Twitter is not a new idea
People who do not use Twitter will probably think she is one of a clutch of celebrities who use this micro-blogging service for promotion, self aggrandisement, ego boosting or because of personal insecurities. Whilst that may be possible, a new study suggests it is less likely than you might think. According to an historical study going back to the 18th Century, researchers at Cornell University have discovered that diary entries kept by people over the past 300 years are remarkably similar to tweets. Far from tweeting being new, it seems we have been doing it for centuries. It's just that now we can do it "real time". Historians explain the findings by saying that notebooks in the past were small, limiting the extent to which people could write. They could not produce extensive notes because of the physical restrictions, so they just jotted down short items about their daily activities. The experts on diary writing also say that diaries were indeed public documents - much like Tweets. Diaries were written in the 18th and 19th Centuries to share with others; they were not intended to be kept private. It all rather suggests that Tweets fulfil an essential requirement. It implies that Tweeting is nothing new - it appears it is something we have always done. So, rather than be critical of Amanda Holden and those other celebrity Tweeters, perhaps the real question to ask is why they are being so 18th Century....? I have a thought on this, for what it's worth. There is some evidence that sleep is an essential human requirement during which much brain activity occurs that appears to "sort out" all of our daily inputs. Some creatures with smaller brains do not sleep, as we know it. Our larger brains and - perhaps - consciousness itself means that sleep has a neurological function to it. Could it be too, that writing things down - jotting notes in the past, or writing Tweets today - is part of that same process. It is a function that helps our brains organise things more effectively. Otherwise, all those thoughts and inputs just float around waiting to be organised. It's possible that Twitter is performing a significant function for our brains. And, if you don't use Twitter, that may mean that Amanda Holden has a better organised brain than you. Now, there's a thought. Add a commentTwitter predicts a hung Parliament but helps suggest a good future for your businessPoliticians need to take note of Twitter if they want to succeed in the forthcoming General Election in the UK. A new service called "Tweetminster" is analysing all the political tweets and using that information to predict the result of the election. At the moment it is suggesting that the Labour Party will get the largest number of seats, but will fall short of an overall majority, leading to a hung Parliament. But can the information be trusted or is it just fun?
Predicted revenue compared with actual box office receipts
What this research suggests is that the "Twittersphere" is entirely representative of the "real world". It shows that the results suggested by Tweetminster are highly likely to be correct. The HP study also means that you can rely on Twitter searches to give you a realistic snapshot of what's going on in your marketplace. By using Twitter Search you can get an idea of the frequency, recency and the kind of tweets on any subject. These are the factors which will enable you to predict the potential for any product or service in your industry. In other words, Twitter is no longer a plaything, a device for updating your friends on which pub you are in. This study proves that it is a serious market research tool. And on the political front it suggests you are in for months of turmoil and indecision as we are almost certain to get a hung Parliament - which in itself can't be good for business. That means that Twitter could be even more important in predicting fluctuations in your marketplace that will be inevitable in times of political uncertainty. Effectively, if you are not using Twitter to conduct market research in the coming months, your business could seriously suffer. Add a commentThree types of people who should give up TwitterThroughout the world there are people sitting right at this moment, scratching their heads and wondering "Should I use Twitter?". Every day people ponder over joining up with Twitter; yet each day people stop using Twitter as well. There is a never ending revolving door of people joining and then leaving (or at least leaving their accounts dormant). Importantly, though, there is a real pressure for business owners to join. And that in itself could be a problem.
If you are a loner, perhaps social networking on Twitter is not for you
Similarly, family members who engage with Twitter are likely to be enthusiasts for the network, trying to get the rest of the family to join up so they can all have fun together online, share images at TwitPic and keep up-to-date with what each other has been doing. It all sounds like a good idea and so brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts, all think "Mmmm, this might be a good idea". But then they get online and rather like the CEO facing Twitter for the first time they ask "What on Earth is this all about?". Some people investigate and work out what they can do. Others download useful booklets on Twitter, and some struggle on and just hope they can "get it". But should you struggle on? Should you do all that research and find out how to use Twitter? Should you go to a workshop on Twitter? Possibly; but possibly not. Some people are just not made for Twitter. They are not the kind of people who will be able to get on with Twitter, no matter how valuable they can see it might be from a logical perspective. If you have struggled with Twitter, you might be one of the people it's not aimed at - so stop using it...! Otherwise you will waste your time trying to understand it, work with it and use it. That will lead to frustration, even stress. And that will affect your business - and your relationships. Give up Twitter if you are an Introvert Give up Twitter if you are a Perfectionist Give up Twitter if you are Creative So who should be using Twitter then? Well if we take away the introverts, the perfectionists and the creatives we are left with a careless, unimaginative, extrovert...! And do you really want to spend your time with lots of them...? Having said this, you might not need to give up Twitter after all. If you are an Introvert you can listen - just read the Tweets that interest you and follow the links, but don't join in. In other words, do the same as you do down the pub - eavesdrop. If you are a Perfectionist you can get your own Tweets right, of course, but if you learn the Twitter lingo, you'll discover that the spelling isn't incorrect, it's just a new language you need to learn. And if you are a Creative person why not come up with an idea for earning your living via Twitter? Your creative brain could work that out and you'd then be able to while away those unplanned hours on Twitter and still pay the bills. In other words, Twitter is for everyone - and we all use it in entirely different ways. So just because people in your company say there is a "right way" of using Twitter and just because your cousin tells you that you ought to share family photos using Twitter - don't believe them. Do what works for you and use Twitter the way you want to. That way it will work for your business or your family because you will be enjoying it. Much of the frustration about Twitter is because people feel forced to use it in particular ways. There is no right or wrong - unless you are a perfectionist of course..! Add a commentHaiti earthquake exposes Twitter chasmAt long last the poor people of Haiti are receiving international aid. It's taken almost a week for a significant response. Indeed, the UK Government initially promised aid which was about half the salary they agreed to pay the boss of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Millions of disadvantaged people were expected to share £6m, whereas Mr Hester got £10m to himself. But that's not the real issue. The real problem is that governments the world over were completely unaware of the true nature of this disaster - even though the rest of us knew.
