I’ve talked about my take on Twitter before. My biggest complaint/knock is that there are millions of people Tweeting but far less people listening. Bottom line: too much noise and not enough value compared to other ways to invest time and money in Internet Marketing.
That being said, I’m not totally against Twitter. I’ll agree that there are some ways to put Twitter to use effectively (more on this in a second), but just a very small percentage of Twitterers use the tool effectively.
Up to this point in time, one of the best uses of Twitter is to establish or enhance a brand’s perception by playing the role of a subject matter expert (SME). For example, a real estate broker in a crowded marketplace could differentiate him or herself by avoiding the temptation of tweeting endlessly about their own listings and instead offering helpful content to homebuyers and sellers. Twitter users in that marketplace who subscribe to the broker develop a sense of trust about the broker, making them more likely to be clients. That should result in more business for the broker (a nice ROI).
The benefits of being an SME depend on the specifics of the industry, but the universal benefit is differentiation. And differentiation usually equals more business. For example, it could mean more leads or the ability to charge a higher hourly rate for consulting, speaking, or training.
There are plenty of great examples of SMEs out there in the Twitterverse, but the one that defines how to be an SME on Twitter is Darren Rovell (Klout score of 75). Darren’s area of expertise is the business of sports. The subject doesn’t really matter, so don’t stop reading because you hate sports. It’s the way Darren uses Twitter to compliment everything else he does (like blogging, for example) that makes him the expert in his field. That’s something we can all learn from.
Here are the keys to becoming an SME on Twitter:
NOTE: Remember, I’m talking only about subject matter experts here. I’m not talking about social media geeks like Robert Scoble (who I like reading and following), celebrities (pick any one of thousands on Twitter) or other personal uses of Twitter.
1. Stay focused on building credibility.
If you’re goal is to be an SME, then you have to be ultra-focused. That means facing a reality that’s hard for a lot of people to swallow: little-to-no status updates. Listen to me carefully: no one cares what you’re doing or what you just did unless it has something to do with your area of expertise.
For example, let’s say my goal is to be an SME in financial planning. That means I shouldn’t be Tweeting about the tough workout I just had at the gym. Reason number one, no one really cares. Second, that doesn’t do anything to help position me as an SME. It tells people I take care of myself, but it doesn’t make me a better authority on financial planning. The alternative is tweeting tips for people so they can afford a monthly gym membership, or how staying in shape is a way of being fiscally responsible because it cuts down on future health costs.
Back to Darren. If he’s at an event that’s huge in sports business, like the Super Bowl for example, he’ll mention it because he’s probably meeting with a huge sponsor. But you’ll never read Tweets about the great meal he had or how mad he is because his flight is delayed. As a result, his body of work in Twitter has a very high usefulness ratio (meaning a low percentage of his Tweets are useless info like status updates).
2. Be original.
SMEs tweet original content. Period. That means limited retweets.
Why? Because at the end of the day at retweet is an acknowledgment that someone else had something valuable to say. If I am trying to be an SME in social media and 75% of my content are retweets from Mashable, then I’m not very original. And therefore I’m not an SME, I’m just a news channel. There’s a huge difference.
Contributing original content is where Darren is particularly effective. Here are some examples from his Twitter feed that illustrate how to be original:
Original thoughts:
In case you couldn’t figure this one out: original thoughts are your own observations about your subject matter. Being proactive is key, as opposed to always reacting to what someone else in the industry tweeted or wrote in an article. The more original, the more potential value they contain because interested followers are more likely to be engaged in a conversation – critical for Twitter success. To the right is an example of original content from Darren. He observed a professional football player that is holding out for a better contract has been so quiet that he hasn’t even tweeted in a long time. Granted, that might not get you excited. But someone who is really into the subject matter of business and sports would read that and think that’s an interesting observation. And it’s powerful because it didn’t come from anywhere else. Darren thought of it himself and posted it.
