The influence over numbers argument

The above table from http://www.emarketer.com/, which is backed up by an ExactTarget study, reproduced by eMarketer, assists with the "influence over numbers argument" on Twitter, as it shows that US Twitter user's in April 2010 were far more interactive online, than general internet users.

The results table indicates that US Twitter user’s were more likely than general internet users to post to forums, to write their own blog, comment on blogs and post ratings and reviews.

What this means for brands and companies, is that the people on Twitter are far more likely to be the ones that create the noise online and encourage conversations about a topic elsewhere online.

The ExactTarget study also explored Twitter users’ motivations for following brands and companies on Twitter, the majority wish to get updates on future products (38%) followed by staying informed about company activities (32%). This is followed by finding out about discounts and sales. Pretty interesting chart, and one that is now stuck up in the Social Media Office.

Within the communities we work on for brands we have asked the question, which social networks do you reside? From close review we have identified the above to be the case that "Daily twitter users comment and upload content at least twice as much as average".

We have formed some great, profitable relationships with bloggers on Twitter for clients, profitable in that they provide interest to our clients community groups (we PR them to the community) and they help increase our clients reach for little more than a friendly conversation.

Find out more about the ExactTarget study, including the motivations of Twitter users over at the eMarketer site:

Author: Sarah Griffiths

Rocktime's Book of the month: Seth Godin, Tribes

Famous author Seth Godin has written nine books, all bestsellers that changed the way we think about marketing, change and work. He is responsible for many words in the marketer's vocabulary, including permission marketing, ideaviruses, purple cows, the dip and sneezers.

A few of us have recently been reading his new (Oct 09) book “TRIBES: We Need You to Lead Us,” which explains how the Internet has eliminated barriers and enabled new tribes to be born.

In less than 130 (A5) pages the book argues that lasting and substantive change can be best effected by a tribe: a group of people connected to each other, to a leader to an idea. Some of the chapter’s are quite repetitive as he drums home the principles of leadership and the importance of word of mouth marketing to create movements. However despite this repetition, we are all glad we took time out to read it as it relate to our passion of generating long lasting online relationships / communities for our clients.

Please find three of our favourite quotes, from the book below, also make sure you click on the True Fans link the article there is genius:

“a Tribe needs a shared interest and a way to communicate”

“creating a tighter tribe and/or "transforming the shared interest into a passionate goal and desire for change" usually leads to much more impact than trying to make a tribe bigger. beyond public relations and awareness related benefits, measuring the breadth of spread of an idea is not as important as looking at the depth of commitment and interaction of true fans, who end up being the people who recruit most new members”

"It's clearly more fun to make the rules than to follow them, and for the first time, it's also profitable, powerful, and productive to do just that."

For more information on why you may need a Tribe enjoy this conversation on YouTube with Seth Godin on Tribes and why we all (may) need one. And if you need help forming your Tribe please do get in touch with the Flashlight team, to discuss online community forming further.


Author: Sarah Griffiths