I see Twitter being in real danger of becoming MySpace and SecondLife. Do you?
If Twitter doesn’t get it’s act together and improve customer experience for the masses of new users signing on, it’s going to end up as an irrelevant, niche community for a self-referential subculture.
It doesn’t surprise me in the least that new research from Hubspot shows that the majority of Twitter “members” have no followers, and have never tweeted. How would they know what to do? Has there ever been a more lonely club (online or off) than Twitter on day one? Nobody welcomes you. Nobody encourages you. You’re left to figure it out for yourself, using a woefully inadequate search tool, a bunch of abbreviations and lingo you don’t know, and a staccato communication style that values brevity over clarity.
The initial sign on and get rolling process on Facebook and Linkedin seems positively red carpet by comparison. You can reliably find people based on their real name. You can find people based on location. Or company. People are actually recommended to you based on your mutual interests.
Experience is Everything
From a collaboration standpoint, Twitter’s open API is admirable. It’s spawned dozens (hundreds?) of innovative, third party add-ons. But the problem is that new users do not know Tweet Deck from a hat rack. I get it, Twitter. Have other companies do your R&D for you, snap up the best ones, etc. That’s a great model when your service is dominated by early adopters that will gladly utilize a multitude of apps to maximize their experience, like a low rider posse with lighted license plate frames and bouncing chassis.
But when Oprah and Ashton and the gang get the rest of the world involved, you cannot cede the customer experience to third parties. You can’t have your Web site being the 37th best way to use your own service. You can’t have a social networking service that does nothing to facilitate the creation of viable networks, other than “recommending” a list of interesting (but certainly not targeted) users and then swamping them with half a million new followers.
Where’s the video for new users? Where’s the getting started guide? Where’s the profile-creation ease-of-use? Where’s a search engine that searches the biography data that users include when they set up the profile? Where’s the “here’s a list of 100 people in your town, who have tweeted about x, y, and z”? Where’s the LOVE for the user?
And I’m not even talking about the outages and unreliable search results that make Twitter the most widely adopted flawed technology since silicone boobs.
I’ve been working on the Web since 1994, and have spent a lot of that time counseling companies on delivering knockout customer experiences (much of the time working side by side with my brilliant friend Maggie Young). It’s all about sending the right messages to your customers at every touchpoint.
The message Twitter is sending right now is one that I’ve actually heard from Web programmers, and makes me cringe, even as I type this:
“If these people aren’t smart enough to figure it out, we don’t want them as a customer”
If Twitter thinks it’s going to lose it’s technophile credibility by adding some functional hand-holding for my mom and others that share her life raft on the adoption curve ocean, they won’t, trust me. Good customer experience is always cool.
“@ev @biz Make it easier for people who aren’t geeks to love you. Thanks. Please RT.”
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Twitter Comment
Does Twitter need to enhance its customer experience for the benefit of the late adoptors? [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
I agree with the Hubspot Stats and the angst many people feel when they are new to Twitter. But on the other hand, it give me a chance to help new users learn. I think it is kinda of cool that the community comes to the aid of new people.
We all learned to dial a phone, the tool is simple. Twitter is like that. A simple tool and every day new guides and books are written about it.
I like the fact that the users actually participate in developing tools and strategies around it, instead of over complicating a brilliantly simple communication tool.
Lets reach out to those struggling instead of following the celebs who don’t.
Richard, thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I agree that part of Twitter’s appeal is it’s simplicity. But there’s a fine line between simplicity and arrogance. I’m not suggesting making Twitter more complicated, just providing some guidance for new users. I do agree that it provides opportunities for those already using it to help others. But, knowing how to use it, and actually using it successfully are very different scenarios – as evidence by the Hubspot data.
You nailed it. Twitter has left it to others (developers and users) to help people use the service. Not smart. Especially since it would take relatively little work to provide brief tutorials, quick videos, and more targeted “getting started” suggestions. We’re talking 2 days work by one person for the basics, and maybe a week or two for something slightly more sophisticated and personalized.
