Forget voice mail and email – the new solution for internal communication is (don’t laugh) Twitter http://twitter.com/
A couple of months ago somebody dragged me in to another one of these new Internet based services. To be honest I couldn’t see any “real world” as opposed to “social time wasting” use for it. The main page talks about microblogging and “what are you doing?” type applications and I was already swamped by email and fed up with being invited to a host of networking platforms.
The other day Marc, of http://www.redlinesoftware.com/ , who tends to be my coach in things like this, suggested Twitter might be an interesting tool for publishing information to Front Office Box users.
Taking another look really didn’t change my opinion, but having exchanged a couple of “tweets” with Marc and Ian at http://www.wecando.biz/ something started to dawn.
Watching a video presentation on social media marketing I listened to a business leader explaining the best way to contact him was via Twitter. He never answered the phone to blank caller IDs and rarely read his email. All communication with his network was through Twitter.
Maybe there is something there, after all.
Digging deeper into the help files and settings several interesting functions reveal themselves.
- The standard format for Twitter is the user makes micro (max 140 character) posts – tweets – to his/her page. Other Twitter users have the option to “follow” people of their choice, in this way they get to display other people’s posts on their own page.
- A typical tweet is published to the entire world, with followers picking them up in the usual publish/subscribe model, but there are variations with the possibility to reply to a tweet and also to send direct messages to individuals.
- All of this is web page based but the app really comes into its own when phones are enabled. Now the tweets, replies and messages are all sent via SMS to and from authorized devices. This gives us publish/subscribe using SMS, anywhere there’s a cell phone connection, plus reply and direct message.
- Apple iPhone users also have the option to instal Twitterific, a downloadable app that simplifies the view, post, answer and message functions.
- The option that transforms this “social time wasting” tool into a genuine business application is the ability for broadcasters to restrict followers to people they want to receive the messages.
- For added value Twitterific also uses GPS and Google maps to publish the location of the device.
So it transpires Twitter really can be used as an internal communication’s tool for businesses, projects, teams, or networks – from anywhere to anywhere.
It’s as easy to use as SMS, it broadcasts to authorized subscribers, there’s an audit trail of messages.
Of course best of all it’s free, although if you use the SMS device updates there’s the per message charge from the carrier. My plan includes 500 messages per month that I never use, so I don’t care 
If you want to give it a try register for an account and “follow” or message me at user name frontofficebox
Did You Get Your Front Office Box?
Register today, Get Started with the management tool that works your way
