Stop Saying The T Word

Social Media, Twitter August 11, 2009 9 Comments @niallharbison

Every single meeting I have been in recently that involves marketing a product of any description in the last 6 months ends up with everybody at the table talking about Twitter (from here on known as the T word) after about 2 minutes. Now there is no bigger fan of T or the possibilities for marketing, branding and customer service that it brings but is it really going to solve all your companies problems and have whatever it is that you sell flying off the shelves? I don’t think so and you should probably stop spending so much time on T gaming the amount of followers that you have and thinking it is your entire marketing strategy.

I mean just because you own a plumbers shop and can go on to T search and find out what people are saying about plumbers doesn’t mean that it is the best way to go and get business. In fact if I was a plumber the first thing that I would be doing would be phoning up the yellow pages and getting myself listed because I know most people looking for a plumber would be middle aged and not on T.

I am not saying to not use T at all because I do and I find it very useful but just think about how many sales you are actually getting out of T and if your time would not be better spent somewhere else. Like all good things T should only be done in moderation.

So if you happen to be in a meeting with me in the near future and want to promote something please don’t mention the T word and please don’t think that having the T logo on your website is an online strategy!

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Comments

Stephen

Glad someone said it
http://Www.Robertfranciswine.ie Rfwine

Excellently put !!

Will there be t boxs soon like swear boxs ?
http://www.lecraic.com le craic

Yeah, but what sort of products are you talking about where the conversation turns to Twitter? Can you give some actual examples of where Twitter was suggested and wouldn’t be appropriate. You give the notional example of a plumber, but seriously – there’s not one plumber in Ireland who doesn’t understand that the primary place to advertise is the Golden Pages.

http://www.simplyzesty.com Niall Harbison

Well it might seem obvious that a plumber should be in the yellow pages but everybody from newspapers to golf pros seem to think that jumping on twitter and spending 4 hours a day on it will be the magic solution. The point I am trying to make is that every company has heard about Twitter and it comes spurting out of their mouth as soon as you meet them and just urging people to think about the ROI and maybe there are better cheaper less time consuming options out there.

Stephen

Its the same as the mid 90′s when every company wanted to be on the internet – we have seen it all before and its the only thing that the media has taken onto in the last 12 mths –
Now its just narrowed down to twitter as everyone now understands the internet – next may be mobile etc – hot air -
Also to fully understand twitter I feel one must spend 10 hrs a day on twitter for a few weeks – this will give you a proper understanding of how it works and where it is moving as it is not the same today as it was a year ago – also everyone has something to say about twitter and its 90% gibberish –
I love twitter and spend alot of time on it – I follow,unfollow people all the time – its really funny to see what some people want to share with their twitter followers – from really usefully info and links to complete crap and time wasting sh1t – its an ego boost for some people –
If I was a plumber I would stick a flyer in every letterbox within a 10 miles radius and – forget about about twitter for work for various reasons – as a hobby yes but lets not carried away – set your goal to be ‘THE PLUMBER’ within 10 miles or 20 mins from as many people as possible -

http://www.simplyzesty.com Niall Harbison

Yeah it is a good point that it takes a lot of time invested to see anything out of it and that is exactly what I am trying to say. I do agree that it is more of a social thing than anything else for most people and that is what somebody who owns a business has to be careful of, just how much time are they wasting without getting sales!

Padraig McKeon

Niall, Completely agree with the core point – well said. You raise though the subject of the Yellow Pages which I think is interesting to view. Does it still have the draw that it has always had? For example, we are redoing the house at the minute and in the ten days to last weekend have been looking at fireplaces. Never ever thought of the yellow pages – straight to the web. Did the same for doors for a week before, and that was she who must be obeyed who is not working in an office environment. No doubt the web wouldn’t be the choice of all but how sustainable are the yellow pages in the long term.

Apologies for ‘changing the subject’ and again well said on that.

Padraig

http://www.simplyzesty.com Niall Harbison

I think the yellow pages will still have a certain amount of draw with a certain age demographic but you are right that we get most of our information online these days. I suppose one compromise is to look up the yellow pages online
Padraig McKeon

The yellow pages online… but wouldn’t the phone no. be on the web site… Do they do it the other way round tho’. Search the pages as you would and have the option to click thru and then back. Guess the answer to that is Google.

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