Does more = better?
It currently takes over 3.6 m followers to make the Twitter Top 3 most popular twitter users list. As I write this, Switched on Media has 2346 and we’re gaining about 20-30 followers a day. At this rate, in order for us to be listed on the Twitter Top list, it would take about…328 YEARS for us to overtake Ellen!
This gets me thinking, does having more followers really make twitter better for the account holders?
First and foremost, I imagine that the list of top one thousand most popular twitter accounts exhibits elastic behaviour. By this I mean, by simply being listed on the list will automatically generate more followers for those accounts. The result, therefore, reinforces and entrenches the most popular users, giving them more followers and making it even harder for them to be overtaken by new and interesting accounts. So while Switched on Media is gaining 20-30 followers a day, these guys are probably adding 50-100 to their entourage just from being on this list. If the above elasticity argument is true, then follower growth is more of a function of current positions, rather than the quality of the account’s execution – and I reckon this correlation between the number of existing followers and follower growth doesn’t stop at the top three.
The underlying question still remains, does having more followers really mean that you are doing a better job, and more importantly for a company, does it lead to more meaningful business outcomes?
What is your goal for Social Media?
Knowing what you want a twitter account to achieve helps to determine the best plan of action. If you’re really just looking for rapid growth in your twitter followers, then you’ll want to discuss broader keyword terms, use popular hash tags, engage in #followfridays and comment on or to popular accounts. Of course, the assumption here is that growth is the key measure of success and this may not always be the case. From our work with both blue-chip clients and smaller accounts, we have found that growth in twitter followers and the achievement of business goals are not always aligned, and more followers does not necessarily translate into social media success. The key question you need to have clearly defined before you engage in any social media campaigns is, what is your goal?
What are your competitors doing?
If you are struggling with what to do or how to begin twittering or participating in social media in general, I always suggest to clients to start by finding out what their competitors are doing. Competitors offer various insights that you can learn from and build upon. Deep competitor analysis may reveal when your competitors’ accounts get more followers, how often they are retweeted, and what comments or tweets generate the best response. The easiest way to learn from competitors is to set up searches within tweetdeck for competitors’ accounts as well hash tags and relevant keywords related to their brand, such as the name of their CEO. Learning from your competitors can help with setting your goals, knowing what level of followers you can expect and how much interaction your audience may require.
I am just most concerned that Britney and The Ellen Show is number 2 and 3…
everyones following ashton kutcher for more bum shots of demi
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