Adventures in Business and CRM

There seems to thin line between love and hate when it comes to utilizing Twitter.  People either praise it or hate it. I remember when Twitter first arrived onto the scene, and people were asking if there could be a more useless tool out there. I recall hearing a million comments from clients and colleagues that eluded to it “being a waste of time”.  As time went on, some of those same people turned into full-scale Twitter advocates.  Although still in it’s infancy, Twitter has gained some great momentum, and has proven to be an extremely powerful tool for networking, marketing, and branding. There are people who have solely used Twitter to build their following, and then there are others that utilize Twitter,in addition to an ongoing blog, book, business, or service-based offering. Either way, Twitter accentuates all of these efforts, and I do believe it’s here to stay.

When using Twitter for the first time, you can tell immediately who the big boys are, so long as you have them added to your “follow” list. Generally, people with tons of followers, ‘re-tweeted’ posts, and replies are the ones with the most pull on Twitter. However, there are many lesser-known people out there that have added just as much value to Twitter as some of the “A-listers”.

How Do You Add Value To Twitter?

There are many ways to add value to your Twitter stream. One of my favorite aspects of Twitter is that helping others is highly praised, and very encouraged. It has to be one of the few places on the internet where it’s not literally flashy signs and shiny logos that are all about the person who the profile belongs to. No, It’s about everyone.

* Although it asks “What are YOU doing?”, Twitter isn’t necessarily all about you, or your brand…or your service.

At least not directly.

Posting a friend’s link on Twitter to one of their more helpful blog posts can get them some well-deserved attention, in addition to shining a nice little spotlight on their helpful content that others on Twitter may find highly useful. Helping a colleague gain Diggs, Stumbles, or Sphinns on an article or post they worked really hard on is another way to help add value. Possibly bringing attention to a new charity, or even adding helpful content that may not necessarily be yours, but rather something you know your followers will find helpful in their everyday lives.

The best strategy you can start implementing today to add value to your Twitter stream is thinking of others.

I asked some of my Twitter friends the question “How Do you Add Value to Twitter”?

• LorenNason says: @Terra111 I wouldn’t say I add value but I strengthen and build the relationships I have formed offline.
• Voiceleaf says: @Terra111 One can add value to Twitter by simply being helpful and thoughful. If you see that someone’s struggling, give them a hand!
• AskBillMitchell says: @Terra111 I think the greatest value people can bring to Twitter, is to rid themselves the urge to abuse it.

What do you think? How do you add value to your Twitter following? How do you plan to add value in the future?

The Shorty Awards are currently accepting nominations from Twitter users to determine those that add the most value to Twitter. These “Top Tweeters” are people who are generally liked, and likely have a loyal following, whether it be small or large. Nominations are being accepted until midnight on December 31st, so things are definitely heating up.

Apparently CharlesTrippy is hilarious, because he’s currently holding the top spot in the ”humor” category and has over 439 nominations overall.  On the business side PawLuxury currently holds the #1 spot with over 180 nominations. Coming in second in the business category is GuyKawasaki, whom apparently also holds a good amount of nominations for being a douche, which I didn’t even know was a category.

I was also Nominated for a Shorty Award.   (thanks soultravelers3) ! <—- By the way, if you haven’t checked out this family’s amazing story and travels, along with their daughter’s epic YouTube video, be sure to do so…and nominate them! They are amazing, and they definitely deserve the travel nomination, considering they’ve been on an open-ended vacation for the last 3 years.

I can think of many Twitter users who would definitely be prime candidates for awards in multiple categories.

So my question to you all is:

1. How do you plan to add value to Twitter?
2. Have you changed your strategy as you’ve learned more about your Twitter Followers?
3. Who do you think should be nominated for a Shorty Award! (be sure to include category!)

Ah yes, and If you have Twitter, please do add me, and I’ll return the follow! I’m at http://www.twitter.com/Terra111

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