With Twitter becoming such a powerful force on the social media scene, there are those who get it and those who don't get it.
There's a certain number of the "don't get it" crowd who will invariably take an outright aggressive posture and make a statement like this...
"Twitter is a waste of time. Who cares what you had for breakfast?"
Many on Twitter will hem and haw about the content of the question, almost embarassingly stating that most tweets do not focus on the more mundane aspects of our lives.
However, I feel it is important to tackle the question head on without embarassment. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that the more mundane tweets are actually critical to building a successful Twitter following, and leveraging that following for your business.
Allow me to make my case.
Twitter is popular because it goes to the core of one of our most important needs... connecting with others of our species.
Chat rooms, message boards and instant messaging have thrived because people need to engage in relationship with other people. While our mediums for communicating have changed in the information age, our basic needs have not.
The more active a chat room or message board, the more fulfilling for the members. It's the constant give-and-take that gives it value and makes it somewhat addictive. In fact, it's the reason we now call message boards "online communities." Members of the site begin to feel like family, and are often distraught if the forums are unavailable for a time.
We see the same reaction when the Twitter "fail whale" makes an appearance. Our lines of communication with the outside world are severed and we feel all alone. Perhaps we find solace knowing that we are not alone in our feelings. There are thousand upon thousands of others who depend on Twitter and feel a sense of disconnectedness when they are not, well... connected.
So what is it about Twitter that draws people back again and again? Why do people feel such a strong sense of community?
The answer is simple... and perhaps surprising.
Donuts.
No, I'm not off my rocker and you don't need to suggest I use spellcheck.
Donuts are what makes Twitter so successful.
This will come as a great surprise to many who don't like donuts (though I suspect that even the most ardent health nut would like to snarf a chocolate glazed donut every now and then.)
You see, I tweet about a great many things.
Sometimes my tweets ask questions and sometimes they answer questions.
Sometimes I tweet a news link I've discovered and other times I'll point people towards a cool web tool.
Sometimes I encourage others in my tweets and other times I'll retweet something someone else has posted.
The varieties of tweets are numerous and I try to be unpredictable with both the content, timing and frequency of my tweets.
With approximately 45,000 Twitter followers, I receive @ replies to almost every tweet I post.
However, it is not uncommon for some tweets which I think are important to fail to engage people. They just don't feel compelled to reply.
For a site that has its basis in relating with others, it is sometimes surprising to encounter dead air in response to a tweet.
This leads me to a tweet I recently posted shortly after enjoying a chocolate donut.
"Twitter Poll: What is your FAVORITE kind of donut? (mine is chocolate for sure...)"
The @ replies to me came fast, furious and with great passion.
"MoneyforSchool@joelcomm blueberry cake glazed ... yum yum"
"Mageela@joelcomm classic glaze. Nothing better."
"splatnuk@joelcomm Bear claw - oh man now I'm donut-hungry..."
"EdHudson@joelcomm Blueberry"
"mphillibert@joelcomm this is bad, I have 2 Boston Creme and Coconut LOL Melanie"
And the list continued.
In fact, I received PAGES of @ replies to this tweet. And it all became quite clear to me...
The mundane tweets are far more significant than anyone has given credit. Here's why.
Relationship finds its foundation in establishing commonality.
When we discover that someone has a friend from our hometown, our ears prick up and we attempt to find out if we know their friend.
When we ask for restaurant suggestions in a city, locals will chime in with their favorites, hoping that you will have enjoyable experiences at their recommended establishments.
And when one of us experiences a tragedy, those most likely to come forward with compassion and understanding are those who have had similar experiences.
Commonality in the human experience is a starting point for relationships. We are drawn to people who think the way we think, like the things we like and have been to the places we've been.
When I innocently made a tweet about donuts, I received a massive outpouring of interaction with other Twitter members. I tapped into a shared experience that so many people could relate to. Not only that, but they were EAGER to relate to the experience. Donuts! Yum.
So why is this imporant?
My mundane tweet was not about donuts. It's was about connecting with a large number of people quickly and effectively.
It was about getting them to interact in a way that would endear them to me further. After all, if Joel Comm likes donuts, he must be a pretty good guy.