Thanks Steve. I appreciate you popping by. I think it actually made sense to open the API when they were the scrappy upstart. Now, not so much. I completely agree on the relative lack of effort it would require to actually give people a helping hand. Mind-boggling to me that they haven’t done so.
Amen.
[rq=18721,0,blog][/rq]your company’s looming social media disaster
Do you really need to cater to late adopters? I think the wealth of knowledge out there is more then expansive…it’s exhaustive. Think Twitter could probably send them a link to Twittip.com and be done with it.
[rq=18919,0,blog][/rq]Do Calls To Action Work in Comments?
You might be right. But, they don’t even send that link.
To Stuart’s point the info is out there, but to Jay’s point it’s not easily found by new folks. Good resource point out – the correct link is twitip.com (one “t”) – for those of us who need that kind of help!
– if Twitter just had a page with resource links that would be a step up.
Thanks for weighing in Jenn. You’re spot on. And how hard would it be for them to create ONE PAGE? Crazy.
Twitter Comment
RT @ErikJHeels Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked [link to post] [Yes, it does. Very good points.]
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Twitter Comment
Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked [link to post]
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Twitter Comment
RT @ErikJHeels: Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Some good points here, Jay. I agree that Twitter’s efforts to reach out to new users have not been congruent with its tremendous growth, and that will have to change if they want to maintain that growth. There is a video on the homepage, but it doesn’t appear to have been made by Twitter themselves and is more about the concept of Twitter than how to use it.
Greg @ iGoMogul
Thanks Greg for stopping by. If they want mid or late adopters to catch on and really USE it, not just create a profile, they are going to have to spoon feed it a bit – IMHO.
All I can say is, Amen Brutha, preach it!
All I can say is, Amen Brutha, preach it! That and why do I have an ugly potato head avatar assigned to me!? WHich I cannot change?
[rq=19578,0,blog][/rq]10 Tips for Twitter Unmarketing
Thanks lady. I appreciate you coming by. Not sure about the potato. That is indeed pretty crazy. I think you need to be logged in or something to remove the potato. I’ll start a tubular investigation.
Great post Jay, in particular the description of Twitter as “the most widely adopted flawed technology since silicone boobs” had my entire office in delighted hysterics.
Thank you Nikkole. I’m glad you liked that line. I thought about pulling it out when I wrote the first draft, but figured a laugh outweighed the edginess of it. Hope to see a comment from you again soon.
Twitter Comment
RT @tweetmeme Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting – Convince & Co… [link to post]
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But I don’t WANT my mom using Twitter. That would be the End Timez.
[rq=19646,0,blog][/rq]Trivia and other Portland things.
Twitter Comment
RT @hi_tech_gurli RT @tweetmeme Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked … [link to post]
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Twitter Comment
RT @tweetmeme Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked [link to post]
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What’s funny is that the problem of experience lies not only with new users but early adopters as well. They’ve seemingly focused their attention towards the mainstream users – the Oprahs and Ashtons of Twitter. They haven’t done much to keep their core users happy, but yet have focused time to punch out inane features like ‘Verified account’ links for celebrity profiles.
It’s evident that customer experience isn’t on their to-do list but wouldn’t it make sense for them to create an environment that appeals more and more to core users, those users who would ultimately be willing to pay for the service (given new feature sets), and help Twitter monetize?
[rq=22123,0,blog][/rq]#CmtyChat Kickoff
Really interesting points Sonny. Indeed, they seem to be catering a bit to the celebs. I can see how the lack of new features for core users is bothersome – it certainly is to me.
From a monetization perspective, I was thinking about it more from a masses/eyeballs standpoint, thus my rant on ease of use for mid to late adopters.
Seems like they suck at executing either strategy.
Cardinal Rule #1: Don’t teach your community/customers/users to go elsewhere to engage with you. It makes ZERO sense.
Twitter is a lot like Pig Latin – you sound really impressive talking to people that havn’t used it before, but once they figure out those first few key steps (RT, DM, Hash tags etc) they are experts too. I do agree that it can be a gong show getting up to speed.
