We can be friends but I may not follow you on Twitter. My Twitter feed is my live, custom news channel. It is jammed with the news that I want and the topics I'm interested in. If you want ME to follow YOU on Twitter, I need to see your value.
Winning at Twitter is all about increasing the signal to noise ratio (S/R). I want rich sources of information in my feed. That may mean a well informed Twitter user that follows and retweets relevant stuff, or sources for original news. If somebody is tweeting tons of low value information it only adds to my noise. Get it out of my feed. I want more signal, less noise.
Related, I love the format of Twitter, in that a link with more details can be shared. That way I can scan the headlines in my Twitter feed and follow links to get the extra details of a particularly juicy scoop.
Twitter is easily my favourite social network. I access my local hockey and running communities there. I connect with my 'brary colleagues - both local and far away. I get first pass at news stories...the stuff that the non Twitter users will hear on the radio tomorrow morning or read in the newspaper two days from now.
Up to the minute sports. Live music acts that will roll through town. Weekly specials at my grocery store. I also use it socially to connect and discuss things with friends.
For my purposes information is Twitter's true value. If your feed isn't providing the goods, where's your value?
You make a good case. You must end up unfollowing pretty aggressively. What are some of your favourite accounts to follow?
ReplyDeleteAdvanced Twitter: to help dampen the noise and find more signal, find Twitter users with great lists. Lists can be rich sources of info.
DeleteMy local hero on Twitter based on list making ability is @timsarty. He currates a mean list!
Bonus: @timsarty does all the work and I benefit! Keep those lists 'public' Tim!
Do you create a lot of content on Twitter or would you say you're more of a consumer?
ReplyDeleteI put the occassional Twitter nugget out there. Definitely a net-information consumer though.
DeleteShouldn't that equation be S/N? You should put some more nuggets out there. I can see you inspiring a cat in a business suit meme with nuggets like "If your feed isn't providing the goods, where's your value?"
ReplyDelete