If we analyze the four phases of successful marketing, they are:
1) Like me
2) Know me
3) Trust me
4) Pay me
In almost all instances, you can not circumvent this process if you hope to sell your products or services. People will not pay you until they trust you. They will not trust you until they get to know you. And they will not get to know you if they don't like you.
When we tweet about our favorite food, cute things our children say, pet peeves of our spouses, an article we just read or any number of other seemingly mundane activities or thoughts, we give people an opportunity to like us. After all, we are drawn to people who share experiences we can identify with.
Not only that, but sharing small pieces of our daily activities also helps people to know us. For example, one might think, "Aha! Joel likes CHOCOLATE donuts. I'll remember that in order to tempt him to meet me for coffee one morning!"
Knowing someone opens the door to trusting them. We trust ourselves with our experiences and are far more likely to trust others who we can identify with.
And finally, trust opens the door to doing business together. If you trust me, you are far more likely to purchase something from me.
Those who don't get it, totally miss the point about Twitter.
Twitter may be a good many things and it may be easier to make a list of things that Twitter is NOT.
But the one thing that it IS is a relationship-building tool which allows millions of people to connect faster and more efficiently than ever before. This happens when we bond with others and relate to them through shared human experiences.
So go ahead. Don't be afraid to tweet that you are taking your dog for a walk. It's ok if you want people to know that you haven't shaved today. And I won't balk if the subject matter of your tweet is french fries. I've done that as well, and I can tell you that people WILL engage with you.
How much more likely are they to interact when you DO have a product or service you want to introduce to them via a tweet?
Bring yourself to Twitter, in all the uniqueness that is you. People will appreciate your authenticity and seek to engage with you.
Everyone likes the guy who brings donuts to work.
In your own way, I suggest you bring your donuts to Twitter. The common ground they will give you will pave the way for great relationships in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
Oh, and one more thing...
Make mine chocolate, please. :-)
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
April 16, 2009 07:22 AM
Fantastic article, Joel. What a great way to explain exactly how and WHY Twitter works and is so popular. Thank you!
April 16, 2009 07:28 AM
WOW
i don't know that donuts do all this :)
maybe we create a new method of marketing call " Marketing With Donuts " LOL
thanks joel , I loved this article
Hessein
http://twitter.com/Hessein
April 16, 2009 07:28 AM
Those types of questions are great to post to Twitter. I believe they do help to create a sense of community as we learn more about each other.
Make mine with those little candies sprinkles.
Henry
April 16, 2009 07:31 AM
"Hence it is evident that man by nature is a social animal." (Aristotle)
Now, main problem about Aristotle : I'm not sure if he knew the taste of donuts chocolate, I forgot to ask him ...
On the other hand, twitter is also related to intercommunication. I mean duplex. Human to human. I'm 100% positive I do not "twit" with a "machine". Nor with a software. :-)
Sincerely yours,
Valentin (aka wmraul)
Bucuresti, Romania
April 16, 2009 08:20 AM
The person who says "Twitter is useless. I don't care what you had for breakfast" is committing a non-sequitor.
More appropriate might be "If all you're going to talk about is little kitty mew mew's poop smelling bad, you're not someone who's bringing value to Twitter for me."
As you've noted, it's important to build relationships, but at the same time give people something to listen to other than the mundane all the time. There is a beautiful middle ground.
April 16, 2009 09:38 AM
Well said Joel (as usual)!
I get more followers just interacting with people than I do trying to promote a product or philosophy. Though I'm still actually working while I tweet, it doesn't feel all that much like work. But sometimes you just have to talk to people on mundane issues and topics to let them get a feel for who you are, and you them.
My favorite all time car salesman is so because he takes the time to ask me about me. He spends time with me before I buy anything. Kind of like what Twitter is, eh?
Wow, it seems strange to write more than 140 characters in a comment now :)
April 16, 2009 10:20 AM
Great article. Individuals have unique agendas. I get a kick out of many of the "mundane" tweets. They really are the basis of human connection. If all I ever got was commercial ads and links, I would be gone. As it is I tend to "fast forward" to find the original, unlinked tweets. Sort of like going through the mail and opening the hand addressed envelopes first. I have been pointed to some interesting and useful places by links (like this one) but variety is the spice of life. I agree with you, Joel. Mix it up!
