I have been waiting to write this post. I don’t know if it is because I wanted to hear what other social media users thought… or I just didn’t care enough about another feature on Twitter. Needless to say… I have been researching Twitter lists and the inherent value of the lists. Because of that research I have come to three simple conclusions:
1. If you create Twitter lists be very sure you keep them updated and fresh.
2. It is not imperative to create lists. If you need organization… use a trusted source’s list or organize through an application like TweetDeck or Hootsuite.
3. Monitoring lists without following individuals is important to business research on Twitter.
For those of you who have not discovered Twitter lists… it is pretty simple. Twitter users have the ability to organize people they are following in topical lists. The organization of users based on lists is not new to the social media world. Facebook also allows you to organize your friends based on lists. To get a better understanding of Twitter lists view this video from BitRebels:
Twitter lists can be a powerful business tool as mentioned in point 3 of the “simple conclusions.” You have the ability to follow the updates of a group of people (or brands) without publicly acknowledging that you are following them. This is important for lead generation and competitive analysis. I have setup a Twitter list called Business Leads which help me keep track of individuals or companies I am interested in selling in the near future. If you decide to use a list for business leads… make sure you make them private. We wouldn’t want competition taking advantage of this new tool.. Would we?
I haven’t come to a conclusion on what I think about Twitter lists. Honestly, the feature is a little green… to make any rash decisions. Try it out. Make some lists for yourself and try to find some value. If you can’t find any value… move on with your life. There will be a new feature in a month to capture your attention.
For more Twitter List Resources:
John Jantsch: 5 Reasons to Use Twitter Lists
Red Eye: Twitter Lists Making Tweeting Better, Easier
Word Sell Inc: How To Use Twitter Lists
Social Media Today: The Ugly Side of Twitter Lists
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Interesting post, Kyle. I agree that Twitter lists are a little too green to make a complete judgment one way or the other (my blog post to the contrary is in fact a joke).
I'm not sure how I feel about them, but as of right now I don't see much value. It will be interesting to see what else the folks on Bryant St. come up with.
I wonder if you could even call Twitter lists a legitimate addition to the site. Are they really creating value for users? What makes them different (and more importantly better) than the organizational features that programs like Tweetdeck offer? I agree with Phillip, I can't see much value in them at this point in time either. Heck, most heavy twitter users don't even use the actual website!
Perhaps if Twitter evolved their lists into more of a premium directory service, which people paid to gain access to and be included in, things would be a little more interesting.