Comments on: Twitter – the Leverage – where the ROI is found

By: Francis

Francis — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:19:06 +0000

This is quite interesting. I've always wondered how people could manage to follow thousands of people on Twitter without going insane. 100 followers is much more manageable and actually gives you a chance to develop relationships with your circle. Thanks for pointing it out!

By: Nathaniel Gibson

Nathaniel Gibson — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:46:36 +0000

@Hari Karam Singh: Actually, person A does not receive this tweet. what rob is pointing to is that people will use their close network to get your message out. It’s not a matter of direct interconnectedness… the only way person A and person C can see eachothers messages is if person B talks with either person A or person C on a regular basis. For instance… if I follow you, and I see you having an interesting convo with Robert (I know because you have to reply to his name @Robert in this example)… then I can see Robert in your “tweetstream” and click on him to get the other part of the conversation. I might also read some of his other stuff to see who he is. And I might even follow him if I think that he would be a good contact for me.

It seems to me though, from this article that I shouldn’t be worried about following @Robert (from the example) because you’re already his trusted friend. And since we trust each other, I can have you talk to Robert for me since I’m really just a stranger. The view I see from this article is that if you use Twitter more like real life, and not just like some way to spam people, then you can really get a much bigger following, and also a much wider response to your links you want people to see (your blog, etc.)

By: Nathaniel Gibson

Nathaniel Gibson — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:39:18 +0000

@Robert Patterson, you’re doing pretty good… I’m trying to map and learn this system as well… It’s an interesting concept. Almost like having your own street team, but the street in question is actually instant connections between people that are traversed. I’ve made one system for trying to map how the word gets out through following RT posts… and using that as a measurement of the network strength. If you want to talk about it, use my website’s contact form (website not related to this research, but use the form on the contact page… don’t want to give my e-mail over this or any site)

By: Rob Paterson

Rob Paterson — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:56:43 +0000

Hari
I think it has moved beyond fad now.

I think that the core idea here is Trust. I think that Twitter is an extension of the main way that Primates create trust and social cohesion – grooming – We started by physical grooming as apes and monkeys still do. This is very expensive – it demands one of one physical proximity.

Dunbar’s theory is that our use of language is an extension of grooming – but now man could keep his hands free and extend the distance. Dunbar believes that language came from grooming and hence gossip.

Twitter seems to be like this. Better cohesion is achieved not by your or mine brilliant epithets or ideas on Twitter but through our personal revelation. The optimal route to getting a close knit group of trusting followers is to “groom” – be nice and responsive and personal with others.

With a trusted group when you then ask for a favour or information, they will do their best to get back to you.

Because say my closest 30 friends all have out of their own 30 25 who are different and each of them another 25 who are different and so on – your request to one trusted friend can move quickly through a vast network of trust.

The marketing revolution is to have friends, real ones, talking to friends not strangers to strangers.

In about 2 weeks I will have finished the aFst Forward Blog Book on Twitter where hoefully I will do a better job than this in explaining this – how am I doing so far?

By: Hari Karam Singh

Hari Karam Singh — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:25:12 +0000

I’m one of those people that started using twitter and then stopped because I didn’t get it. I personally have little desire to follow friends old or new but as an online marketer I can’t help but feel the need to “get it”…

My question: This article seems to suggest that if you tweet someone then it somehow goes out to all of their network as well? I didnt realise this is the case?? If person A follow person B follows person C and person C makes a tweet, does person A receive it?

Also isnt a lot of its power in its “fad-ness”? If you use it as a marketing tool than its essential no different than RSS or email except that its perceived to be way cooler and hence everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.

What am I missing?

-HKS

By: Robert Paterson

Robert Paterson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:23:33 +0000

It’s http://twitter.com/robpatrob

By: Nathaniel Gibson

Nathaniel Gibson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:16:44 +0000

Robert, what’s your twitter account?

By: Robert Paterson

Robert Paterson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:35:46 +0000

Deborah – I have been surprised at how many new people I have met by using Twitter that I really have got to like – a lot.

Also – working from home – has given me a social relief that was not possible before

By: Robert Paterson

Robert Paterson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:34:06 +0000

Nathanial
I find using Tweetdeck helps me differentiate my followers – I rank by real friends – not many – people who also share keen interests – and events

So I have a gradient with all the noise stripped out but room for the unusual
Rob

By: Deborah Leyva

Deborah Leyva — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:21:47 +0000

I think Twitter represents a new “Tipping Point” in the use of the internet for real-time communications. In just a short while, I’ve “met” a significant number of people who have the same interests as me. It points to a new mode of communication that I think is “here to stay” and it represents the “instant gratification” of online communications. Send it to your cell or email, it works the same.