Thursday 23rd May

The Pulse

Twitter Truths

Written by
Paul Hassing

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23
Feb

Having just clocked one year and 10,000 followers on Twitter, I felt I should report my learnings.

At first I thought I’d just cover basic stuff (e.g. who to follow, how to list, behaviours to avoid).

Then I realised Twitter ‘truths’ were far more important than Twitter ‘tips’.

It seems impossible such a simple (and apparently frivolous) application could impart wisdom, but there it is.

So here I go.

1. Be yourself.

Genuine humans thrive in Twitter. Fakers, flooders and floggers (though infuriating) do get smacked down in due course.

This isn’t obvious to the casual observer, who understandably concludes Twitter is crap.

Yet when you open yourself to a community and reveal true elements of your life and loves, everyone enjoys the exchange.

Being yourself is also easier than maintaining a fake persona. As Mark Twain said: ‘When you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything’.

2. Be open.

I began Twitter to get more copywriting clients. I achieved that and gained a suite of handy contacts, fascinating colleagues and loyal friends from sectors, countries and professions I never thought I’d encounter.

Because I was open to these people, they named me in magazines, featured me on blogs, recommended me to others and sent me a truckload of free ideas and information.

This rich, unexpected education has been amazing. I’ve seen and done things way beyond my expertise and comfort zone.

I feel stronger, safer and more mature as a result.

3. Choose quality.

A thousand nameless fans aren’t as fun, useful or interesting as one genuine contact. Yes, I have 10,000 followers. No, I can’t interact meaningfully with them all.

I can, however, pick the gems from the dross and build real relationships with a few dozen kind, clever cats.

4. Be generous.

I’ve long been a fan of the saying ‘you can’t give good away’. Seth Godin says likewise in his latest freebook. Twitter has shown me time and again this is true.

Online, the Law of Mutual Reciprocity is SO powerful, it needs BIG metaphor:

It’s like spitting out the window of a 300 km/h bullet train. Before you can blink, it comes back at you in a thousand irresistible fragments. Try it! (Online, I mean.)

5. Focus.

If you straddle several chairs you’ll probably fall between them. It’s the same with social media.

You can’t possibly be good at LinkedIn and Facebook and blogging and YouTube and Flickr and Twitter and all the others.

You’ll never see the sun!

Instead, check them all out, choose the one or two that feel right for you (and your clients) and spend time being open, genuine and generous there.

Twitter and blogging are my faves. The concerted effort I invest in these is well worth it.

That’s my story, anyway. How about you?

Are you Twitter friend or foe?

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

marketing, networking, social media, social networking, social networks, twitter, twitter tips, using twitter for business, web 2.0

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What others are saying

Author

Ensha Reiya

February 23, 2010 at 9:45 am

Hi Paul

I agree on all points, when I started on twitter a part of me thought it was a little humorous and in fact weird. Though I am curious by nature and happy to share, so hence have found excellent contacts great friends and new clients.

Generally everthing we do, either adds to our life or takes away from it. When you give value you receive value in bucket loads.

Ensha

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 9:48 am

Thank you, Ensha. As one of my kindest, cleverest cats, it’s great to receive your wisdom. I always look forward to seeing your smiling face and reading your messages around the Twitter traps.

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Author

David Allaway

February 23, 2010 at 10:03 am

Hi Paul
Great article with good advice. I’m just starting down this road. If in one year I have the same number of followers as you that would be fantastic. Well done!
David

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- Author
  
  Paul Hassing
  
  February 23, 2010 at 10:04 am
  
  Many thanks for your visit, David. I’m sorry you, Bec and Melody got caught up in our system for a bit.
  
  To quote any reality TV show, it’s been an ‘incredible journey’ and an ‘emotional rollercoaster’. I wish you every success in your travels and warmly invite you to drop by again soon. P.
  
  Reply
Author

Melody Lamb

February 23, 2010 at 10:12 am

What a great post Paul, I believe you have hit the “Twitter Truths” nail right on the head! I especially like your point about focus, a person is much more likely to be open and generous when they are actually enjoying the process of social networking. Keep up the great work.
See you over on the Tweetstream.
~Melody

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 10:14 am

How nice to see you here, Melody! People are going to LOVE your blog when they click your name. I greatly appreciate your feedback. And the part you’ve played in making my Twitter experience so rewarding. Best regards indeed. P.

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Bec

February 23, 2010 at 10:33 am

Great read Paul. And sooo true. I’ve found Twitter the most valuable tool I could ever have come across in establishing great contacts and restoring my faith in the human spirit. I’ve seen amazing generosity with information, contacts, recommendations etc and I’ve really come to love my ‘twesties’ (twitter besties). Definitely proof that spitting in a moving vehicle works(metaphorically, of course).

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Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 10:35 am

You’re most kind, Bec! It has been exciting to watch your amazing business concept bloom. I see you giving and receiving on Twitter almost every day. Thank you so much for adding your voice to our forum.

