Why Twitter Is Overrated

Reader Comments
Back to blog

I am a harsh critic of twitter because of three reasons:
1. It is not the first in the block! Status message on facebook, orkut or even myspace works in a similar fashion, except that they dont make a huge deal out of it!
2. Twitter is messy, hihgly cluttered and as somone already stated tweets are not eternal and hence the term "Micro Blog" holds no meaning!
3. Twitter is full of spam, greedy TV channels and marketting rags!

Chaitanya of MO 3:14AM October 08, 2009

EaXzez

Nnwgedyw of IN 12:06AM July 15, 2009

Did you even read the original articale that you just copy and pasted here? You infer none of the article.
Don't quit your day job man.

Heavens of UT 8:15PM January 16, 2009

I kept hearing about Twitter from authority sites for months and I finally went there. It looked like a complete waste of time. Case in point, who cares if anyone is doing their laundry.
Reluctantly, I signed up for an account and I'm so glad I did. In fact, it's becoming one of the most powerful promotional tools in the web 2.0 arsenal. Take away, LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, but please leave me Twitter and YouTube.
Yes, you can use Twitter as a spam tool, but that's not it's power to me because quality people will stop following you or even block you.
Twitter's power is the efficiency of connecting with new people of like mind. One can do a search for a keyword or someone's name and follow them. They will receive a messag that you are following them and most will study your profile and Twitter posts to see if they see any value in following you back. If they do, then you can immediately start a private conversation with some of the most influential people in the world.
If I didn't have Twitter, then many of those authority figures would be difficult for me to get through all their gatekeepers and filters.
Those experts are more likely to do a private direct message (DM)with you because they know that their new follower must be terse. Most gurus can handle a one or two line response. If they see value, they form a relationship with you instantly. If they think you're a bozo, they stop following you or if you're a pest, they simple block you.
I used to book experts for seminars and sometimes it would take me months before I could get word in to a speaker that didn't know me. Now, in a couple of Twitter posts, I can have direct access. I followed Guy Kawasaki and he followed me back. Guy is a famous marketer with 9 published books, but I can no have a conversation with him with no time invested on my part in the chase.
The ultimate tool is to send a Twitter post out, then put a link in there to your latest blog post. With authority followers on your Twitter list, you can drive the most influential traffic that you have ever dreamed of. It keeps my head spinning.
To me, one is not better than the other, rather Twitter & blogs are the perfect marriage.
On Your Side, Glen Woodfin
http://twitter.com/GlenWoodfin

Glen Woodfin of SC 2:41PM January 13, 2009

As someone who literally entered college when Facebook was launched, I am in a sweet spot. Not only do I work in the industry but I’m old enough to critically evaluate new technologies. I am also young enough to remember a brief era of social networking before the hype.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that there’s a small segment of society that consists of slightly tech-savvy 40+ babyboomer/Xers who, for some unknown reason, feel the urge to propel any and every new social technology (i.e. Twitter) into the realm of “necessity”. (You know who I am talking about)
Churning out books and buzzwords at a dizzying rate, I often question whether so-called "new media experts" get it themselves. I’ve met with several of these “experts” and while their intentions are positive, I feel that this “new tool fever” is more about impressing their “un-tech savvy” peers than actual ROI; the investment being your time or money.
Face it; you can't make every new social technology an integral part of your life. There are too many options and overlapping technologies. For instance, you can't be Mr. Blogger, Joe Twitter, Mrs. LinkedIn, Dr. Facebook, Captain Digg, and Admiral Wiki. The aforementioned tools are just the tip of the iceberg. While some would have you believe that they “do it all”, they either don’t sleep or are not productive using any of them. Don’t spread yourself to thin. You wouldn’t by a nail gun if you were fixing a bicycle. So why waste your time with tools if they don’t facilitate your specific goals?
You need to pick and choose what works for you. Twitter is great, but it depends what your goals are. If I was on a road trip, I might use Twitter to keep everyone back home up to speed. If my goal is to keep my employees communicating, I would use a Wiki. If I am interested in linking up with colleagues from my first job, I would utilize LinkedIn. If I was a small business owner and wanted to network with the sole purpose of generating new clients and exchanging business leads, I would use our tool Referral Key.
I agree with Matt. As you can see, I happen to like to give robust responses. As a communication platform, a blog is much is more suited to my style and needs.
Warm regards,
Christopher Ott
VP New Media Marketing, Christopher Ott
Referral Key
http://www.referralkey.com

Christopher Ott of MA 11:20AM January 13, 2009

What makes it overrated? You have 5 points that outline some of the differences between blogging and micro-blogging but you don't really offer concrete evidence as to why Twitter is overrated. Each medium serves its own unique purpose; I agree that blogs will not be obsolete but a service like twitter, which grew over 700% last year should not be overlooked and should not be classified as "overrated" unless you truly understand its use.

Adam of CA 11:11AM January 13, 2009

Missed the point the original article that is. Did you even read the article? You can't even copy and paste the article and get it right. seriously tho...don't quit your day job man.

Heavens of UT 9:16AM January 13, 2009

Interesting comments. But I want to know what takes people back to blogs time and time again; and how do they discover new blogs of interest?
I use Twitter for both, as my favourite bloggers deliver their headlines to me and I can decide which to view. They also pass on snippets from their favourite bloggers too.
Twitter is a great medium for delivering small blasts of news to people who have opted in to follow you. Let's not forget that it isn't actually the internet itself...
Ian Hendry
CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz

Ian Hendry 4:15AM January 13, 2009

I agree that Twitter is overrated. But I'm also suffering from blog overload these days. Professional blogs have been multiplying like rabbits, and for me, their utility has been greatly diminished.
I wonder how many of the professional blogs will fare in this recession. I'm talking about the ones that actually have infrastructure, that count on advertising dollars, not the cottage types where making profits aren't the primary motivation. I'm guessing that web advertisers are no longer willing to pay top dollar and earnings in general on the web will be on the decline.

Pearl of PA 12:39AM January 13, 2009

Well said Twitter has its purpose but a line has to be drawn on it true potential ans a SEM tool.
A quick blast of the occasional marketing message is great but it cannot be overdone.
The main factor in the decaluation of Twitter is the senseless post such as Molly just fed the cat or other trivial senseless message.
It can make it difficult to take seriously at time so what does it do to the marketing message?

Pete Hollier 7:16PM January 12, 2009