| The blogosphere, ezines, and social media networks, | | | | page(s) which relates the most to their Tweet. Thus, |
| have been blogging, printing, and twittering over the | | | | saving them the time of searching through your FAQ |
| last week or two in regards to news that Google is | | | | or Support site manually and countless amounts of |
| close to making an offer for Twitter. Too many | | | | their time. |
| authors have been getting dinged for jumping on the | | | | Both of these scenarios just potentially saved your |
| band-wagon; don't believe the Google purchase of | | | | company tons of money by limiting the number of |
| Twitter hype! Authors are commenting that they | | | | support staff you need to run your business due to |
| should sell, sell, sell, for any amount that Google | | | | ensuring that multiple people are not working the |
| offers. What are all of the "rumored" offers? So far, | | | | same issues. You also just increased customer |
| I've seen Twitter offer amounts numbering Two | | | | satisfaction by ensuring that high visibility issues are |
| Hundred and Fifty Million, Five Hundred Million, or One | | | | addressed first, and that they get the fastest |
| Billion? Read all of the articles regarding this matter, | | | | notification possible to their questions, suggestions, |
| and and you'll find one word in common with all of | | | | and issues. During these tight times, both benefits |
| them, they state that it is a "rumored offer" or | | | | would be extremely valuable for any company. Plus, |
| simply just a "rumor". | | | | real time notification, from businesses to their |
| I have been reading article after article, and have | | | | customers, on the status of any business |
| analyzed all of their arguments. Amazingly enough, | | | | transactions is another possibility within Twitter. All of |
| even after information from a reliable source within | | | | these values, plus the Advertising and Marketing |
| Twitter was released stating that "There was a | | | | potential that Twitter has to reach your customers |
| discussion [Google executive Marissa Mayer's] group | | | | and to reach potential future customers, makes |
| about real-time search and about product stuff. It | | | | corporate involvement within Twitter as certain as |
| was a couple weeks ago. It was very preliminary...and | | | | death and taxes, and as valuable as they choose it |
| that was that." and another source stating: "Seriously, | | | | to be. |
| no negotiations, no deal, nada.", the internet chatter | | | | TWITTER'S VALUE |
| of a Google purchase of Twitter is still a-buzzing! So | | | | Twitter's value is based upon information. Because |
| why, if reliable sources are stating to the contrary, | | | | you can be selective with whom you receive that |
| are so many internet authors and bloggers still fueling | | | | information from, you have a direct influence upon |
| these "Google purchase of Twitter" fires? | | | | the amount and quality of the information which you |
| Let's review their arguments: | | | | receive. Plus, due to the limited content which profiles |
| 1) There is no real value in Twitter, so sell while | | | | are allowed to transmit, it is much easier for Twitter |
| Google's buying! | | | | users to discern between the proverbial B.S. and |
| So many people have criticized Twitter's fast rising | | | | actual valuable information - in seconds! |
| success, attributing it to good marketing and having | | | | The fact that Twitter is transforming a |
| public attraction from its newness and public hype, | | | | non-monetized business model to a monetized |
| and are stating that it will be short-lived. Several | | | | business model after the fact is not an issue. Several |
| authors state that the "messages are short, and | | | | people have hinted that doing so leads to imminent |
| often-times pointless", or "That it's full of trivial | | | | failure. However, what these writers don't know is |
| rubbish". However, sometimes people simply | | | | that almost every highly successful internet venture |
| appreciate a little brevity in life. The tremendous | | | | in its beginning phases were non-monetized at one |
| success and current use of "Leet Speak" on the | | | | phase or another (iMesh and Napster are two |
| internet is an excellent example of this fact. Being | | | | examples). It is essential to do so in order to see |
| capable of expressing a complete thought or group | | | | whether or not the project takes to the public or |
| of thoughts within 140 characters is not a sign of a | | | | not. You design it with monetizing in mind, after all |
| lack of intelligence, but of analytical and interpretive | | | | you are a company whose goal is profit. However, |
| intelligence. | | | | there is no point in spending the money to monetize |
| 2) Twitter is holding onto an idealistic fantasy. | | | | an application or website, before you know that you |
| The argument that Twitter is trying to avoid reality is | | | | have the millions of users necessary to find significant |
