Connect. The Network Media Partners blog.

Twitter, party of two?

August 11, 2010

Network Account Executive Brittany Sullivan questions the appropriateness of a business transaction a la Direct Message.

Twitter can be a wonderful business tool–it’s a great way to gain instant access to clients, prospects, industry hot topics, and more. I don’t consider myself a Twitter pro, but have mastered the finicky art of following folks, retweeting things I find interesting, and creating my own content here and there. But lately, I’ve been questioning the role that some of Twitter’s functions should play in business communication. The ability to instantly share information to a large group of followers and receive content that you choose to view is invaluable, but what about that Direct Messaging feature?

I’ve noticed that folks are using direct messages on Twitter for things that I typically reserve for email, or are sending me a direct message in response to an email.

I want to ask: “Why didn’t you just respond to my email?”

Perhaps I am long winded, or have not discovered the true value of the Direct Message feature, but I believe a direct message doesn’t quite have the scope or flexibility to substitute business-related email.

What are your thoughts? Are you using Twitter’s Direct Message feature for things you previously reserved for email?

Do you find it easier to put some communique in Twitter, reserving others for plain old e-mail? Where do you make the distinction?

–Brittany Sullivan, Account Executive, Network Media Partners, Inc.

Follow Britt: @BrittMSullivan

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