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Author

Stephen Hamilton

February 23, 2010 at 10:39 am

Neat post Paul! I surely agree with your last point…you can’t be everywhere at once. If you’re lucky enough to have staff, though, give them the freedom to act as an ambassador for your business.

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Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 10:42 am

Thanks, Stephen. It’s fascinating to see the larger firms wrestling with social media: from banning, to training, to suing their staff!

Social media is one world in which small is beautiful. The thought of being CEO to several hundred staff, not all of whom are happy campers, but all of whom have Twitter accounts, is quite chilling!

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Author

Arthur Koulianos

February 23, 2010 at 11:27 am

Judging ROI with Twitter is interesting. At this stage for Carbonite its another medium to voice brand and educate people around backup. As you say it also builds contacts and so its contributing.

I have stuck to blogging and Twitter at this stage as Facebook is banned and Linkedin I use from a personal level.

Keep up the good work.

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 11:57 am

Good point, Arthur! I once did a Twitter training session for a prospective client. After half an hour, they stopped me and insisted I guarantee a minimum return of five times their investment.

I explained that while the benefits of Twitter weren’t so cut and dried, I had accrued many intangible benefits that would surely pay dividends over time.

On hearing this, they terminated the session!

Thank you for your contribution, Arthur. It’s great to see you here.

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Author

Susan Oakes

February 23, 2010 at 12:09 pm

Hi Paul,

You have summed it up very well and all your points ring true especially be generous and focus. One thing I would add is to work out why you are using Twitter or the other forms of social media and how you are going to do it.

I also think many of the experts who are telling large company CEOs what to do have never walked in their shoes. Just my 2 cents worth.

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 12:21 pm

Dear Susan, your tuppence buys a BIG bag of mixed lollies in here.

Your advice to be strategic is as good as ever.

Good point also re the CEOs. In my travels, I’ve heard of ‘experts’, wheeled in at great expense, to ‘educate’ captains of industry.

Not only are these trainers off the pace, their advice to time-poor CEOs is quite impractical. The $6K briefing session and report go in one ear, out the other and into the WPB!

I even saw a Social Media pitch from a high-level PR firm who had NO blog, NO Twitter account, 5 hits on Google and a home page that wouldn’t load!

Again, I thinks it’s the smaller operators, with both real-world and online smarts, who can provide efficient, practical guidance in this field.

And if anyone is looking for another authoritative blog to read, check out Susan’s.

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Author

Susan Oakes

February 23, 2010 at 12:33 pm

Thanks Paul.

Regarding the Pr firms, what seems to be happening in the US is some of the larger PR firms have been hiring the small guys with the real world experience. Do not know if that is happening here.

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 12:35 pm

Ah, that’d make sense. Easier than learning it all from scratch, I suppose. But perhaps still only a stop-gap measure…

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Author

Adam Finlay

February 23, 2010 at 1:13 pm

With no disrespect to Twitter, but I simply couldn’t sort the wheat from the chaff … horses for courses I suppose. I follow a selection of trusted blogs and online news sources / journals … I seem to get where I need to go without the (occasionally serendipitous) noise of Twitter. I suppose I don’t know what I don’t know and Twitter sometimes fills in those (vast) blanks.

Excellent post Paul.

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 1:21 pm

I’m glad you spoke, Ad. This conversation needed a dissenter.

From what I recall, you gave Twitter a red-hot go. But there was an awful lot of crud flying around at that time.

I agree with you. It’s just another tool. Some folks need combine harvesters, some need sink plungers. A few even need both! Thanks for dropping by, Cobber!

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Author

Sharron

February 23, 2010 at 4:03 pm

Im sorry to butt in guys, but are you all on another planet? I recently bought a business that didn’t have a catalogue let alone a website. My customers (retailers) had been used to the previous owner calling them (yes on the old, red telephone with the handset attached with a curly cord) to let them know of stock changes etc. I started insisting on using email at least. After twelve months of me asking the same question “did you not read the newsletter I sent you on email?” when they called with an enquiry, they now tell me to fax them because they don’t or won’t read their emails! And yet here you are saying that the best way to drum up new customers is to twitter and blog? I thought Twitter was for celebrities and stalkers!

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 4:11 pm

Welcome, Sharron. To help me formulate an intelligent response to your comments, may I ask what you’re selling and who your target audience is?

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Author

Sarah Mitchell

February 23, 2010 at 4:51 pm

Hi Paul,

Drat! I would love to have written this post but I doubt I would have done it the justice you have. I agree with all your points. I, too, started on Twitter to get more copywriting business and have been blown away by the unexpected benefits. Even if I never got a single bit of business from Twitter – although I have – I would still be a big fan.

As for the Twitter detractors, I think it’s worth pointing out you have to be responsible for building your own community. It’s a little bit like life, that way. While there is a lot of chaff, I find I encounter very little of it because I don’t follow those people.

For those readers who would like some help trying to discern the good guys from the bad bots, I really like a tool called The Twit Cleaner – http://www.thetwitcleaner.com It analyzes the people you’re following and identifies everyone that may not be adding value. The best part is they clean up your followers list for you, with your input.

