Archive for the ‘twitter’ Category

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How Search Is Changing and more Twitter thoughts

Posted by jeb on March 11th, 2009

I think search as we know it is undergoing its biggest change since Google came on the scene with its nifty algorithms 10 years ago.

Since friends and family is the source we trust over all others including search engines, tv, radio, yellow pages etc, at least that is what I have read, we are seeing the rise of social media (i.e. your friends and family), and in particular Twitter, as a direct threat to Google in terms of driving search for business. It is certainly not an immediate threat to Google et al’s dominance in driving business but I think around the corner we will see Peer To Peer Search emerge as a real threat to the traditional algorithm driven search that currently dominates.

Cha Cha was on the right track with their human search engine but Twitter has the right model since their search engine is essentially free and personalized to each user based on who is following them. Google can’t currently compete with a good group of Twitter followers telling you what the best Thai restaurant is or what the best project management software is, etc. Google just isn’t that intelligent, or perhaps, that human. It’s just a really smart computer program that does many things well. But Google can’t actually go eat at a restaurant and give you a first hand account. But @twitterfriend has and they are happy to share their experience. So who are you going to go to for “reliable plummer”?

This means that relationships as much as content indexed in search engines (SEO) will drive your business down the road. Social Media sites facilitate relationships in the context of meaningful content. This forces transparency on companies which is difficult at times since their culture isn’t used to it. The company culture (translation executives) is used to controlling the message. But Zappos has it right- your culture is your brand now, whether you like it or not. Just accept that the Web is a harsh light and you can’t escape it’s glare. Might as well clean house.

hmmm, so what’s Google going to do about Twitter? I bet talks are going on right now for them to buy Twitter. And I also bet Twitter isn’t going to go cheap if at all. They know what they have- a super highway that everyone has set up shop on and now they just need to figure out how to charge a small toll. Google is good at that but they aren’t the only fish in that sea.

Posted in google, search engines, twitter | 2 Comments »

Twitter Is The New Google

Posted by jeb on February 11th, 2009




Graph from Compete.com showing Twitter’s growth.


Do you use Twitter? If so how do you use it? The further I get into Twitter the clearer I see it as a threat to Google. It is also encroaching on Facebook, CNN, Linkedin, Email and SMS text messaging.

Where do I go when I need to find out how to do screencasts? Used to be Google, now I send out a “Tweet” to Twitter and within seconds I have a number of responses with links to suggested services.

When I need feedback on an idea I used to send out an email to a select group of friends or associates. Now I post it on Twitter and get a flood of great ideas flowing back in.

How do I keep up with my friends and business associates? I still use Facebook for this but I have seen a marked decrease in my Facebook time as I use Twitter more and more.

When I want to send someone a message I still use email but more and more I am sending direct messages via Twitter and having a fast, real time, conversation via Twitter.

Where do I get leads for my business and start relationships? I’ve set up Linkedin, Plaxo and other business networking accounts. None them bore any fruit. But after only a few months of being active on Twitter I am connecting with companies in a meaningful and comfortable way. Twitter is not a meat market which appeals to my style of doing business.

When the plane crashed in the Hudson I didn’t hear about it from the news or CNN, I read about it on Twitter. News spreads like wildfire there.

The funny thing about Twitter is that they don’t seem to know what they have here. The platform is barely developed. Seems that more companies are setting up businesses along the Twitter highway and making money off the platform more than Twitter itself!

So watch out Google, Facebook, CNN, Linkedin and all these other companies that seemed so secure in their online positions only months ago. Twitter is chipping away and soon you will be scrambling to keep up.


Posted in google, search engines, social media, social networks, technology, twitter | 1 Comment »

What Is Twitter and How To Use It

Posted by jeb on February 6th, 2009

Chances are you’ve heard of Twitter. Also, there’s probably a good chance you have no idea what it is or how to use it. Maybe you even have an account but never log in since nothing seems to be happening there when you do. Why is everyone talking about Twitter? What’s the big deal? Hopefully this blog will help.

