Today's social media breakfast offered a vast array of insight into how companies use Twitter to reach their consumers... and spectators. A variety of personalities hovered over opened laptops readily attuned to Twitter (and some were on Facebook and Crackberries). Is anyone out there really listening? They are, and I have to say it's personal.
There is absolutely nothing professional (purely semantics) about Twitter, because when a string of comments is made in response to a company's brand, new product or service-- it's absolutely personal. One attendee quipped about the percentage of value in a forum full of Twitterers tweeting about someone's hot dog being delicious, someone commenting on the Chinese gymnasts' fair-and-square gold medal count, and then back to another matter: "company tweets are spam."
A number of disagreements ensued and one participant in this discussion concluded, "If you don't like what I'm tweeting about, then don't follow me." Sounds pretty selfish in my opinion; others agreed with my sentiment stating that Twitter is, well, selfish.
I thoroughly enjoyed the one attendee who kept bringing up the idea of value in using Twitter, his tone warranting a response from not only the attendees but the presenters too.
Julio Ojeda-Zapata, technology (TechDrive) reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, was the keynote for this event and he talked about his new Twitter book-- which I will be the first one to buy, as it highlights 36 companies whose fates were sealed by legitimate tweets and a strong group of followers. The other speaker, Phil Wilson presented his new Web application, a spin-off of Twitter called Comictwit. A pretty fantastic idea to give online users something to do during whatever break minutes your boss allows, though I could see jokes becoming rather distasteful. Nevertheless, laughter is great medicine so bring on the jokes!
In closing, you're vulnerable online, everything is personal and rather risky if you don't have Comcastcares-like moderators.
