The Power of Twitter – Influence
The rapid growth of Twitter in the past year has many people talking about this phenomenal social media platform. Many companies, celebrities, sports figures and politicians are establishing their Twitter ID’s. Some go on to effectively mass large followings, while others never seem to get off the ground.
When discussing Twitter with others for the first time, many often ask questions like “What can I do with it?” “Why do I want to know what someone had for lunch?” or the big one, “How will this help me make money?” These types of questions reveal a need for a paradigm shift in the power of the web.
In an the article “Twitter As Flashpoint for the Attention Economy” by Andrew Keen (http://tinyurl.com/d4×9yv) (thanks for the RT @twitter_tips), Keen elaborates on what has been coined “the attention economy.” The idea is that the “flow of attention” replaces money as the currency of the internet. It is from this idea of the “flow of attention” that I believe the many question of what is the power of twitter can be answered in one word – Influence. Let me explain.
According to Dictionary.Com, Influence is: “the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others:” If I can summarize, it is the ability to get others to act in a desired way.
The power of twitter is based on the influence you can develop with your followers. It is structuring your tweets so you are engaging, relevant and compelling, creating an authentic relationship with them. Once established, when you issue a thought or make a suggestion, many of your followers will respond. Whether it is a call to social or political action, community involvement, philanthropic giving, ministry or just plain fun, your level of influence will determine it’s success.
So what’s Twitter all about? – Influence
Martin Schmaltz (www.twitter.com/socmediastuff & www.SocialMediaStuff.com) is an entrepreneur, motivator and social medial small business strategist. His favorite office is the local Starbucks.