Authoritative Opinions
Followers will look to SMEs to chime in with their opinions on things happening in that niche. An SME can’t be afraid to take a stand and stir the waters a bit. In the tweet to the right, Darren has sounded off about a recent trend in college football where teams have decided to ban their players from being able to use social media tools like Twitter during the season (mostly out of a fear that the players will say something that the other team will take offense to, thus additionally motivating the other team). No doubt this was a popular topic in his industry. Darren found a way to take a stand on the topic while trying to get reactions from readers. Again, increased engagement only makes him look better.
3. Plug your stuff, but don’t be a cheesy salesman. The whole point of being an SME is to build up credibility in the marketplace. The more credibility and the more the perceived level of expertise, the better it is for the brand.
In Darren’s case, he’s known as the guy to talk to in situations where sports and business collide. For example, when the whole Tiger Woods drama went down at the end of last year. Darren was the person every network wanted to talk to about how Tiger’s indiscretions were affecting his portfolio of high-paying sponsors. For Darren, the more her makes appearances and the more his opinion is in demand, the more he’s worth. All of that will really pay off the next time he’s up for a contract negotiation.
Back to my point…one of the keys to being an SME is to plug your other content (for example, your blog) without being a cheesy salesman. I never want to click a link when someone teases it with, “Read my blog post” or any other obvious line like that. I’m not saying you should be deceitful to try and get people to read your stuff, I’m just saying you don’t need to go so heavy on the plugging. If your content is good, people will read it. Darren does a good job in the example above.
What are some of the ways you effectively position yourself as an SME? Who are some of the SMEs you think do the best job using Twitter? Let’s discuss in the comment section below.
Pat said:
I have been following Darren for a while, and I consistently learn something from his Tweets. Another point is that I believe his total number of followers is not a way to measure the value of his feed. It's the quality of the followers. As a sports business expert, if he has all the agents and big companies involved in his reporting as followers -- the raw number is quite meaningless. I'm sure he'll get scoops through Twitter.
I'd compare Rovell favorably with Pat Hanlon, the VP of communications for the NY Football Giants (@giantspathanlon). He combines an insider view of the team with some well placed snark and shout-outs to fans. It brings the fan experience to life, and like Rovell, is not endlessly self-promoting.
OTOH, I also follow Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann), and while I watch his show, his Twitter feed leaves me more frustrated than enlightened because it is simply snippets of his side of multiple conversations. It is too much trouble to try to follow the threads of the people with whom he corresponds.
Three media people whose work I enjoy and follow, but three completely different approaches to this social media tool.
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Fri, 2010-08-27 17:16 — PatEric Gruber said:
Hi Mark,
Great post! It's great to finally see someone who sees eye to eye with me on this topic. I'm always preaching -- get your original content out there. Show you are the subject matter expert by consistently writing articles on your blog, submitting them to top websites and ezines and making mentions within Facebook, LinkedIn, your LinkedIn groups and on Twitter. If you want to show your personality - then tell a story within your articles that is someway connected to the message you want people to understand. The only way to become known as a thought leader like I have in the article marketing industry, you need to constantly and consistently put your knowledge in front of your prospects' eyes in as many formats as possible. And, it starts with writing articles. For those who need help writing their articles, check out my free article templates at: http://www.trymyfreearticletemplates.com
Thanks!
Eric Gruber
http://www.trymyfreearticletemplates.com
www.articlemarketingexperts.com
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Tue, 2010-08-24 15:10 — Eric GruberMarkFaggiano said:
Eric-
I'm right with you. Thanks so much for commenting.
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Wed, 2010-08-25 12:51 — Mark FaggianoJoan Stewart, The Publicity Hound said:
Mark,
This post really opening my eyes.
After reading it, it dawned on me that I'm tweeting far too many links to OTHER people's brilliant thoughts and opinions and sharing too few of my own.
Why? Because it's easy. Every day, I'm going to try to force myself to tweet three original thoughts or opinions on publicity and PR topics. I'm also writing about this blog post and linking to it in today's issue of my ezine, "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week."
Thanks for the nudge.
