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Twitter, a positive yet lucrative tool
Stephen Fry is an actor, presenter, director and unofficial British national treasure, but what you may not know is the phenomenon that is his ranking on social blogging site Twitter. Fry is number two in the world with over 150,000 followers, second only to US President Barack Obama, whom he will soon overtake at his current rate of growth.
- By Mike Southon, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 23:21 March 18, 2009
- Views on Twitter vary between enthusiasts who chat away endlessly on the site, to those who absolutely cannot see the point.
- Image Credit: Screen grab
Stephen Fry is an actor, presenter, director and unofficial British national treasure, but what you may not know is the phenomenon that is his ranking on social blogging site Twitter.
Fry is number two in the world with over 150,000 followers, second only to US President Barack Obama, whom he will soon overtake at his current rate of growth.
Views on Twitter vary between enthusiasts who chat away endlessly on the site, to those who absolutely cannot see the point.
Gulf News is on Twitter: Click here to find out more
But to understand this or any other internet-based phenomenon, you have to consider the history and development of computing as a whole, from grey boxes in air-conditioned rooms in the Seventies to the all-pervading force that now touches everyone's lives.
This journey formed the basis of Fry's talk at the Apple Store in Regent Street, as part of their "Meet the Author" series. Fry is a well-known gadget freak and Apple enthusiast, having purchased the second Apple Macintosh in the UK. Fry explained he was giving his talk in exchange for Apple products, and proceeded to deliver a highly engaging and anecdote-strewn history of computing.
Fry is definitely his own man, and will speak his opinions loud and clear in the search for universal truth and beauty, which is one reason for his popularity on Twitter. He sets strict guidelines for how he uses the site, explaining that he only responds when inspired to do so, and apologises profusely that the large number of his followers means he cannot be everyone's friend, all the time.
He promises that he will not use Twitter to promote anything commercially, directly other than via oblique references to a television series that he is filming. But to follow Fry is to learn about endangered species, that he likes to walk for exercise while listening to talking books, and that straight after the event at the Apple Store, he got stuck in a lift for half an hour.
Even more interesting than the talk was the demographic of the audience and Fry's interaction with them after the event. Most people were in their twenties, and Fry engaged each of them personally. Some gave him little notes, not with phone numbers, but with their Twitter "handles", hoping that Stephen would follow them.
I asked my own Twitter friends what benefits they received from the site. Alan Stevens, who provides media training and consultancy to CEOs, considers it the best recession-beating business tool he has come across, having received more business directly from Twitter in the last month than from all sources in the previous quarter. Business author Ian Sanders uses Twitter for the promotion of his new book Juggle and secured a lucrative speaking engagement in Texas.
For enthusiasts, Twitter means they can successfully build online brands as they choose, based on regular and direct interaction with fans and customers. So perhaps we are entering a new era of genuine celebrity, not based on cynicism massaged by Photoshop and public relations, but on curiosity and positive engagement.
As William Wordsworth himself might have Twittered: "Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven!
The writer is a best-selling author, keynote speaker and entrepreneur mentor, and co-founder of Beermat.biz, an online resource for entrepreneurs.
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