Keep up the great work.

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 4:57 pm

You’re very kind, Sarah. I’ve had the ‘Drat!’ feeling PLENTY of times. My only consolation to you is that this post took many hours to perfect.

You make great points, and that tool looks very helpful. I love how we, who are technically competitors, can get on famously and work to make the pie bigger – rather than fight over pieces.

I feel honoured to be in your orbit; thank you for playing!

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Author

Sarah Mitchell

February 23, 2010 at 5:07 pm

Thank you, Paul. I have a policy to surround myself with excellence in the hope that something may rub off. You, my friend, are stuck with me as a result.

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 23, 2010 at 5:08 pm

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Author

Maralyn K

February 23, 2010 at 7:12 pm

Thanks Paul. I especially like the focus part. Having wholeheartely embraced social media tools since Sept 2009, I like facebook least. I like twitter and blogging best with linkedin – so so.

Whilst building my network, I try and choose quality people to follow. I use shoutouts and #FF to find people to follow as I believe recomendations from people I trust are definitely best.

As to the results from social media or twitter in particular, I would have to say that there has been no measurable return as yet. There are a number of probable reasons for this including:

a) specialised nature of the product/service
b) the vast majority of interconnected businesses seem to be sole traders or micro businesses
c) perceived need and value are not evident
d) I’m doing it wrong…?
e) It’s too soon

I’ve read sqillions of pages, blogs, websites and attended courses, both paid and free to further my knowledge of using social media.

I’ve commented on blogs, helped find solutions to questions on twitter and believe I have engaged.

I know from talking with my existing clients that the number using twitter can be measured on my hands and those that have a blog – on one hand only!

So, I keep asking myself – “What am I missing?”

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 24, 2010 at 8:56 am

Thank you for your generous response, Maralyn. It’s great to have such a comprehensive report.

It sure sounds like you’re doing everything right and nothing wrong. In your defence, I think Twitter is a very ‘slow burn’ when it comes to commercial advantage.

I’ve had massive inertia with my corporate blogging services.

First there was the GFC, when writing work of all kinds was one of the first expenses to be culled.

Second, this is relatively new stuff. While you and I and our Twitter mates are happily surfing the edge as early adopters, the great bell curve is yet to catch on and up.

Third, those who do want a blog seem keen to try it themselves. After all, we can ALL string a sentence: who needs a copywriter?

The work I AM getting in this area is from relatively early adopters who are hip to the groove and have the humility to know their Great Talent is not writing.

I’ve invested enormous time and effort in this area because I believe that when the majority twigs, there’ll be more work than you can shake a hashtag at.

What we have learned in here is that we must be broad in our communications. We must add BBQs to our blogs.

In summary, then, I’d say stay the course with social media. Be patient, but don’t spend your life in there.

Naturally, I’m happy to stand corrected on any of these points if you beg to differ.

Best regards, P.

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 24, 2010 at 10:57 am

Evidence of strong growth:

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/twitter-users-write-50-million-tweets-a-day-20100223-ovwk.html

But the question remains: is anyone making MONEY from all this?

It’s often reported that not even Twitter is earning a cent.

So, the naysayers may yet have the last laugh.

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Author

Sharron

February 24, 2010 at 12:39 pm

Paul
I import/wholesale furniture. My target market is retail. We do not retail ourselves. Although we are not hip and groovy with new technology, we were astonished at the neanderthal mentality of our retailers. We eventually sent a salesman on a roadtrip (think 70′s – briefcase full of catalogues and cards – samples in the back) because this was what they seemed to expect and picked up several new customers from it. BUT the customers we picked up were retailers I had already contacted by email, mail and phone to introduce ourselves and our product, and who had never responded! At the same time, many complained when the salesman DID turn up that they didn’t have time to deal with all the salesmen who walked through the door! So how do you do business in the new world of technology when your customers insist on doing it the old-fashioned (and expensive) way?

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 24, 2010 at 12:54 pm

Thanks very much for filling us in, Sharron.

Your case is as interesting as it is baffling. I confess I have NO idea what to suggest!

I have, however, put the call out to a gun businessman who seems to be nailing it on both sides of the techno fence. If he elects to weigh in, we’ll all learn a lot.

Meanwhile, is there anyone else out there who can help Sharron out?

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Author

Paul Hassing

February 24, 2010 at 1:08 pm

Speak of the devil!

http://www.smartcompany.com.au/internet/20100224-twitter-reaches-50-million-messages-per-day-but-where-is-the-big-revenue-idea.html

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Author

Paul Hassing

March 5, 2010 at 11:48 am

Great post just to hand from Dean Rieck via copyblogger:

http://www.copyblogger.com/give-and-grow-rich/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Copyblogger+%28Copyblogger%29

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Author

Paul Hassing Founder & Senior Writer - The Feisty Empire

June 27, 2012 at 8:55 am

Suey @whiteMelb just flagged a beaut new report packed with intersting Twitter facts:

http://mashable.com/2012/06/26/marketers-failing-twitter-study/

Thanks, Suey!

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