CLASS Leasing: 7 Twitter Rules To Ignore

This was a great read I found on Twitter (via@NealSchaffer) this morning that outlines 7 "myths," or general rules that are typically understood in the Twitter world that ultimately may be counter-intuitive to follow. Here are the 7 guidelines (via @Smedio) that Twitter users typically follow that should be debunked from here on out:

"1. 140 Characters Aren't Enough
2. Not For Businesses
3. Twitter Lingo Is Complex
4. I'm Better Off Using Facebook
5. I Won't Find Customers On Twitter
6. The More Followers, The Greater The Returns
7. Twitter Is All I Need"

I really enjoyed this list, because it encompasses viewpoints that I was somewhat guilty of at one point prior to becoming more actively engaged in Twitter. Each point can be commented on individually in that:


1. Some of the best tweets are often times significantly shorter than 140 characters. To have an impactful and insightful tweet does not mean that it needs to be a lengthy novel tweet. If you think about it, Twitter was essentially designed on the concept of SHORT bursts of conversation. The longer tweets can actually dissuade readers interest.

2. Twitter not for businesses?! My response to this is short and sweet...find a major business that is not active on twitter.

3. Yes, the constant appearance of hashtags and retweets can be confusing to an entry-level Twitter user, but at the end of the day, all it takes is clicking on these lingo abbreviations one time to know what they do.

4. Facebook and Twitter are both social media powerhouses. Facebook crossed the 750 million user threshold this year, while Twitter consists of 200 million active tweeters. Choosing one over the other is not a exactly a comparable science, because they both serve very different functions. A Facebook user can essentially view their page as their own personal website, whereas a Twitter users setup is more like having the ability to text message millions of strangers.

5. Hmm. For this particular point I am pretty sure that you can see the good and bad side to how this point can be very easily proven wrong.

6. Ashton Kutcher single handedly gave Twitter a numbers game persona by challenging CNN to see who could reach a millions followers on Twitter. Actor/victim of Demi Moore craddle robbery versus the news network that is broadcast in 100 million U.S. households? You'd think that CNN would have the upper hand, right? Wrong. Ashton Kutcher in a land slide. My point being is that just because Ashton Kutcher has a ridiculous amount of followers, I highly doubt that his content is as socially invigorating, or knowledgeable, as Ashton Kutchers. In addition, I would be willing to bet that Ashton Kutcher has not landed any big movie opportunities as the result of him having a lot of avid followers on Twitter. Having a high number of followers looks great, but it is a popularity contest that does translate to that particular user giving life altering tweets to their followers, or gaining any business breaks from having a big number underneath their followers column.

7. Twitter is a small piece of the social media puzzle and is not a make a break for any business looking to utilize its presence to push a brand. The goal for anyone looking to pursue internet marketing as a traffic creator should understand that there is no one hit wonder to increased sales and success. The more venues the better is a great way to look at internet marketing, because with social media, it becomes a virtual word of mouth. The more places that your name can be located then the more sets of eyes that could potentially stumble upon your information. Just keep in mind though and I actually wrote a blog about this point just last week, just because you are involved in conversation and engage in tweets, does not necessarily mean that you are guaranteed more views.


There's no exact science or formula to social media success, but the important thing is to enjoy doing it and create useful information for others to read. Or just become an overnight A-list celebrity and then you will increase followers like wild fire!

Enjoy!

CLASS Leasing