News spreads more quickly these days thanks to Twitter
Those pictures, broadcast to the world, had arrived via Twitter. People using laptops and satellite phone technology had started to let the world know the reality of the situation. Just half an hour or so later the first videos were arriving on YouTube and broadcasters such as CNN and Sky News were showing them. Anyone watching these channels would have known the seriousness of the situation. The Twitter stream for haiti also revealed the extent of the damage and the enormity of what was going on. Yet the British Government slept safely in their beds, not surfacing for comment for many hours. Similarly, all around the world, our so-called "leaders" failed to respond rapidly. This is in spite of the knowledge about the situation that was widely available on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and a plethora of forums. The people of Haiti were telling us exactly what had happened - yet for a couple of days the "international community" (whatever that is) twiddled its thumbs, it seems. In reality, of course, they didn't do this. They were working in the background. In truth the governments of the world have been caught "behind the times". Nowadays news is spread within moments, right across the world, thanks to the likes of Twitter. In the past, we might not have known about this kind of disaster for several days anyway. By that time, the world's governments would have been able to get organised; their plans would have been in place and to the rest of us it would look like an "instant" response. We would have been proud of them. Even in the world of 24 hour news, much information was "old". After all, it was almost 24 hours before any TV crews arrived. As a result, without the presence of Twitter and YouTube we would have been none-the-wiser. With Twitter, Facebook and YouTube we can now find out instantly the extent of any particular situation; the wool is no longer over our eyes. And that's the gap that Twitter has exposed. The world's governments were still working in the rules of the "old world", where diplomatic offices could report back before TV crews had arrived and then the leaders could have prepared their responses. In Haiti, that seems to be what has happened. The Government was apparently blissfully unaware of the information flowing around the world on Twitter and YouTube. Clearly, for any future disaster they need to monitor such social networks constantly so they can respond appropriately and much more quickly. This time their slow response is largely borne out of the fact they relied on old-fashioned techniques. The world has moved on - governments clearly haven't. But it also begs the question - have you moved on? Do you know what is going on in your industry or sector? Because you can bet your last farthing that it's being discussed right now on Twitter and Facebook. The situation being Tweeted right now about your business sector could have a direct impact on the future of your business or the potential you have for greater success. If you are not monitoring Twitter or Facebook, for instance, you are going to be in the same situation as the Government has been on Haiti - caught napping. That means there is a growing gap between businesses who monitor Twitter or Facebook or other social networks and those who do not. The businesses that use social network information to monitor the news in their sector are the ones that can respond. The rest are using old-fashioned communications methods and may well be too late to take advantage of the news and information spread via the likes of Twitter. The horrors of Haiti have shown the chasm that exists in the communications departments of the world's Governments. There may come a time where your lack of use of Twitter or Facebook could expose a similar gap between you and your business sector. Add a commentYou can't afford not to Tweet nowMost business people do not use Twitter; they can't see the point. But, shortly into the New Year, the point is going to hit them sharply between the eyes thanks to two business deals that Twitter has just signed with Google and Microsoft. If you are not using Twitter in 2010 your business will suffer - really suffer.
In the past, all you needed to do to get noticed in search engines was to have a web site. Then you needed to have a website that was relevant and topical. After that you needed to have a website that was updated regularly. In the past couple of years, if your website did not include regular articles, or a blog, getting noticed by the search engines was increasingly difficulty. Indeed, at a meeting two years ago I said that if the businesses in the room were not blogging, they would not be in business two years later. Last week, I met one of the people who have continued to blog on public relations since that very day. And guess what they told me? Of all the people who were in the room two years ago, only two are still in business - the only two who took up blogging seriously. Now, it's time for another prediction: businesses who don't use Twitter in 2010 will be out of business by the time the London Olympics begin. That's because the tie-in between Twitter and Google and Microsoft's Bing mean that Tweets will now get high profile in search engine results. If your business is not Tweeting away, its profile will drop. No doubt, the famed Google algorithm will get tweaked to determine whether or not your site is represented in Twitter - if not, watch out. Ten years ago, people did not see the point of bothering to get listed by search engines or to adapt their sites for higher rankings. Five years ago, many business people could not see the point of blogging. Now, many businesses can't see the point of Twittering away. Yet those businesses ten years ago who saw the point of search engine rankings or five years ago saw the point of blogging are thriving online. The same now is true for the businesses that Tweet. Your company's chances of being clicked on in search engines come 2010 will be reduced - potentially dramatically - if you don't use Twitter. You can make a start by downloading my free guide on Twitter for business. Add a comment |
The celebrity Tweeter,

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