April 16, 2009 11:09 AM
The more I parse the question of Twitter's greatest impression on me, the more it seems to lend itself to different sorts of answers. Yes, it's one of those that take you to a new form of webbing to connect to an online culture.
It's an extraordinary engine for reaching out to the world. But it may not be for everyone if they are quite private about sharing what sort of food they had for breakfast.
Yes, in Twitter you can find a retreat from loneliness, perhaps to fill a void, giving shape to connectivity since words do not exist alone.
I can see Twitter's possibilities are quantum and limitless...in marketing, education and training, social networking, public order, and so on. Perhaps I should not leave off without mentioning its moral implications which I believe you have already explored.
Thank you Joel. You've answered some of my nagging questions. Had this blog come earlier I would have completed Eric's survey.
April 16, 2009 11:23 AM
You bring great perspective and thought to the the World of Twitter.
Some people don't get baseball and others have no use for Idol. Personally I wouldn't spend hours watching cars make left turns and losing my hearing.
I would entertain conversation with people on both sides of the fence; I know I would learn something and perhaps make a friend.
Twitter is not all things to everyone; it does add value for those who want to discover other ways of looking at life and coming away with a different perspective on something they might never have given a 2nd thought.
Me, I like glazed chocolate ...
April 16, 2009 11:33 AM
This is a great article. You amaze me Joel Comm. It seems that serendipity just hits you in the face and off you go to something exciting
and you just keep on reinventing yourself.
I saw your book at Barnes and Noble and though you did a fantastic job on it. The Book is very detailed and show what a wonderful writer you are.
I hope you document what you do. I would love to see a movie made about
all of this technology. You could be the star! Throw in your adsense book, jam down to your boot camp progams; now twitter. Think about it!
Joel, could you imagine a MOVIE ABOUT ALL OF THIS! The audience would be
all of the marketing people in the world and the Slum Dog Millionair will
have to take the back seat!
I look forward to purchasing you books and hopefully in New York, 29, Barnes and Noble.
My best,
Thelma Harcum
April 16, 2009 12:02 PM
This one is directed to Hussein's comment on "Marketing with Donuts."
Before I became self-employed I worked in an office at a university. No matter what, anytime anyone brought in pastries or donuts, you would think that these people had never eaten before. This brings me to my point of the power of bringing donuts to your marketing mix.
An business associate of ours was vying for a quarter million dollar video contract with a California governmental agency. He had 6 competitors and now it was time for presenting his proposal to the decision making committee. He put together a crack team, one being my husband. I went along for the ride to Sacramento. In the strategy meeting we held the day before the big presentation, I suggested he bring donuts and coffee to the morning presentation. At first he scoffed but must have listened because he did just that.
My husband said you could just see the mood in the room change and the frowns turn around when he walked in the room with his goodies. And he got the contract before he made it back home. Now, I don't know if you can totally credit the donuts with that but I feel he brought something to that meeting with his "gift" that they connected with.
This article really gets to the heart of what is so cool about Twitter. Thanks for saying it so well, Joel.
http://twitter.com/KimRMiller
April 16, 2009 12:31 PM
Great Article Joel! Enjoying your book also. Thanks for showing us the importance of just being ourselves.
April 16, 2009 12:54 PM
Great article Joel.
I talk to people every day that work for "innovative" companies, but are not utilizing Twitter. Many of these people resist change. I know it sounds crazy that they are creating innovative products, but don't want to change in other parts of their business.
Twitter is about building relationships! I'm sending a link to this article to my "change resistant" colleagues.
Steve
http://twitter.com/IPstrategy
April 16, 2009 02:27 PM
Great article.Simply stated.And,by the way I LOVE glazed!
April 16, 2009 02:31 PM
Joel, thanks for the encouragement to be who we are. It's an interesting take, that goes against the usual twitter etiquette. Which seems to be, Don't say anything, unless you have something 'valuable' to share. By the way, I am not a donut fan, I'd rather have a bagel. Both of them have holes, though, and both of them can be purchased at Dunkin Donuts :)
April 16, 2009 04:00 PM
Excellent post Joel.
I have been putting off signing up for Twitter for far too long. I really didn't understand the purpose of it. But now I do, after reading your post.
Thanks so much! See you on Twitter...
