How long has it been since we had a, "Twitter is dead" article?

AdWeek published the article, The Tweet Hereafter, yesterday and it will probably make no sense to any Marketer who sees any of the Social Media platforms as something more than just another advertising channel.

"Like Second Life, Twitter has become a wasteland for brands. Verizon, a company that spent more than $1 billion on advertising in 2009, has around 5,000 followers -- about 0.3 percent the amount that Perez Hilton has. Coca-Cola has 15,000. Apple's not even on Twitter. And some corporate Twitter accounts suffer from prolonged neglect. Delta Airlines' Twitter page went from June 17 to Dec. 22 last year without a single update. Delta reps could not be reached for comment."

So, what's the message? If you're looking at trying to find a pure brand building or advertising channel to supplant what you're doing on television or in print, then Twitter may not be the best substitute. But, if you're trying to see what kind of conversation there is around your brand, the types of people interested in the industry you serve, the ideas, compliments and complaints that people have about your brand (and your industry), then why would you not be engaged on (or at least monitoring) Twitter?

Most of these articles completely miss the point.

Yes, people are hot on Twitter and something else will come along that will make people hotter (and those same people may even get fairly cold on Twitter), but every time the success of a channel/platform is judged it's always against how many people are on the platform (not who is on the platform), and if they're actually buying anything, instead of really taking the time to see the many different Marketing opportunities that lie within and just a little deeper.

Also, let's face it, most brands are boring on Twitter.

Ultimately, they're just trying to shill their wares and that gets old fast with the Twitter community. What does work? Real people having real interactions, and most brands are simply not doing this with the right people (on their end) and taking the time to truly nurture a valuable relationship. On top of that Twitter may not be the best Marketing channel for a brand, but what about customer service, business development, HR, public relations, etc... Bottom line, any Social Media channel (Twitter or otherwise) do work for Marketers if they're interesting and become interested in others.

Unfortunately, most Marketers look at Twitter and simply ask: "how can this help me push more product?"

It's a shame.

By Mitch Joel

Episode #189 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

Seth Godin wrote a seminal book called, All Marketers Are Liars. Avinash Kaushik tells us about how marketing connects and how to measure it in such a practical and real way, that some Marketers can't stand the honesty that comes out of his mouth. Maybe Kaushik should write a book called, Some Marketers Hate Avinash Kaushik? Along with being the Analytics Evangelist for Google (and Blogger over at Occam's Razor), Kaushik is also the best-selling author of two books, Web Analytics - An Hour A Day and Web Analytics 2.0. He's been a guest on this show on multiple occasions, and he never disappoints. Once again, Kaushik delivers. This episode is chock full of sound bites that will change the way you look at the Web and Marketing. Enjoy the conversation...

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast #189.

By Mitch Joel

For some reason, no one in Social Media is really allowed to make any money. It's verboten. It's against the community spirit. It's the wrong thing to do.

That's just, plain stupid. Yes, the new digital channels are primed for those who are looking to connect, communicate and engage in conversations, but if there is no benefit in the end, then all is lost. For some, that end benefit will be dollars in the bank, for others it will be social capital (check out Tara Hunt's amazing book, The Whuffie Factor, for more on that), for some it will be the growth of their personal brand (which in turn will help them create ventures in other channels for monetary gain), and others do it simply as a way to stay connected and learn from more people.

It takes all kinds.

One ring does not rule them all in this instance. So, before we go pointing fingers at those who are developing and nurturing their own communities for their own financial gain (and charging access to them), always remember that the most amazing thing about these platforms is that it's not like mass media that is being shoved down all of our collective throats. It's not a stack of flyers that someone is dumping in your mailbox every other day that you can't ignore. The true magic of these channels and platforms is the choice. Personally, I live in a "no spam" world within my online communities because I simply unsubscribe, unfollow and unfriend those who are using the channels in ways in which I am not interested in.

Be honoured to be able to pay for the good stuff.

Sure, there is tons of brilliant and free content online. From following certain individuals on Facebook and Twitter to specific Blogs and Podcasts that no one should be without, but along with that, there is tremendous value in paying for access to certain online communities, buying reports, paying for e-books and online courses, etc... It's not only a great way for the content producer to make a living, it's great (and usually cheap-ish) way for the audience to get a boost of information and knowledge. The amazing thing about all of this is that it's pretty simple and easy (just do a quick search engine reference check) to know who the snake oil salespeople are from the legit businesspeople (if you're still not sure, just look to see what their refund policy is and how quickly they are to respond to any questions you may have about the product or service prior to purchase). Sure, there are many scumbags online (just like in real life), but with a little due diligence, it's fairly obvious where the gold lies.

It's a transition we all knew was coming.

Free is great, but at a certain point that well runs dry (for more on that, read Chris Anderson's book, Free). People are willing to pay for things like access, unique content, premiums, artefacts, etc... Creating platforms that add value to a community is worthwhile (and worth the cost). No one ever said that everything in Social Media has to be free... and even free has a cost associated to it.

What do you think? Is it wrong to use Social Media to make money?

By Mitch Joel

There are some people who do the heavy lifting when it comes to thinking about why human beings do the things we do.

Dan Pink (aka Daniel H. Pink) is one of those thinkers. He's the author of some of the best (and best-selling) business books like Free Agent Nation, A Whole New Mind, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko (the first American business book done in Japanese manga) and his recently-released hit, Drive - The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Here's how his Blog describes Drive:

"Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does -- and how that affects every aspect of life. He demonstrates that while carrots and sticks worked successfully in the twentieth century, that's precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today's challenges. In Drive, he examines the three elements of true motivation -- autonomy, mastery, and purpose -- and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action. Along the way, he takes us to companies that are enlisting new approaches to motivation and introduces us to the scientists and entrepreneurs who are pointing a bold way forward. Drive is bursting with big ideas -- the rare book that will change how you think and transform how you live."

Do you think Google knows what motivates people?

During a recent promotional book tour, Pink stopped off at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California (on January 15th, 2010), for an amazing Google Talk. You can watch the one-hour presentation right here (and yes, it's well worth the time commitment): YouTube - Leading@Google - Daniel Pink.

P.S. - Pink is also a contributing editor at Wired Magazine.

By Mitch Joel