Lessons of Twitter: Listen More Than You Talk

When I was a kid, my father was trying to teach me some sort of skill. I don’t remember what the skill was, but in that lesson he ended up teaching me a much more important skill than the one he was originally trying to teach.

As he taught me, I started talking, providing excuses, explanations and reasons why I couldn’t acquire the skill he was trying to teach me. As I was running my mouth, my father put his finger over my lips, telling me to stop taking. He pointed at my ears and said something that will stick with me for the rest of my life:

“You have one mouth and two ears. God intended you to listen more than you talk.”

Twitter.com

If you’ve been paying attention for the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed that the local and national media folks have been really jumping on the Twitter bandwagon.

At some point, a tipping point was reached, as editors and news directors around the country took notice of Rick Sanchez (Twitter.com/RickSanchezCNN) and other savvy journos Twittering their brains out.

Perhaps the furloughs that are striking many of the major media companies are finally giving reporters, photographers and news managers time to “discover” Facebook, Twitter, social networking and blogging. Time is plentiful on furlough, when you’re not allowed to make calls or check your e-mail. It’s enough to make a newsie crazy.

I think it’s great that traditional journalists and news organizations are wading into the waters of new media. But, creating a Twitter account and tweeting the morning meeting is not enough to be successful in this new world.

It seems old-media folks are simply applying the principals of mass media to Twitter and Facebook. Newspapers and television stations are creating accounts and then promoting the fact that they’re on Twitter every chance they get. Just as they did with subscriptions and ratings, old-media folks are trying to gather as many Twitter followers as possible.

There is value in gathering these followers on Twitter (or any other social network). But, that is only half of the value and potential the social web has to offer.

In addition to trying to gather as many followers as possible, news organizations should spend AT LEAST as much time trying to follow as many people as possible. The real value of Twitter is being able to hear, in real time, what your audience is saying.

The best examples of how media organizations can learn from Twitterers are shown in major breaking news events (hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, etc.) that affect a lot of people. But, following people’s thoughts and experiences on Twitter every day can also provide endless story ideas for reporters.

Perhaps traditional journalists should watch the Twittering habits of radio talk show hosts who, in growing numbers, are using Twitter to interact with their audience in real time. Perhaps this is a natural progression for radio hosts, as they are used to soliciting listeners calls and opinions.

Just yesterday, Neal Boortz launched his own Twitter feed (Twitter.com/TalkMaster). His Twittering habits began as a one-way experience. Neal Tweeted his thoughts.

But, as the show continued on, Neal began reading the Tweets of others who were reacting to his show and his tweets. Whether he intended for it to happen or not, Twitter became an integral part of Neal’s show.

Additionally, Neal’s tweets widened his audience beyond the folks who could listen to him on the radio. People at work, in meetings, at the doctor or wherever can now follow Neal’s show through his tweets, delivered right to their cell phone.

Neal’s followers can now interact with him in more ways than ever before, simply because he created a free Twitter account and used it properly.

There’s no doubt, Twitter and other social networking services on the Internet have the potential to extend the reach of traditional media organizations. But one must remember that you must listen AT LEAST as much as you talk.