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Tue, 2010-08-24 10:21 — Joan Stewart, The Publicity HoundMarkFaggiano said:
Joan-
My pleasure. Thanks for commenting.
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Wed, 2010-08-25 12:49 — Mark FaggianoDannySkarka said:
Interesting, especially the point about status updates. The conventional wisdom I have read to date says that Twitter is a cocktail party...80% business, 20% social. People want to see the real person. The same discussion has been over RT. It's said that you use RT to build followers.
I'm not sure which side I agree with yet, but it's interesting to see a different point of view. The magic of new forms of communication...."what is the language to be used." Thank you for the food for thought. Post is bookmarked.
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Sat, 2010-08-21 22:49 — Danny SkarkaMarkFaggiano said:
Danny-
I like the cocktail party analogy.
For me, and this is just my opinion, that 20% personal stuff just contributes to the endless noise. If what I really wanted to know was that someone just had rocky road ice cream, I'd rather be friends with them on Facebook.
It's a tough one to navigate, but I think the best SMEs do it very well. They choose quality over quantity with their tweets.
Thanks for commenting. It's an interesting topic to discuss.
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Mon, 2010-08-23 19:33 — Mark FaggianoLita Cox said:
Great piece on making Twitter effective for branding and gaining SME positioning. I've re-tooled my approach to Twitter and from a time management perspective and professional brand approach, it's working much better.
Thank you so much for the great info!
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Sat, 2010-08-21 21:09 — Lita CoxMarkFaggiano said:
Hi Lita-
Re-tooling is a great option. And I think that's where we are in the life cycle of Twitter. Most of us are trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. We can't be afraid of changing it up and trying somethig new.
Thanks for commenting.
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Mon, 2010-08-23 19:36 — Mark FaggianoDarren Rovell said:
Mark --
Thanks so much for using me as your example. I'm honored.
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Thu, 2010-08-19 21:30 — Darren RovellMarkFaggiano said:
My pleasure. Thanks for setting a good example.
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Fri, 2010-08-20 11:00 — Mark FaggianoRob Horlock said:
Good article Mark,
I am definitely in the camp of 'lots of noise and too few listeners'. Actually, I feel that Twitter is the modern 'Emperor's New Clothes'. I followed the UK election on Twitter, or rather, it was so frenetic that it was not possible to follow. Twitter has a place, I'm sure, but not as it's being used by 95%+ of tweeters ...
Maybe it's like learning Esperanto ...
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Thu, 2010-08-19 16:22 — Rob HorlockMarkFaggiano said:
Rob-
Thanks for commenting. You may end up being right with your Emperor's theory. Like I always tell people, Twitter is just a piece of the puzzle. It shouldn't be seen as the savior to a marketing plan.
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Fri, 2010-08-20 10:54 — Mark FaggianoFahed said:
The great thing about taking this approach is that the discipline you need to give to Twitter ensures that Twitter doesn't suck the life out of you.
One of the additional things which I do is follow people who are more SMEs than me as a way of motivating me to keep my quality high and to ensure i don't get sucked into the trivial stuff which Twitter has such an easy way of getting you sucked into.
Nice article. Thanks. I'm glad that I'm not alone in this approach :)
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Thu, 2010-08-19 14:31 — FahedMarkFaggiano said:
Fahed-
I'm right with you. We can learn a lot from the SMEs that do it the right way. That's why I mentioned @darrenrovell1. I've been really impressed with the way he uses his account. Like you, I try hard to follow only SMEs or users that have seemingly a dedicated and engaged base of followers.
Thanks for commenting.
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Fri, 2010-08-20 10:57 — Mark FaggianoJack Price said:
Hi MIke,
Good insights for those of us who are seeking to understand the value of social media.
You're right: a lot of noise on Twitter. I can see the value in RTs for creating a niche "channel", but it is one of those things that is far too temptingly easy: just hit the ReTweet button. How does that add value to discourse? The effect is minimal unless you add your own spin, something original, as you said.
