Celebrity Twitter accounts - who cares?

Everybody is on Twitter these days, but almost nobody is interesting - especially Tweets by famous people.

Posted by Royce at 7/20/2009 12:38:00 PM
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6 comments:

  1. AaronJuly 20, 2009 at 12:45 PM

    I think Twitter is one step beyond where we are in this blog. They established a successful process, but they haven't figured out how to make that next step. Either being useful, or interesting. So far, the only Tweets I care about following are from professional comedians. Bill Simmons and Aaron Karo.

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  2. RoyceJuly 20, 2009 at 12:56 PM

    Every celebrity and athlete has a Twitter account. But none of them use it well. I read through Kevin Love's Twitter (name is Kevin_Love) because he's perhaps the most famous athlete Tweeter after breaking the news of Kevin McHale's firing. There is not a lot worth reading on there beyond the occasional joke. He does interact with his followers, but that doesn't appeal to me.

    I have to wonder if there is any value to celebrity Twitters at all? The only reason I'd like Twitter is to interact with my friends, or to read funny stuff. So far only Simmons delivers good material consistently (name is sportsguy33).

    Aaron, didn't you say you un-followed both Merriman and Cromartie on the Chargers? Is everything on Twitter drivel?

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  3. RoyceJuly 20, 2009 at 1:03 PM

    Aaron, can you say a few more lines about what you think that next step is, and how that relates to what our blog does? Have we got more going on in terms of content, but don't have the delivery figured out?

    And what's the better position to be in?

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  4. AaronJuly 20, 2009 at 1:34 PM

    Yes, I unfollowed Merriman, Phillips, and Cromartie because I didn't care about them working out on the beach or blasting their abs.

    Royce, I think you're pretty close. Twitter has the structure and system, but lacks in content, meaning that if they don't make a fundamental change, they will flame out. We are working on the content, but are nowhere close in terms of delivery. I think they are closer to being successful, but right now the creators of Twitter won't be responsible for future success. It will be society finding an ideal use for which Twitter is optimal. The closest thing is athletes and celebrities having a forum to bypass the media and speak directly to fans. There is a market for that, but I don't think it can survive on that alone. I think Steve Nash announcing accepting a contract extension via Twitter is where Twitter is helpful.

    I also think there is opportunity to report recent news, pass on relevant links, and share a thought, in our current "quick sound byte" society. I read the headlines on Yahoo! and Google News every day, and maybe click on a couple articles. Fark and Digg are a little overwhelming. But I don't mind getting my off-season sports news 140 characters at a time.

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  5. RoyceJuly 20, 2009 at 2:24 PM

    I hate to make this a running Simmons blog, but I'd say Simbo (yes, I just did that) serves as a really interesting template for the current interaction of media. He posts a regular humor blog/column which is an extended version of his thoughts. He incorporates reader feedback and questions regularly. His Twitter is a testing ground for one-liners and random links that don't necessarily fit into full topics for a blog/column. He also records a range podcasts with guests, each of which covers a specific topic with a unique viewpoint from the guest. Finally, he's written two books which serve as in-depth discussions of topics which he's accumulated a large body of work and thought on.

    I think that's a pretty interesting study of the way popular writing and creative content is distributed nowadays, no? He's direct readership interaction - the middle man is ESPN, but only because he's so successful that they wanted to purchase him. Only 1 of his 4 formats requires a publisher.

    By the way, what happened to his "4 Tweets a day limit"? Dude posted like 18 times about a recent Red Sox game. Simmons, please don't turn into Shawne Merriman or Antonio Cromartie. I don't want to hear if you blasted your abs.

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  6. AaronJuly 24, 2009 at 1:35 PM

    Bill Simmons has a pretty good take on Twitter. I feel this is pretty much in line with the point I was trying to make, but he is a little more direct and concise.

    The opportunity for Twitter is out there, but not for social networking, for instant, quick-hit, analysis-less news.

    Now I'm wondering if I got most of my ideas regarding Twitter from listening to so many of his podcasts?

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