When using Twitter be-careful that your Tweetering Tweets don't make you a Twit.

When using Twitter be-careful that your Tweetering Tweets don't make you a Twit.

Twitter has changed the world and how we communicate, yes but how can you really use this application to promote your brand, products and services without seeming like a Twit?

By definition (Merriam-Webster) a Twit is: a silly annoying person : fool

It is not hard to find a business using Twitter these days but many are discovering that not only do they not have the expected "following" but that they are in fact, turning people "off" or away...

Some brief Twitter stats for businesses to consider:
More than 50% of all Twitter accounts are inactive
The top 5% of accounts (by volume of updates) are responsible for 75% of all updates published
65% of Twitter accounts are registered to users under the age of 25
Leading demographic using Twitter regularly are 45-54 year-olds followed closely by the 25-34 year-olds
33% of Twitter accounts only action was registering

Consider a recent study of examining Tweets:
More than 40% were considered "Pointless Babble"
Nearly 38% were "Conversational"
Less than 9% were "Pass-Along/Value"

August 2009 Top Twitter Ranking:
1- Ashton Kutcher
2- Ellen DeGeneres
3- Britney Spears
4- CNN Breaking News
5- Twitter
6- Ryan Seacrest
7- Oprah Winfrey
8- Barack Obama
9-John Mayer
10-Demi Moore

What does this mean?
If you are a famous, well-known person that naturally attracts others to find out where and what you are eating, who you are meeting and what you are thinking, well then you may start to notice a large following on Twitter.
However, if you are the President/CEO or other position of a local (even though respected) company don't expect people to care about your day's agenda, your whereabouts or your encounters . Some of your Tweets may actually be perceived as self-promoting and grandiose.

What type of business could get more use from Twitter?
Although not a one-size-fits all and yes, Twitter continues to evolve and so does our world but considering the current users and how they are utilizing Twitter the following are good uses:
Retail- Introducing new products and services on a regular basis
(your Twitter users receive notifications first-(invites to pre-sales)
Promotion Companies (Lager marketing firms, large foundations supporting many organizations, News and Radio stations) - promoting frequent events, happenings and news information accessible to large audience on regular basis.

The key is in the regularity and accessibility to all of your followers. Twitter does not allow for you to create distribution lists and once followers start to receive frequent postings that do not apply to them (or if they don't receive any new posts at all) they will quickly ignore or remove you from their list.

Simple Common Rules for all of your Tweets:
1- Don't be annoying- have something meaningful to post (not just because it has been so many days since your last post)
2- Always include a reference link (it is not enough to post that you have a new product, you must also provide a link to review the new product)

We also recognize that putting together any real meaningful statistics on Twitter is a near impossible task (as with most new internet platforms due to so many variables, not enough available data but) but keep in mind the general rule that just because you could post or could create a Twitter doe not mean you should. Every business should know why you are using, who you are targeting and what value your Tweets may have, otherwise you may just become another Twit.

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