I like your 3 points, so I wrote them on an index card and stuck them above my desk as reminders. (Hopelessly old school, but whatever works.)
Thanks,
Jack
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Thu, 2010-08-19 12:42 — Jack PriceMarkFaggiano said:
Jack-
Thanks for commenting. I'm glad what I wrote was helpful.
You touched on it: being original is what I think what the biggest takeaway should be...if your goal is to be an SME.
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Mon, 2010-08-23 19:38 — Mark FaggianoMitch Miles said:
Mark
Enjoyed reading your post this morning. Great Job! In particular, your focus and attention to the importance of credibility. From the locally-owned small business down the street to the large corporation located at the top of a 25 floor downtown highrise - everyone is searching for TRUST. Trust in brands, tools, platforms, and people. Being able to communicate trust through tweets is critical to connecting with our target audiences.
Thanks for the reminder of "blocking and tackling" (basics) of communication.
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Thu, 2010-08-19 12:29 — Mitch MilesMarkFaggiano said:
Hi Mitch-
Appreciate your comments. Glad you liked it.
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Fri, 2010-08-20 11:02 — Mark FaggianoMike Brown said:
Mark -
Some great suggestions on sharing original content, esp. without links. That's an area I certainly can look to improve in my own Twitter activity.
I disagree with some elements of the perspective on RTs though. I agree you don't want to fill your Twitter content with RTs of all the same highly-popular sources everyone is looking at (esp. when you have a fraction of the followers the original source does). There is a niche, however, for highlighting new and lesser-followed experts in your field. This creates value by providing wider exposure.to perspectives from others who may not have as large an audience. Part of being an expert is recognizing other talent and sharing attention with them as well.
Again, very thought provoking and thanks for sharing your ideas!
Mike
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Tue, 2010-08-17 12:51 — Mike BrownLiz Fawcett said:
I agree wtih Mike - Twitter is very much about listening to others and having the courtesy to retweet what you find interesting in a discriminating fashion. Moreover, few of us live in a one-track vacuum - witty observations about everyday life - if occasional rather than constant - brighten up everyone's day and show you don't take yourself too seriously.
But it's partly about taste - so Mark's observations are interesting from the perspective of someone who hates all the 'fluff' on Twitter which I do empathise with. I think. on Twitter, taking a journalistic approach and getting the news out first, or at least early, about any new development in your field helps - plus making original contributions to debates on the latest developments/issues. But better to join a conversation than merely self-promote.
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Fri, 2010-08-20 04:57 — Liz FawcettJenny Ryan said:
I agree with Mike's comments on the RT factor. For example, I follow many Twitter users almost exclusively because they identify articles or sources I didn't yet know about. It's a way of sharing knowledge in a clean, succinct way, even if it's not contributing anything in particular. Retweeting does gain significant value, though, when a user attaches their own thoughts to the post. This helps to clarify polarity: do they agree with everything in the article? Disagree?
Anyway, great examples of effective engagement in your post, Mark. I have a long way to go before achieving some of these in my own Twitter use!
- Jenny
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Wed, 2010-08-18 14:01 — Jenny RyanMarkFaggiano said:
Jenny-
To your point about following people that are good at finding interesting stuff to read and tell everyone through RTs - I agree that there is some value there. But my point is that type of user is not an SME. That user is essentially an RSS feed or a news channel. I believe that those are two distinct uses of Twitter and ideally shouldn't be combined.
Thanks for participating.
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Fri, 2010-08-20 11:05 — Mark FaggianoMarkFaggiano said:
Hi Mike-
Thanks for commenting.
I can see where it looks like I am totally against RTs. Perhaps I could have made that point a little more clear. What I was trying to say is that someone who just RTs stuff from other people is not an SME. And, to tie it back to my original point, all someone who just RTs does (and I see a lot of them out there) is create more noise. That, to me, is Twitter's biggest problem. Too much noise and not enough listeners.
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Wed, 2010-08-18 11:13 — Mark FaggianoPost new comment