it’s just a missed opporuntiy where a tired brand could really make a splash.   This is actually a shame, because Ford is doing good things in the social media space.  But I think they missed a real opportunity here.

Why not have a car that adds value to your social networks?

As @calebgardner suggested in an online conversation with me…

Now that would be some features.  Now we’re talking value!

How about these truly social innovations:

• What if the car had a facebook app that tracked your trips?
• What if the car could tweet your gas mileage so you can track how you’re doing
• What if you received a coupon sent to your phone when you needed maintenance
• What if your car sent a message on Twitter & Facebook when you have car trouble so your friends can help out
• What if your car tweets you music selections based on your MP3′s you play

Or if you really want to get original:

Why not have your car come with it’s own profile that you customize.  Then your car sends Tweets to you about what radio station you’re listening to, the car facts, etc.  Then you truly give a connection and personality to your car.

There are many reasons for big companies and brands to jump into social media…but just signing up makes them seem uncreative and more like they’re trying to catchup.

If you’re going to play with social media…WOW us with some real value and truly innovative ideas.

(Note: Ford is including a Pandora app as well…and I do think that is a great feature.  But the Twitter thing blows my mind)

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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There are thousands of companies and brands who use Twitter to promote and market their business.  There are right ways, and wrong ways how business use twitter.  Here’s a quick list of the mistakes many of them make.  If you find anything on the list that accurately portrays your social media marketing…wise up fast and change your ways.

1.  You Have No Twitter Profile

Although Twitter is gaining in popularity…most businesses and brands are still not on the social network.

2.  Your Profile Isn’t Active

An inactive profile is worse than not having one at all.  It shows you don’t care about your followers and aren’t interested in conversations.  Get active…shoot for 5 tweets per day plus any that are directed @ you.  I advise more…but that’s a good start.

3.  You Show No Personality

Social media allows an amazing ability to truly get know the person behind the profile.  Show some personality.  Speak like a person…not a press release.

4.  You Don’t Follow People Back

I understand that not all followers are targets for a particular business.  But when I see a company that has 10,000 Twitter followers and only following 11 back.  It’s pretty clear there is no interest of a discussion going on in the network and that provides little value to me.

5.  You Don’t Have Enough Followers

I know, I know…people are going to let me hear all about how “quality over quantity” when it comes to social networks.  And that’s certainly true.  But you’re definitely not going to advance business objectives with 150 followers.  There is no perfect number of exactly how many followers will equal certain results.  But if you’re going to take the time to be active on Twitter, you should be focused on attracting targeted followers that can value from your business.

6.  You’re Not Listening

Like it or not, people are talking about you, your business, or at least your industry.  See how people are speaking about your industry to identify possible trends and opportunities.

7.  You’re Not Monitoring

People expect brands to be listening…are you?  You need to have, at the very least keyword monitoring systems in place.  If someone mentions your business, good or bad…you need to be listening.  If there is a customer complaint, handle it promptly and publicly.

8.  You Don’t Offer Value

You need to be able to answer the following statement: “People will want to follow me on Twitter because ______” .  And telling folks about your business is not a reason.  Offer value.  Dig deep and figure out what your networks want.  Then give it to them.

9.  You Don’t Promote Your Network

There are many within your network who are raving fans and actively promoting your good work to their friends.  Return the favor and promote what they’re doing too.  It shows that you’re interested and care about your networks, and that’s what makes Twitter wonderful.

10.  You Have No Twitter Partnerships

Why not cross promote with a few other local businesses who are on Twitter?  There are many businesses that make sense to cross promote with…find them and contact them.  Agree to Re-Tweet their important info and links.  Or just tweet about their services to your networks.  Even if you don’t have an “agreement” with another business, do it anyway.  You (as a person) have to have some favorite local businesses, tweet about them.

11.  You Don’t Participate In Face to Face Engagements

Folks on Twitter are getting together all the time at “Tweet Ups”.  Find when these are happening in your neck of the woods and go to them.  You don’t even need to go officially as “your business”, just go as a real person.  Better yet, host or sponsor a tweet up or event for your most active followers.

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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I’m sorry, but I think the new anti-spam feature on Twitter is uber lame.  I also cannot for the life of me understand why people…and lots of them…actively complain about all of the spam throughout the day.

A few days ago I noticed that Twitter recently stepped up efforts to control spammers by inserting a “Report (insert twitter name) for spam” option.

