Just like anything, Twitter is hated among some people purely for the reason that so many others love it. The human psychology of Twitter is that it’s easier to love something someone hates and vice versa. But Twitter actually plays on the human nature of people in many interesting ways, and this is what makes it hard to avoid.
I was once a Twitter “non-believer”, SHOCKED? I know – but it’s true, you can blame the month of dead silence coming from the Official Chitika Twitter account on boring ol’ me before I was shown the Twit-light – not to be confused with the teen-girl phenomenon Twilight, of course. Simply put, how else could you directly listen, in real time to, or connect, with someone you may have otherwise never seen or heard a word from ever in your lifetime? Twitter. It’s almost as if you took a super-telescope and pointed it around the world, into your customers, users, publishers, heroes and even idols computer screens where they are typing their very thoughts, options and actions. Simply put again, Twitter directly connects you to a world ultimately unreachable & unseen.
Let Twitter play to your EGO Don’t stand behind the super-telescope forever. Get out there and talk. Meet people, talk to people.. because they want to talk to you. Once you start getting followers, RT’s, @’s and direct messages- you will feel very relevant in the Tworld. And unlike Facebook, MySpace, etc., this never gets boring. Why? There is always a larger audience, access to more people and their lives, stories, opinions, friends & followers without trying or having to friend request them. It’s more reachable than other social networks, so it will be less likely to lose your interest. And because Twitter cleverly plays into personal ego, it would be hard for someone to leave. This emotional connection will keep it afloat for a very long time, and this is why advertising will not kill Twitter…
Twitter and advertising What gives Twitter an edge over Facebook and Myspace is right now, it’s the only of its kind. Twitter also has a dominant number of people who use Twitter for business reasons because it brings great value. So the question is not whether advertising will kill Twitter (because thats impossible) but how much it will be affected. I do not see a domino-effect of dropped users just because of ads, but I do see many being annoyed about it. But even then, will users really be able to give up the on-going benefits? We already know that Twitter captures an emotional involvement to people, and right now, the only content on someone’s Twitter page is info all about them. So advertising could either cause a personal invasion to users, which could alter the way people feel about Twitter or use it, or they could value the benefits of the system and move on. Nothing in life is free. Who could really blame Twitter for falling into the human nature of survival? How can someone criticize something they use for free for wanting due-financial credit? So my answer is, no. But that’s just me… What are your thoughts about advertising on Twitter? -Karla Escolas – Chitika, Inc.
Follow Karla on Twitter! @KarlaChitika
More on Twitter: Advertising on Twitter, by Dan Ruby