I’m seriously disappointed with Twitter and how they took an awesome service in Summize and ruined it. They’ve always had an “we’re better than our users” mindset and it’s completely apparent in all aspects of the service.
[rq=22181,0,blog][/rq]Bing and Find the Perfect Desktop Wallpaper
Thanks for coming by Chase. That’s why Authority Labs (www.authoritylabs.com) will succeed. You know who uses it, why they use it, and how to make their lives easier. Good for you. Keep rocking it.
Great post Jason. FYI – there is a link to a video from CommonCraft on the Twitter home page that does help educate new users about why people use twitter. Still need a simple overview of the basics of how to use twitter though.
To me, the CommonCraft video describes why you would want to use Twitter. But, if you’re on the site already, aren’t you pretty much convinced of that? Follower recommendations, how tos, even an email newsletter of cool Twitter case studies would be an improvement – and would take VERY little effort.
Very insightful Jay. Your post closely correlates to the high churn (~60%) of Twitter users. There is definitely more educated needed than is provided.
I also think there is something to be said about the psychology / self-consciousness many new users feel and the expectation of saying something interesting. In other words, utilizing Twitter with an emphasis on sharing information versus the self-promotion aspect.
As always, good stuff!
Kelly
Twitter Comment
Truedat: “You can’t have your Web site being the 37th best way to use your own service.” [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
I could not agree more! I consider myself pretty technically savvy (most days). After joining and trying it for a few days, I went looking for an easy FAQ on the site and couldn’t find much. If it’s there, it needs to be more obvious. Stuff like RTs, hashtags and how to reply directly to someone are simple once you know, but on day 1 they are kind of a mystery.
Twitter Comment
Why Twitter needs its bottom spanked (via [link to post] (via @jaybaer from Convince and Convert).
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Great post. I’m relatively new to Twitter. The first days were weird because I kept hearing about all the Twitter action but once I signed up, the first thing I wanted to know was where all of that action was. It’s up to the user to find it and Twitter did not do much to help me figure that out. I have since found my way around but I still feel it is an organic process as Twitter grows.
It seems the terminology is exclusive to experienced users. Trends, hash tags, RT, and @replies all take some getting used to. I even think the term micro-blogging is confusing because Twitter is nothing like the traditional blogging we have come to understand.
To me, Twitter also operates in a manner that seems opposite from most forums, boards, and other social media but how do you articulate that precisely? It’s weird but once you figure it out, it’s fun. You just have to stick with it long enough to make some connections. However, I can see why new users give up.
So, yes, it wouldn’t hurt Twitter to offer a little more for the new users that sign up and ask, “Now what?”
Every customer experience starts with a person and a need they’d give something of value to have solved. Behind the curtain of the excellent points made in this conversation is Twitter’s choice of who to target and what to solve. Is it Web 2.0-savvy self learners in search of a community of same? The experience might be just fine. If they want masses who want to share their lives, the experience fails in all the ways Jason deftly points out.
[rq=33856,0,blog][/rq]How to find your company’s bag of missing profit
Twitter Comment
RT @CindyKimPR: Why Twitter needs its bottom spanked (via [link to post] (via @jaybaer from Convince and Convert).
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Couldn’t agree more about Twitter and the fact their web site is one of the worst ways to use the service. If they ever DO figure out how to make money, they should break off some for TweetDeck, Tweetie and Twitterific. Then again, 2 of those three have found ways to monetize that Twitter hasn’t.
[rq=35447,0,blog][/rq]Adam Carolla – Find a Partner, Talk Less
The 1st time I used Twitter, I immediately dismissed it for the very reason you pointed out – there was nothing to show me how or why I should be and could be using Twitter. Only after coming across a blog post that explained a step-by-step guide, did I give it a 2nd try.
Twitter should pay bloggers like this for helping re-direct lost interest.