I’ve written a little about this in my previous post, Most Twitter Statistics Are Worthless .  My guess for the new feature is that Twitter is trying to get a hold on spam before their new “Lists” feature goes live.  There are possibilities that these new lists could be flooded with unwanted tweets and profiles.

But I still can’t understand what all the crying is about.

Do any of my Twitter followers send spam tweets, of course.  Do I pay attention to them, no.  The high majority of tweets are completely ignored by me.  I have a select number of groups on Tweetdeck to filter noise, and almost everything else passes by on my “All Friends” column .

Twitter is not like an email inbox where anyone with your address can fill it with junk.  You cannot get a Direct Message, or DM, without first choosing to follow that person.  If someone is getting extra spammy, you can simply unfollow that individual.  Problem solved.

The only time where you’ll get multiple DM’s at once is if you choose to mass follow lots of new folks…but remember…YOU chose to follow them.

Yes, I have been getting more @ replies from people I don’t know including my name with a link.  Is it annoying…sure.  But Twitter is an open and free platform so how much can I really complain for a few inconveniences.

Comparable Alternatives  to Complaining About Twitter Spam:

• Calling the cable company because a channel isn’t airing shows you find worthwhile (Don’t watch that channel)
• Upset that a store at the mall sells products you don’t find worthwhile (Don’t shop at that store)
• Complaining a friend on Facebook floods your NewsFeed with crap (Defriend or hide the updates)

When did we all become such whiners?

Where am I missing this?  I want to hear from you on your opinions and where you disagree…comment below.

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a social media and marketing strategist.  He also blogs about social media communities at AxeroPulse.com. He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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Sometimes you’ll run into a situtation where you’ll want to follow several people on Twitter at once.  Not in a spammy way, but let’s say someone posts a list of people you are interested in following.

This is pretty common on many blogs, such as 150+ Experts on Twitter ALL Job Seekers MUST Follow.  There are also many bloggers, such as PR Juggernaut, Gini Dietrich, who posts her #FollowFriday list on her blog Spin Sucks.  Take a look at that last recommendation!!

Rather than take 10 minutes or longer to click on each Twitter account, and then follow… there is a much easier way.  Ninja Follow is the Twitter tool I use.  Here’s how it works:

1.  Go to Ninja Follow (click link)

2.  Sign in using your Twitter login info (it’s secure, I’ve used this tool before)

3.  Copy and paste the Twitter handles you want to follow.

4.  Click “Ninja Follow” (*note: Do not worry if you are already following folks, it will automatically let you know)

5.  (Only if your Twitter settings are sent to receive updates via your phone thru SMS text)  You’ll need to go to the new folks you’ve just followed and off the SMS updates.  Go to Twitter and click button to see who you’re “Following”.  You will need to click on the settings tab and turn off the SMS button.  Otherwise (I learned the hard way), you’ll get 100 text messages in about 4 minutes and you’re phone may self destruct.

And that’s it.  A cool Twitter App to save you some time and hassle.

Additional Benefit:

I am a co-founder of Social Media Breakfast – Chicago (a social media networking group in the Windy City who discusses business challenges and social media trends in the wee bits of the A.M.).  I used Ninja Follow for our blog to let people instantly follow all those who attended.  See Here

Hope this little tool makes some of your tasks easier.   How can see yourself using Ninja Follow?

Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a social media and marketing strategist.  He also blogs about social media communities at AxeroPulse.com. He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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Twitter Statistics Are worthless

Twitter statistics are being published weekly.  More and more companies are creating studies about Twitter.  Seeing a new report pop up each week in my Google Reader is becoming pretty common.  Are any of them valuable?

Pear Analytics, a US market research firm based in San Antonio, Texas, recently conducted A short-term study on the types of messages that are sent on Twitter.  Their conclusion, 41% of Tweets are “Pointless Babble”.  For a full report click here.

I’m not here to challenge or breakdown this particular report…I’m here to challenge any and all Twitter reports about how people are using Twitter.  I do think it is valuable to know statistics like when the most tweets are sent.  But many statistics are worthless.  41% of Tweets are “Pointless Babble”?  Who cares.

There is no Twitter spam, there is no such thing as a bad Tweet, there is no Twitter “pointless babble”.  Why?

Because Twitter is only and exactly how you make it.  Period.

