Earlier this week it occurred to me that it has been at least 2 months since I’ve received a DM spam message on Twitter. That thought led to me realize just how much Twitter has “settled down” in recent months. Last year brought a lot of attention to Twitter, and created a lot of noise, from people and businesses that didn’t take the time to understand how to use it effectively before jumping in with both feet. If you read this article from Brand Week you might think that Twitter is on its last leg:
In the middle of last year, Twitter’s growth slowed from 7.8 million new users a month to 6.2 million, according to a recent study from RJ Metrics. That report also found that only 17 percent of Twitter users updated their accounts in December — an all-time low. An earlier study by the Nielsen Co. revealed 60 percent of Twitter users do not return from one month to the next. Taking that into account, it’s tempting to conclude that Twitter is following in the footsteps of another social-media ghost town, Second Life.
This is a great time to reiterate that those people leaving Twitter are the same ones who were abusing it. Lots of real estate agents got swept up in the hype, created a quick account on Twitter and started posting listing after listing, then wondering why their followers were bailing like sailors on a sinking vessel.
Twitter’s value hasn’t changed. The Twitter users still around are the ones who grasp the value and THEY could be your next client. TechShorties is still teaching best practices for leveraging Twitter to grow your real estate business. You can learn more in our ILE.
I agree, Jen. It’s impossible to really know what the real Twitter usage stats are because people access from so many points. For example, I’m on Twitter nearly every day but usually through third party apps like Seesmic. And I agree, many of the people leaving Twitter SHOULD be leaving Twitter. Overall it’s been a great communication tool for me and my business and I think many entrepreneurs can benefit by the information and networking it provides. Come to think of it … it’s how I met you : )
Mark – thanks for your comment. There’s no doubt our local community has been enriched by Twitter. Lots of new ventures and opportunities have sprung from relationships formed within our Twitter networks. I, like many others, found my own real estate agent through Twitter. All members of the TechShorties team met on Twitter. It may be hard to know the real stats on Twitter, but you cannot argue with personal results! Thanks again.