| preposterous. Twitter is realism, twenty-four hours a | | | | success! |
| day, and it is as social impacting or as mundane as | | | | This decision is dependent upon which school of |
| the person chooses. If a person wants to share their | | | | business that the creators come from, and who their |
| personal insights or experiences, they can. If a | | | | direct influences are when it comes to thinking |
| person wants to try to change the world 140 | | | | towards future and final success. The truth is, if you |
| characters at a time, they can. If you want to | | | | build it and the people use it, the money will come. |
| educate or share information with anyone who | | | | The amount of success that is found is totally |
| wants to read it, you can! There are no filters, only | | | | dependent upon the vision of the owners, and how |
| that you choose to "listen" to what each particular | | | | well they design the monetizing features within the |
| person has to say. Yes, there will be some insincerity | | | | site or application's usage. More importantly, how well |
| present. However, when is it not present in our lives? | | | | they design it to fit within the business model of |
| You have to filter through the B.S. and choose who is | | | | possible buyers as well. Ensuring your site or |
| sincere, and who isn't. Then, you simply give the | | | | application is the most unique in its creation, or at |
| insincere people the boot by stopping to follow them, | | | | least of the highest quality when it comes to your |
| or block them altogether! | | | | competitors, ensures your future success and the |
| 3) Twitter has no value as a business to customer | | | | value of your product. |
| interface. | | | | SELLING NOW IS A MISTAKE |
| Ok. Really... Who the heck was dumb enough to even | | | | Selling Twitter to Google now is not only a mistake, |
| start this argument. Twitter allows brief SMS-like | | | | but a joke. The potential value of Twitter goes far |
| communications between two entities, whether that | | | | beyond what it would currently be valued at for a |
| be a person or an organization. In fact, companies | | | | sale. Twitter could be worth so much more a few |
| have been using SMS interfaces for customer | | | | years down the road. Solving the infrastructure |
| notification and advertising for some time now. Now, | | | | issues, and designing real-time search interface |
| let's say you create a Twitter feed for your | | | | capability for Google and other search engines, would |
| company. You then, take all of the Twitter feeds to | | | | take Twitter to an all new level in the industry. Also, |
| your company profile, consisting of complaints and | | | | working more directly with businesses, and helping |
| suggestions, and feed them into a server for | | | | them to find the highest value out of their Twitter |
| storage. Next, you analyze the content of the | | | | usage, would give Twitter even more leverage when |
| tweets for keyword content, and then categorize | | | | it comes to selling their site to potential buyers in the |
| and group them together for analysis. You now have | | | | future by attracting more businesses. |
| a pretty effective analytical tool that allows you to | | | | All of these solutions are changes that could be |
| know what your customers are thinking about, how | | | | implemented in the next two to three years, and |
| many of them are thinking about the same thing, as | | | | would triple or quadruple Twitter's overall value. By |
| well as how much of those thoughts are addressed | | | | then, their user base will have increased significantly |
| by the projects and issues your employees are | | | | as well. Plus, they may have even added more |
| currently working on, or not working on! | | | | advertising functionality within Twitter for businesses |
| Hence, all issues that are related to a particular issue, | | | | using Twitter for customer notification and consumer |
| or error, that your people are working on, can be | | | | education. |
| associated to that trouble-ticket, and then the | | | | All in all, selling now will only ensure that the buyer |
| sending users can be Twittered once the issue is | | | | reaps all of the benefits that Twitter owners could |
| resolved! People with SMS configured for Twitter will | | | | have seen, as well as the increased money that they |
| then get a notification on their cell phone that the | | | | could have received in a future sale of Twitter. In |
| issue is resolved. Or, if a user twitters a question, | | | | summation, with selling Twitter now, each and every |
| issue, or a suggestion, and there are several possible | | | | one of them would be kicking themselves 5 years |
| matches on your FAQ, Current Issues, or New | | | | down the road when they begin to see the financial |
| Features pages, you can send them a Twitter | | | | earnings reports being released to the press from |
| message containing a URL which takes them to the | | | | Google, or any other buyer. |