Twitter is anything you want it to be.  If I have spam in my Twitter feed, it is 100% my fault.  No one can send me a DM (direct Message) without me following them first, and anyone who I perceive to be sending spam, I have the option to unfollow.  If anyone is sending “pointless babble”, I can choose to unfollow them if I perceive their tweets to be of no value.

Most Twitter statistics are junk because they miss the point of the social network, it’s what we make of it.  One mans “pointless babble” is another mans treasure.  If you read behind the lines of many of these reports, you can sometimes find some hidden gems.  But their conclusions are often weighted or at least biased.

Here’s a quick list of some Twitter Statistics I’ve created:

• 84% of Tweeters have complained about spam in a tweet
• 100% of Tweeters have spam because they followed a spammer
• 73% of research firms create Twitter statistics solely because they know they’ll get instant free PR

Most Twitter statistics are junk.  What statistics have you found useful?

Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a social media and marketing strategist.  He also blogs about social media communities at AxeroPulse.com. He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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I came across a report today in my own backyard that really has left me dumbfounded.  A local company is suing a customer for defamation on Twitter.

Apparently a Chicago Rental Management company, Horizon Realty Group, thinks that using social media is best used to find customers that are paying you money and unhappy with your service, and then sue their pants off.  To Horizon Reality, one bad tweet should cost a customer $50,ooo.  That’s $357.14 per character.

Here’s the tweet that caused the fuss.

“You should just come anyway. Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it’s okay.”

Just so we’re clear Horizon Group Management, lets give a run down to your marketing thought process vs the reality of the situation:

1.  Social Media is About Brand Monitoring Only:

Reality: Social media is about communities and conversations.  While brand monitoring is a vital part of social media, it enables a way to join a conversation and get a perspective on the health of your brand.  A simple response would have been to tweet that you’re concerned about the statement and would love to talk ASAP because mold is an issue you take seriously and want to resolve immediately.

2.  Conversations Can Be Controlled:

Reality: Control over your brand and message is difficult. Then again, in reality, did you ever really ever have control? As Chris Brogan has stated, “You never had control of your message.”  People have always talked about businesses, and brands are merely perceptions and emotions individuals feel toward your company or product.  The control you once felt, was merely a closed communication bubble lacking the ability for feedback.  People are still talking, but now those conversations are posted online and available for the world to see and join in. This is in fact, a good thing.

3.    Social Media is Popular, Therefore Lots of People Will See The Comment:
Reality: Mashable reports thru a simple Google search that the accused twitter account “has around 20 followers. While the numbers could have dropped since deletion, it doesn’t appear the message would have travelled far. @abonnen wasn’t a particularly heavy Twitter user, either – she posted somewhere between 1 and 5 tweets per day and often didn’t post for 2 or 3 days.”  Translation, no one saw the tweet and no one cared.  Until today.

4.    We Must Defend All Untrue Statements:
Reality: Even giving you the assumption that it was and untrue statement.  It’s generally going to take more than one bad tweet to hurt business.  A simple response would have been suffeicint.  However, several thousand tweets is potentially devastating.  Mashable alone, has 2200 RT’s and I found the article on DrudgeReport, the 6th most popular news site on the internet.  The one negative tweet was no biggie, the 2200 tweets and potentially ten’s of thousands who read the article and look at you as a bullie and anti-free speech is another story.

5.    It Was an Untrue Statement:
Reality: I have never lived in an apartment from Horizon Reality.  However there are 15 comments on Yelp with an average under 2 stars.  With statements like “horrible maintenance”, “cockroach infestation”, and “health code violations abound-mold” inserted into comments…you either have actual issues to look at, or maybe just unlucky that the only 16 unhappy renters all have active social network profiles.

6.    We’re “a sue first, ask questions later kind of an organization”
Reality: I’m not really sure how to respond to that, it’s an actual quote…I didn’t even need to add anything here.

7.    Our Twitter Brand Is Important To Us:
Reality: While although you may actually think that, it’s not important to anyone else.  A Twitter search of all mentions of “Horizon Realty” as of yesterday was ZERO.  Yep, zip.  Today a search of “Horizon Reality” pulls several thousand.  There has been 611 added since I started writing this post alone.  I’m assuming it’s not because you have an unbelievable corner unit everyone is tweeting about.

8.    This is an issue between us and Amanda Bonnen;
Reality: It’s not anymore.  The social media universe is passionate about freedom of speech and openness.  Any attempt that remotely looks like an organizaiotn is trying to mute that will soon experience the viral wrath.

