Twitter Makes Networking A Little More Difficult

It’s time again to decide whether you’re in a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty mood.  Small business owners who use Twitter for marketing – or who are considering doing so – are going to have to deal with a changed display practice that could swing either way.

Think of it like this: the old Twitter was a noisy, potentially overwhelming site in which people might get scared off or just miss things.  The new Twitter is quieter, but a sort of roadblock to users making new connections has been put in place.

A post on the official Twitter Blog explains, "[W]e’ve learned most people want to see when someone they follow replies to another person they follow – it’s a good way to stay in the loop.  However, receiving one-sided fragments via replies sent to folks you don’t follow in your timeline is undesirable.  Today’s update removes this undesirable and confusing option."

So small business owners may need to reevaluate their approach to using the site.  Although it’s now less likely that individuals will stumble across your account, there will be less stuff competing for the attention of people with whom you’ve already connected.

And here’s one more important detail you might be able to use to your advantage: the Twitter Blog entry states, "[Y]ou’ll still see mentions or references linking to people you don’t follow.  For example, you’ll continue to see, ‘Ev meeting with @biz about work stuff’ even if you don’t follow @biz."