To Tweet, or Not to Tweet?

Will tweeting on twitter help you get more leads and sell more stuff? If you're a Business to Business (B2B) marketer targeting 'tweens, here's my answer:

No.

Heresy, I know. I've been called out before on this topic by no less than Max Chafkin, staff writer for Inc. Magazine.

If you serve consumers, the situation is different. CNN and Mr. Demi Moore generated a million followers in no time flat. Two questions:

• Are those millions of folks likely to buy from you?
  
• How do your chances look for racking up a million followers?

Moving back to B2B marketing: put yourself in the shoes of the decision makers you're trying to reach.

What do you know about their demographics, what they need to accomplish in a day, and the amount of time they're spending reading tweets?

Riiiiiiight.

That's not to say you can't use social media tools in positive ways. Blogging is social media, and I'm convinced blogging works on many levels.

Keeping up with twitter can easily consume vast quantities of your most precious resource: your time.

I'm not saying you can't get anything out of tweeting. I'm just saying I'll bet you can find a "higher ROI" use of your time.

PS: I know twitter is popular and growing fast. According to Brandweek, there were approximately 6 million twitter users in the U.S. in 2008 -- or 3.8 percent of all Internet users -- eMarketer estimates that number will jump to 18.1 million in 2010, representing 10.8 percent of Internet users.

I'm not saying twitter isn't fast, free and fun - because it is all that. I'm just saying its not the place you'll find the highest ROI on your marketing time.