9.    Our Good rep is worth $50,000
Reality: At a very modest average price of $700 per month per unit, you’ll only need to lose 6 customers to lose more than 50k in just one year.  I’m just guessing that the way the Twitterverse has reacted and Chicago being the 3rd most active Twitter city…6 people may rethink doing business with you.

10.    No such thing as bad publicity
Reality: Sorry, that only applies to Paris Hilton and Michael Jackson

I hate to kick a dead horse, that’s not the point of this post.  The point is that social media has the potential to be a key point to your organization, for good or for bad.  Today, we’ve seen what can happen when used incorrectly.  It’s valuable to have an understanding of how social media works…maybe someone could have mentioned that to the legal team.

Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a social media and marketing strategist.  He also blogs about social media communities at AxeroPulse.com. He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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Why Is Your Brand On Twitter

You or your organization have made a conscious decision to sign up to Twitter.

Why?

A recent study conducted by Nielsen states that 60% of Twitter users who sign up, fail to return the following month.  Although this statistic is quite interesting, I’m not worried that you’ll fall into this category.  My fears are based on a much more dismal result.  I fear that you’ll stay active on Twitter, and you’ll have no idea why.  I fear you’ll spend countless hours sending unrelated tweets, amass a completely random group of followers that have no benefit of your product or service, and you’ll ultimately receive absolutely no measurable benefits from Twitter.  And no, “showing our customers we’re hip and involved in social media” is not a real benefit.

I fear you’ll become one in the long long list of companies / brands on Twitter that no one cares about and offers no value.

I think the first fundamental mistake a company / brand makes on Twitter is not taking the time to think about why they are on Twitter.  Without that discussion and thought process, a proper strategy cannot be created.  First impressions are made once, don’t fail to think through this process.

If you are representing yourself and simply use Twitter as a way to connect with friends, then do anything you like.  However, if you are representing a brand or company, or you want to position yourself as a brand or an authority…then I think it’s about time you asked yourself…why am I on Twitter.  Playtime is over.

Common Bad Reasons Companies Are On Twitter:

• We Didn’t Want to Be The Only Ones Not At The Party:  Because all of your competitors are on Twitter, doesn’t offer a compelling reason to sign up without a strategy.

• Another Way To Push Press Releases:  While Twitter can be a good way to get new information about your products to a new audience and current fans, Twitter is meant to be a two-way dialogue.  You need to tweet solid content and interact, not just tweet one way press releases.

• Because Our Facebook Page Isn’t Working:  Lack of success with other social media networks doesn’t mean that Twitter will be your saving grace.  Lack of success with other social networks could be an indication that you need more work perfecting your strategy in social media.

Good Reasons Your Company Should Be on Twitter:

• We want to join in real-time conversations with our customers:  Twitter has quickly become one of the best and least expensive place for companies to have real time conversations with their customers.

• Looking to connect with folks in my field:  Twitter is a wonderful way to connect with peers in your industry.  These connections help to keep you up to date in your industry, and even partnerships can be formed.

• Looking for sales prospects:  Twitter is a great way to find new prospects.  Firing a few key words into twitter search or search engines like Bing or Icerocket can immediately find you new leads of people looking for your product or service.

• Contribute to Conversations With Customers:  Whether you like it or not, your customers are talking about you.  So rather than simply stressing about it, join in!  Your customers want and now even expect to hear from you.  Don’t disappoint.

• And on and on…I’ll add to this list in another post.

How Do Companies Focus on Why They’re on Twitter?
It all comes down to strategy.  Your time and actions spent in social media should be treated no differently than any other aspect of your sales or marketing.  That means you need a solid well thought out strategy.

I want to stay consistent with terms organizations are familiar with, so I label it a “Twitter Mission Statement”.

Don’t get caught up in the year long meetings that hammer out perfect wording.  Just finish these statements:

1. We are on Twitter because…
2. We hope to accomplish these goals…
3. We add value to our customers on Twitter by…
4. Potential customers will want to follow us because…

Without having a solid “mission statement” on Twitter, you may just be staying busy.  But being busy doesn’t mean you’re being productive.

So I challenge you and those in charge of your companies marketing to create a mission statement for your use of Twitter.  Only then you can begin to work backwards to develop a strategy and action plan.  You may have several reasons for Twitter, the point is to get you thinking more strategically.

So…what did you come up with?  Why are you on Twitter?  Feel free to leave your reasons in the comments area.

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