OK. The title of this article may be a bit tongue in cheek, since I am a tremendous advocate of Twitter but if you don't use it correctly, well, it can be just a waste of time.
What Do I Mean?
Twitter is now one of the most popular, or possibly the most popular, social networking website on the internet. Millions of people 'tweet' each and every day. If all you want is to find out what strangers are doing on almost a minute by minute basis, that's fine. But if you ask me, and I know you haven't, that a waste of time.
What you really need to do is figure out 'the why' about your use of Twitter. For many people today the only reason to use Twitter is to promote their online or 'brick and mortar' business.
Having thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Followers can be a real head trip but for the most part that is all it is. There is no chance that a majority, or even a small percentage, of these people have any real interest in what you're tweeting. Locating targeted followers is critical when working with Twitter. There are several applications that can help you attract just such a targeted Twitter market.
If you are marketing to a world wide audience Twitter is an excellent resource. However, just any audience can still be a waste of time. As mentioned, most businesses have a particular target market or audience. If that is the situation with your business than you need to target your Twitter audience in much the same way you would target a local, warm blooded audience.
If you have a 'brick and mortar' business and have a world wide audience, than the same rules about targeting may still apply. However, if your business, both online or 'brick and mortar' is local, than reaching a world wide audience is most likely a waste of time.
If your business is 'local' than targeting a 'local' audience is what you want and need. Fortunately, there are many internet based applications that can assist you in finding local 'Twitterers' who may be attracted to your business. Geographic targeting is very important if you plan on maximizing your Twitter experience especially if your business target market lies within a specific geographic region.
In conclusion, Twitter is by far one of the most powerful tools we have to promote our businesses online. If you have a whole bunch of time and have a tremendous desire to know what food someone on the other side of the world is eating at that very moment, than.....well, just Twitter away.
Most people, however, are now looking to use Twitter to help promote their online or 'brick and mortar' business. Using generalized targeting along with geographic targeting can make a tremendous difference in your success or your time on Twitter being a 'waste of time'.
------
Cary Ganz is the creator of
Newbie Rewards, The One Place for Everything Internet.
Newbie Rewards contains thousands of products, ebooks, videos, courses and more all designed to maximize the business success of the new internet entrepreneur.