[rq=35524,0,blog][/rq]The Ford Lincoln MKS vs. the Garage Door
You are soooo right on this. While they’re at it, maybe they can explain why the hell I’d wanna tweet in the first place. I signed up because I heard it was the next big thing, but really haven’t figured out why it’s all the rage. Maybe I will eventually, but why not have a tour that tells me all the cool things I can do with it? How hard is that?
Twitter Comment
Either this person’s right [link to post] or twitter is an evil genius, forcing social networking due to their own lack of cust service
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Twitter Comment
[Reading} Gr8 post: @jaybaer via @socialmedia2day "Why Twitter Needs Its Butt Spanked" - good #startup advice | [link to post]
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Twitter Comment
@andrewaburger See also “Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked” by @jaybaer: [link to post]
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Twitter Comment
@ErikJHeels “See also “Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked” by @jaybaer: [link to post]” Thanks for the link!
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RT @ChiNewsBench: Spanking Twitter http://bit.ly/C7N4V
Twitter Comment
When it comes to marketing, the product is (usually) everything. How Twitter does this flagrantly wrong: [link to post]
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Twitter Comment
RT @jaybaer (from [link to post]): @ev @biz Make it easier for people who aren’t geeks to love twitter. Thanks. Please RT
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Twitter Comment
even if @jaybear wasn’t right (which he is), his latest post would still be a must-read for the one-liners alone: [link to post]
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RT @gregverdino: even if @jaybear wasn’t right, his latest post would still be a must-read for the one-liners alone: [link to post]
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In Case U Missed This Last Wk, @jaybaer Makes a Strong Case 4 Twitter Getting Its Bottom Spanked http://bit.ly/obwkm
RT @jaybaer (from http://bit.ly/hC3rT): @ev @biz Make it easier for people who aren’t geeks to love twitter. Thanks. Please RT
I totally agree! Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked by @JayBaer http://bit.ly/obwkm
[...] In terms of servicing their users, Facebook also aligns more closely with Millennials needs than Twitter does. Twitter is a simple messaging platform that allows the broadcast and receipt of 140 character messages. Yes, Twitter has utility. One utility. It does one thing, and not especially well. [...]
“I see Twitter being in real danger of becoming MySpace and SecondLife. Do you?”
Gotta say, that first line caught my attention. For a second I thought your post was going to unveil that Twitter actually had a business model in place and they were in danger of pulling in some revenue.
Twitter is, essentially a startup. For now I’ll be happy if the 29 employees just focus on keeping the thing up and running and the Fail Whale at bay instead of holding the hands of new users.
Besides, how much easier does it have to get?
There’s Lee LeFever’s video that explains the service in plain english (can’t miss it – look for the big red button that says ‘watch a video’ on http://www.twitter.com). There’s a how-to video on http://help.twitter.com/portal which is easily reached from … well… any page on twitter. Right at the bottom the link that says ‘help’.
Never mind that every pundit, expert, guru, maven and consultant from here to timbuktu has writ at least one blog post about twitter making NOT finding info about the service a veritable impossibility. http://tinyurl.com/q9lwqe
But even still…. it’s an open text field. With the words ‘What are you doing?’ above it and a button that says ‘update’ below it. How much easier does it have to get?
[rq=70667,0,blog][/rq]Twitter Updates for 2009-06-25
Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked http://bit.ly/18QgXX (via feedly)
[twitter] Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting – Convince & Convert http://bit.ly/vMNuO
RT @tweetmeme Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting – Convince & Co… http://bit.ly/EDuAH
Jason, I see what you mean but as one of those early adopters, I also get the point of those web devs. Evan & the gang didn’t start Twitter to make $$, they were just programming nerds who wanted to do something cool with their time. So I’m not sure they really care about building a huge user base by catering to mid-late adopters.
Also, twitter is very simple and there’s not much to learn. For those that are curious all you need to do is google “how to use twitter” and you’ll find what you need.
Twitter Comment
Why Twitter Needs Its Bottom Spanked. (interesting article) Your opinion new person user experience? [link to post]
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