This weekend, TechCrunch posted some data on how Twitter is driving traffic to their web site. We're seeing the same thing for the majority of our clients that have Twitter integrated into their social media program.
For many people, Twitter is replacing their RSS readers
I agree, both on a personal level and from the client perspective. Those of us that have worked in social media for a while all have very congested RSS readers. At times, opening up Google Reader is a chore and requires a block of time in the calendar.
For personal use, Twitter is becoming the new RSS because the links are typically coming from trusted sources, i.e. your friends, or in the case of corporations, they're companies that WANT to follow.
On the business-side of things, tracking that Twitter traffic is fun. First off it shows you how much of a die-hard fan base you have. You know, the folks that click on a link within a few seconds of it being tweeted. They WANT the information. It's also interesting to see the information is spread within existing Twitter networks, as in who is influencing who. And all of this happens in real time.
Visitor Comments
I understand where you and others come from seeing Twitter as RSS replacement, but it's not that way for me. The reason I live in gReader is because I'm selective about who I want to hear from and each item is waiting for me - like gMail. Twitter has the same idea in that I sub to who I want to hear from, but I miss items unlike RSS.
Posted by: Rob Williams | June 15, 2009 2:11 PM
Twitter is certainly a great channel for immediate links to breaking stories and also a way of finding quality content via trusted sources. But it just streams away at you continually so it can be hard to follow the flow of info. I still find myself using NetNewsWire to track the feeds that really matter to me.
But Twitter has certainly impacted upon the time I spend in NNW. I've recently culled over a 100 feeds as I just wasn't keeping up. There are, after all, only 24hrs in each day.
Posted by: Jon Buscall | June 16, 2009 7:20 AM
Because Twitter is streaming constantly, a lot of important RSS feeds would be missed if it was the only RSS reader used. This is particularly true when travelling and during vacation -- I am away from my computer too much to keep up with Twitter whereas the RSS reader keeps the feeds until I have time to read them. And it is the same to a lesser extent the rest of the time -- having to balance work and family with time spent online makes not having a RSS reader separate from Twitter impractical.
While I won't give up Twitter any time soon, I also won't give up my RSS Reader. Instead, I will use the RSS Reader the way I use Twitter and keep only the feeds that provide continuing value. That way I can make the best use of my time online and still have a life outside of cyberspace.
Posted by: Michelle Elkhatib | June 16, 2009 8:21 AM