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September 12, 2009
What Is Twitter?
OK...laugh. Mock me. Ridicule the title.
However, I believe the title is more relevant to B2B readers than many might expect. I was reading the #Print09 thread (Print09 is a major tradeshow in the printing industry) on Twitter earlier today, and was fascinated by how companies were using the application. Rapidly becoming a widely-accepted, if not yet mainstream, tool in the consumer marketplace, more and more B2B companies are beginning to understand the implications and potential of real-time media like Twitter.
In the print industry, you might think that companies would not be thrilled with online applications that are eroding their market. However, market leaders like HP, Kodak or Xerox realize that their businesses are increasingly about engagement with the markets they serve -- it allows them to effectively craft both messages and complete solutions that address the real-world business needs of their customers. For them, Twitter is one more way to immerse into those markets.
Equally noticable in the thread, however, was the litany of companies who were not participating in the conversations. One can only assume that the reason they were not active was they did not understand Twitter...or its value. So for them, here are some thoughts.
- In technical terms, Twitter is a social network and micro-blogging service that allows users to share/read short (140 character max) messages posted in real time.
- Twitter now ranks as the third most popular social networking site and is one of the top 50 global websites.
- Twitter is the face of real-time, online communications that is changing industries as varied as advertising, journlism, public relations, retailing and philanthropy.
- Twitter is an empowerment tool for sellers. It lets them interject messaging into markets and helps them spread those messages through customer-driven communications.
- Twitter is an empowerment tool for buyers. It lets them keep sellers honest by permitting rapid dissemination of the truth about a product or service...good or bad.
- Twitter is a stepping stone. The tool will evolve, but the concept is here to stay.
I believe Twitter forces marketers in every industry to rethink the nature of their communications. Which is why the Print09 thread was so interesting. You could watch old-line companies rooted in paper-based technologies leveraging a tool that could be helping hasten their demise. But more likely, you could witness those companies leveraging a tool that is building their competitive position as they evolve into the future.
Posted by jcioban at September 12, 2009 3:26 PM
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