Doing a lot of research lately regarding the most effective business usage of social media, specifically Twitter, for our clients. A surprising recent report by HarvardBusiness.org suggests that, “Twitter resembles more of a one-way, one-to-many publishing service than a two-way, peer-to-peer communication network.”
Though one-way marketing is tried-and-true, we believe that the future of social media applications really lie in their two-way potential for business users. Developing a dialogue with your target audience is an opportunity not possible with other communication formats. Otherwise, you might as well be doing direct mail.
According to a post on Mashable.com, “So, does anyone really want to talk to @DunkinDonuts? or would they rather talk to Bill Rosenberg, the founder of Dunkin Donuts of Canton, MA, or perhaps the local franchise owner on Capitol Hill, or a disgruntled but funny summer employee punching in at 4am? People connect with people, and so I think the lattter.”
The related comments show that just as many people appreciate the presence of brands on Twitter, so the jury is still out on HOW to most effectively use Twitter for two-way communication, but not whether to: “The thing is, people don’t just connect with people, they connect with brands too, and it’s about striking a balance between those two relationships that is the real challenge. Not just picking one or the other.” Harvard Business may have gotten the present right, but not the future.