Bottom line: Twitter is a service that lets people communicate instantaneously in a group environment. Basically it’s an information superhighway between you and your friends, peers and a select group of total strangers. You can use it to research, network, provide customer support, chat with friends, get news updates and much more.

Getting Started:

Don’t sign up expecting, like Facebook, to suddenly be awash in content. Chances are you will see no activity on your page at all unless you put it there.

Next use a couple features to find your friends and associates already using Twitter. I suggest http://twitter.com/invitations and search.twitter.com for starters. The first to find people you know and the second to find people interested in similar things.

Now that you are following some people you will find that they will start following you back. This is a good thing, don’t panic. Post something like “Hey I’m new here, hello everyone!” to dip your toe in the communal Twitter pool.

At this point you will see a stream of updates on your page. You will also notice that you are hitting “refresh” on your browser regularly to see the updates. Time to download some software to make this experience a little more user friendly.

I recommend TweetDeck for managing your Twitter account. It will let you easily follow your account via a desktop application. It also greatly facilitates advanced functionality that you will need shortly. More about that below.

So, you have TweetDeck up and running now. It should look a little like this.



Now you can post updates and join in the conversation. You are limited to 140 characters so be concise when posting.

Next Twitter blog will be tips on some dos and don’ts, stay tuned!

Posted in social media, social networks, twitter | 1 Comment »

Having A Meaningful Online Conversation

Posted by jeb on January 15th, 2009


Is Social Media a gigantic waste of time?

A recent column in the IBJ (Indianapolis Business Journal) by Morton Marcus is asserting that this brave new world of online communities are nothing more than that- a huge, colossal waste of time.

Before I do the obvious and prove Mr. Marcus wrong I think we should concede a little ground. He has a point, it is not hard to waste a lot of time online. Building up meaningless connections with people you don’t know has little value. Having 1000 online acquaintances (or “friends”) doesn’t beat having 10 “real” friends.

The problem is that Morton is not having meaningful conversations online. So who can blame him for throwing in the towel?

My wife has recently embraced Twitter and Social Media in general. It’s been fun to watch her get bitten by the Social Media bug over the last few months. First it was Facebook, aka the Social Media Gateway Drug, and now Twitter. Although I joined Twitter over two years ago I have to admit it wasn’t until the last few months that I “got” it. The reason was that I didn’t see any meaningful conversations happening when I logged in.

As anyone who is a member of Twitter will tell you the problem was that I wasn’t engaging in the community. I wasn’t seeking out like-minded individuals to share ideas. Also, I wasn’t posting my ideas and links so why would anyone seek me out?

The Web is a huge, ever expanding universe. It’s easy to get lost and feel like everyone is trying to sell you something. So how do you have a meaningful online conversation?

Here’s a few ideas on how someone like Morton Marcus can have a meaningful online conversation-
  1. Talk To Peers- ask around, what sites are they spending time on?
  2. Look But Don’t Touch- before creating accounts, spend some time on the recommended sites. You don’t need to join every community you come across online. This can lead to Social Media Fatigue (SMF as it will now be called).
  3. Start Slow- join one community, I suggest Facebook, Twitter or a niche Ning community (i.e. SmallerIndiana.com). Spend 10-15 minutes every day on that site. Join conversations that interest you, message users that seem to be on the same path as you.
  4. Know When To Fold ‘Em- it’s ok to leave a community. I left My Space recently. I wasn’t having any meaningful conversations. I left a note on my profile page letting people know they could find me at Musicalfamilytree.com which is the music community site I started with some friends and now has about 1500 members and many quality conversations centered around one of my great loves- music. It’s a Goldilocks’ site. Not too big, not too small, just right. If the community you joined has passed the Goldilocks’ sweet spot then opt out.

You will start to see a return on your time investment as you start to have meaningful conversations around topics you care passionately about with people that share this passion. That return might be in the form of knowledge, friendship, or business. This depends mostly on what you wanted going in.

So I hope you are reading this Mr. Morton and you give Social Media another chance. It does require a different way of thinking especially in how one allocates time. But if done properly it can yield a great return, personally and professionally.






Posted in blogging, internet marketing, social media, social networks, technology, twitter | 7 Comments »

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