I refer to it on occasion as a sort of public IM (instant messenger) where instead of having private conversations one-on-one, you’re having public conversations from one to many. Here’s the Wikipedia definition of Twitter: (you can find anything on Wikipedia)

“Twitter is a free social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access.”

The Twitter Song:

Some people use Twitter for the pure enjoyment of connecting and conversing with an audience (for fun). For other’s, it’s a marketing tool. Irrespective of the camp that you sit in, here are some interesting statistics for you: (Source: Nielsen Wire – Twitter’s Tweet Smell of Success)

• Twitter grew 1,382% from February 2008 to February 2009
• Adults ages 35-49 make up the largest demographic
• 62% of the audience access Twitter from work vs. 35% that access the network only from home
• 735,000 unique visitors accessed Twitter via their mobile device in January of 2009
• The average visitor visited Twitter 14 times during the month and spent an average of 7 minutes on the site
• The average Tweet per person is estimated at 240 for the quarter
• 812,000 unique visitors sent and/or received Twitter text messages from AT&T or Verizon cell phones in the last quarter of 2008

On Friday, February 19th, the Pacific West Association of REALTORS® will be hosting a “Twitter for Real Estate” workshop with “Yours Truly” (me). We’ll be exploring what Twitter is and how it’s applicable/advantageous to business. We’ll discuss tools and applications for greater productivity as well as outline some strategic approaches to following and connecting with an audience.

In an effort to answer some questions for you ahead of time on how small business owners are using Twitter, I’ve put out the following survey. I’ll compile some of the results and publish them in a pdf. For now, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you’re using Twitter…

Workshop Date:

Date: February 19, 2010
Time: 9:00 – 11:00am
Fee: $30 members, $35 non-members
Location: 1601 Orangewood Avenue | Anaheim, CA 92805

Contact: Joey Vargas | 714-245-5500 | joeyv@pwr.net