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.

I recently read a blog post by Seth Godin (Click here) who describes why it can be so difficult for organizations to use social media. Basically he communicates: it is because social media is process oriented and traditional businesses think events.

One of the steps to achieve some of my midrange goals was to get involved in the real-estate market. I studied, passed the exam and went on to spend a short time as a Realtor. It was a great educational experience. From this experience I learned one thing: to be successful, think long term.

A common term to the real-estate industry is “farming:” which means to pick a particular neighborhood or market and become the expert there. Just as a farmer plants the seed, waters and fertilizes a field: the realtor is to do the same in their “farm” neighborhood.

This farming is done by numerous methods to establish you as an expert and keep your name in front of the families living in the “farm” neighborhood. The harvest happens when they or a friend desire to buy or sell, they will think of you.

The same applies to business and social media: there must be a process mentality and “farm” their social media network. The “farmer” businessperson will plant the seeds of information regarding their products, watering with examples of application and fertilizing by testimonies and examples. Then when the “seeds” mature, they seek to harvest the sale.

The “farmer” businessperson must grasp the concept: “You will reap what you sow.”