April 16, 2009 05:19 PM
Great Article Joel. Honey Glazed or Blueberry filled :D
April 16, 2009 08:10 PM
Thanks for this. I had been trying to reduce the number of "silly" tweets that I did but it just wasn't as much fun any more. Now I'm going to start including them again.
April 16, 2009 09:40 PM
I'm just starting to transition from the 'don't get it' side to the 'ohhh, I get it' side. Your donut analogy works great for me. (sour cream glazed for me please) thanks
April 17, 2009 08:45 AM
Joel, great post. I was trying to explain the allure of Twitter to two coworkers this morning, and you hit the nail on the head!
Make mine a glazed, please.
April 17, 2009 09:29 AM
There will always be sceptics.
They will come around eventually.
Twitter is making its way onto late night shows and in movies.
Noone can stop Twitter!
April 17, 2009 11:06 AM
touche!
you also forgot to mention -- families are using twitter to connect all over the world .. it's cheaper and faster! no long distance fone calls :)
oh and as for me.. Bavarian creme filled is ALWAYS the best donut :p
April 17, 2009 11:38 AM
VERY interesting insight, Joel. I saw the title of this blog post on many tweets, but ignored it until today. It was an "Aha" moment when I read this:
"The mundane tweets are far more significant than anyone has given credit. Here's why. Relationship finds its foundation in establishing commonality."
Thanks for that eye-opener. I'll sleep on it - and am sure it will impact my use of Twitter going forward!
All success
Dr.Mani
April 17, 2009 10:38 PM
Yea, twitter is a great way to engage your own mind with the community, yet not commit to it. A great mix of social and personal I feel
April 19, 2009 12:34 AM
You make some great points about connecting with your audience on a normal level and establishing commonality.
Twitter allows people from all over the world to connect with each other and exchange valuable information.
The donut example also shows that people sometimes just want to interact with playful or less serious topics too.
Many website owners are now finding it to be a very useful tool for social media marketing, however relationship building needs to remain the central focus for long term success with this media.
April 19, 2009 01:45 PM
Love it..you've given me the best answer when people say, what the heck are you doing on twitter?
May I put your post on an association blog? (full credit and link backs of course!)
phyllis
www.wngco.com is the blog site
April 22, 2009 04:57 PM
All I know is if you ever succumb to being a goof ball, don't ever try eating a confectionery sugar-coated donut in a singe bite. The minute you shove that whole thing in your mouth and breath in, you're history. Been there, done that. Lesson learned. Glazed is a much less life-threatening donut for entertaining the masses...
http://twitter.com/RiskAverse
April 23, 2009 08:28 PM
twitter is kinda dizzy now., sometimes crazy,. i love twitter but as of now they have to fix their problems. twitter is the best source of traffic for me.
May 5, 2009 06:46 AM
Thanks for making my morning- man those donuts look beautiful. I have been pondering how to make my tweets less spam-like, how to add character and a better voice.
I love yours. Thanks for your insight!
May 12, 2009 11:42 AM
You make some great points about connecting with your audience on a normal level and establishing commonality."The mundane tweets are far more significant than anyone has given credit. Here's why. Relationship finds its foundation in establishing commonality."Joel, thanks for the encouragement to be who we are. It's an interesting take, that goes against the usual twitter etiquette. Before I became self-employed I worked in an office at a university. No matter what, anytime anyone brought in pastries or donuts, you would think that these people had never eaten before. This brings me to my point of the power of bringing donuts to your marketing mix.
An business associate of ours was vying for a quarter million dollar video contract with a California governmental agency. He had 6 competitors and now it was time for presenting his proposal to the decision making committee. He put together a crack team, one being my husband. I went along for the ride to Sacramento. In the strategy meeting we held the day before the big presentation, I suggested he bring donuts and coffee to the morning presentation. At first he scoffed but must have listened because he did just that.
========================================
mike
================================
Carpet Cleaning Services Toronto-Carpet Cleaning Services Toronto
June 26, 2009 01:10 PM
aah, what a relief... this is the first article that has given me permission to freely indulge the side of me that actually enjoys telling and hearing from people what type of donuts we like... Connection is such a gift, in business and life. and the guiltiest secret of all -- even in the health field, my son and I both eat donuts now and then -- with rainbow sprinkles please.