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Some seem to 'get it'; others remain baffled by TwitterMay 31, 2009 (The Arizona Daily Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- When a 30-second porn clip flashed on the TV screens of many Tucson cable viewers during this year's Super Bowl, the first thing Kim M. Bayne did was post it on Twitter. Then she watched as news of the clip spread like wildfire via the social networking Web site. "It broke on Twitter before the people at Comcast knew what hit them," said Bayne, one of Tucson's top tweeters. Bayne is such an avid user of social-media Web sites that she has even formed a social-media club in Tucson -- a place where tweeters unplug for a little while and get to know one another in person. The Super Bowl story captures many of the reasons why Twitter is so hot right now. The Web site has millions of users and offers up an endless stream of real-time updates. But while Twitter has gained a certain critical mass in terms of volume, it's left many wondering just what utility such a site serves for business or personal purposes. After all, how much can a person really say in 140 characters? "What's interesting is they have a lot of users, and they split into one of two categories: Either they know or understand the value and get a lot of value out of it, or they are scratching their heads just trying to figure it out," said Jeff Kagan, a telecommunications industry analyst in Atlanta. "I haven't heard of many success stories." Kagan said he understands the potential that Twitter offers for advertising and customer-service purposes, but in his view one of the quirks of Twitter is the larger the audience a user collects, the more cluttered the process becomes. "The larger your list, the bigger the chance that you are going to miss anything that you are interested in," he said. "Trying to find the few pearls of wisdom out of all of the Internet white noise is the biggest challenge." Tucson's top tweeters seem to glide across the Internet. An update here, a joke there; they post with purpose and ease. "It trusts the client and the consumer much more than traditional advertising, I believe," said Judy Kinney, who has seen her coaching business grow tremendously through Twitter. For John Jacobs, president and founder of ArtFire.com, a Web site for sellers and buyers of handmade items, Twitter has become a crucial part of customer service. His company has several different Twitter sites. "With my Twitter account, I can see exactly what people think about our company in real time. It's an extension of our customer service," Jacobs said. "Customer service does not just happen on your Web site or your domain. You have to control the blogo- sphere, as well." Since Twitter has seemingly exploded on the scene, many pundits (and media members) have wondered how long it will remain hot until the next Internet fad hits. But in Kinney's view, that question misses the mark. "I think what's here to stay is social media," she said. "So, a new way of doing business is here, and Twitter is an effective vehicle to participate in the new marketplace. So whether Twitter stays or goes is irrelevant." Contact reporter Josh Brodesky at 573-4178 or [email protected]. He grudgingly tweets @joshbrodesky. To see more of The Arizona Daily Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.azstarnet.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |