One of the most exciting developments that has occurred on Twitter in the months since I put together Twitter Power has been the release of all sorts of statistics about the site.
We've learned, for example, that many of the site's users are middle-aged, high earning business types rather than the kids that create pages on MySpace. We've found that only a small proportion of Twitter's users are writing most of the tweets while the others are reading, following and joining in occasionally. And we've discovered that while only a few followers might respond to a tweet - depending on what you write -- it's reasonable to expect a clickthrough rate on a tweeted link of around one to two percent.
And then, of course, there's the figure that everyone pays attention to: the number of followers they've collected.
Obviously that's important and it's a number that's been growing massively as more and more people have joined the site. A handful of top twitterers now have more than a million followers, and in the last eight months, my own follower count has increased almost twenty-fold.
That's fun, but it doesn't tell me anything about the most important aspect of my Twitter presence.
It doesn't tell me anything about the strength of the communities in which I'm active.
That's not a figure that's easy to measure. It might be possible to do by counting the number of tweets and replies posted by people following each other but I've a feeling that if it's something you have to measure, the community probably isn't strong enough.
It is however, something that goes to the heart of what Twitter is all about.
The followers whose tweets you read are individuals. But Twitter is at its most powerful when those individuals are talking to each other, discussing their work and their industry, swapping tips and building connections.
It's one thing to read the tweets written by other people in your field but getting the most out of the site means taking part in the conversation and using your tweets to make friends. Of course, those friends won't be like the relationships you can create in real life. But they can lead to partnerships, joint ventures, sales, loyal customer bases and a whole host of new opportunities.
Whatever your industry, make sure that you're not just building followers but building those relationships and networks too.
While I did buy "Twitter Power..." when you released it a few months back, I am only 1/2 the way through it as I tend to read 2-3 books at a time.
The information you provide in it though is very good and useful (of course).
I still get a "warm & fuzzy" feeling when I re-tell the story about when you called on me, a simple online chat attendee, to participate in your massive "Tweet-a-Thon" event.
Those types of actions and outreaches do help build communities.
I can not tell you how many times I speak highly of your company, products, and you as a brand (in whole).
We are but on this spinning rock for a brief glimpse in history, so we better make it worthwhile for us and others as well.
Best,
-Kevin
http://www.twitter.com/kevinpuls
http://www.facebook.com/kevinpuls
I really love the point you've made in this post! I myself have just started Twitter a few months ago, and for me it is about building real relationships. I have actually developed some business and friend relationships that have been extended offline, and they came about because of Twitter conversations. I'm a big believer in the power of Twitter to expand your network, and gaining followers just to have them really does miss the point. Thanks!
Hi Joel,
I don't think I could have said it any better. I think that some twitter users might have the wrong Idea. If your main focus is to have a huge following, then some users might be missing the point. Don't get me wrong, there is absoulutely nothing wrong with having a huge following, I would like to reach that goal myself, but in due time. I'm okay with my friend/follower ratio for the time being. I'm speaking for myself when I say this, but I want to get to know my friends on a genunine level and learn from them. If I can accomplish this, then I will have alot of useful, quality information that I can give my followers. I would love to have a ton of followers through my insightful msgs but, I don't want someone to follow just for a race to the finish line.
I've been having a love affair with Twitter in recent months and your book was icing on the cake. Twitter is allowing me to connect with my readers and attract new readers and clients, all while absorbing interesting information and connecting with others.
In fact, I read three of your books in the last week (a happy accident that I picked up two books from two different bookstores only discover that you wrote both of them, then I was compelled to read a third--loved them all).
There are two things that you do very well:
1. Conserve words. I hate it when authors go on and on just take up space (or pump up their own egos). You go straight for the gold.
2. You bring the gold. I needed my special Post-it combo highlighter/flag pen when reading. I don't get to do that often enough. That's the sign of a great book.
Keep the good stuff coming!
-Stephanie Chandler
http://StephanieChandler.com
http://AuthorityPublishing.com
Joel, this is a great post because you've brought up the most important part of social networking. It's all about the relationships and connections we make with others, not just the numbers. Even though I have almost 17K followers, I still write to everyone who writes to me on Twitter, and I refuse to auto-follow.
@ConnieGreen on Twitter
Hi Joel
I have been resisting social networking except for
the one I like called Ecademy for which I am happy
to pay a tenner a month to reduce the froth between
me and the coffee (analogy).
The aspect of stats astonished me. Only 2%? do these
represent click to anything in particular? Any breakdowns?
Thanks for the heads up
Jackie
Great post, JC. Very easy to fall into the ego-driven trap of just getting followers. But, it's really not about how many followers, it's about the community, trust, and rapport that's built with them.
Doing like you've suggested has enabled me to build a strong following of people that actually listen to what I have to say and give tons of feedback and comments. Facebook has afforded me the exact same center of influence.
Thanks for the good advice :)
@MatthewLoop
OT: Congrats Joel, on being on the Daily Show w. Jon Stuart! (re: the iFart)
Now you know you're a REAL success! :)
It is easy to start thinking about quantity rather than quality.
Good post.
I couldn't agree more Joel. It's about community, it's about connections, it's about relationships...not about how many followers you have.
Some of the "big names" in social media, internet marketing or these gurus/experts (and we know the names) have following in excess of 50,000 (by using software adders)...but if you actually look at who their followers are...I'd say they're not "quality community members". You have porn spammers, spammers in general, people who aren't active, etc...
Focus on quality not quantity of followers.
I guess one of the tricky things to do in building a community instead of followers in Twitter, is being able to put up posts that people can and would be compelled to respond to. So it's not just about posting information about your new product or something, but it's being able to lead people through a discussion. That's not easy I guess, because sometimes the simplest thing to do is just to post information. Would you have any other suggestions how to build such a community, and not just why we should?
I found myself following and been followed by people I had noting in common with but then I started using Discuss and tweeting people and then getting a little twitter traffic.I think I have to really find followers that I can interact with not just robots and being a robot myself.
It's indeed a fascinating tool we can work towards making its best use. I believe that if wanna benefit from it & pay attention to relevant aspects to build followers & relationships, it ain't that hard. It's very doable.
I see the problem for many users is they just don't understand how to start the conversation. To do that, try searching in Twitter for phrases like, "does anyone know...", "can anyone recommend..." and then respond to them with helpful information - even if it's not related to your business/service. They'll still appreciate it and perhaps you'll gain a few followers.
@leslietrosset