To Tweet or not to Tweet, that is the question

Whether ‘tis nobler to stand by and not engage or join in the excitement is a question many are asking themselves. The real question is what do you hope, want or expect to get from it? Just like any other form of social media, what are you trying to accomplish with this tool?

I think Twitter is a good thing and like any of the other social media forums out there, it has benefit. I use it, @BobLarrivee, mostly for business purposes. I have followers who are former students, friends and associates from the past. I am also making new connections and growing my network. But like Information Zen, Facebook and LinkedIn, all of which I actively engage, I have certain expectations and purposes.

Alas poor @fictionalcharacter, I knew him well, and even better now with Twitter. In fact I know when he eats, sleeps, and does many other things. The question is do I want to know and if not it is up to me to filter out those things I do not want to know. I have heard some folks say Twitter is nothing more than an opportunity to spam in a different way. This is one perception and true if you are on that side. On the other hand, I hear others say that Twitter provided them the opportunity to get information they might normally miss out on and they do not have to search for it, it comes to them. I also know some folks who are afraid of this type of communication fearing that “Big Brother” is watching and it will impact their employment if they start using social media.

I suppose all of these are true. The questions are whether you are ready for this generation of information exchange? How do you want to use it in other words, what are your expectations? Regarding how often you use these tools and what you put out there, it is strictly up to you and if “Big Brother” is watching, hopefully you did not write or send something you will regret.

I am an avid supporter of increasing communication and my network of friends and associates. I also believe they have their place and purpose. Trying to keep that balance is the difficult part. Learn and understand these tools. Choose what you want to use and for what purpose. I use Facebook non-business, LinkedIn, Information Zen and Twitter more for business related communication. These are my choices and preferences yet it does not mean they do not collide with each other as they sometimes do and will. The point is merely I have an expectation of each and as such, am not disappointed but rather gaining as a result.

What say you? Do you use Twitter and other social media outlets as tools of communication? I want to hear from you and learn what you and your organization are doing.

Bob Larrivee – AIIM

Follow me on twitter – BobLarrivee and remember to visit www.aiim.org/training and www.informationzen.org, AIIM’s free social network created just for you.

Comments

[Adam Kranitz]

Hi Bob,

From a practical perspective our customers have an expectation, rightly so, to engage with us in an authentic, transparent way in a third-party community. A community in which they spend time connecting with others over a shared passion or in a pursuit to problem-solve. It's natural for us to listen, observe and speak (when appropriate) in these forums to better understand customer needs.

From a marketing perspective, it's important for us to use SM channels such as Twitter to increase the share of voice our products have relative to the competitor. Just as important to measure the sentiment of voice (positive, negative, or neutral) against our brand or products. Then use community engagement to move the needle on both of these measurement points.

-Horatio

aka

Adam Kranitz
Social Media Strategist, Avid
http://Twitter.com/adamkranitz

[Chad Stigall]

Hi Bob,

Our industry is changing daily and I utilizing Twitter to keep our partners up to date on the little things. We utlize other mediums for larger partner based communications.

Twitter offers a way to take a quick look at the market and then ecide how much time you want to invest.

Chad Stigall
Product Marketing Manager, Cranel Imaging
http://twitter.com/chadstigall