More users give up on Twitter than stay with it

If you blog about Twitter, your post starts popping up all over Twitter. It's one big self-referential echo-chamber.

The other funny thing about Twitter is the retention rate, as reported in Adweek: Twitter's Audience Has a 'No Return' Policy. Here's the point:

Over 60 percent of people who sign up to use the popular ... micro-blogging platform do not return to using it the following month.... In other words, Twitter currently has just a 40 percent retention rate, up from 30 percent in previous months -- indicating an "I don't get it factor" among new users....

(In fact, Joseph Jaffe called Twitter "a giant Ponzi Scheme.)"

I bring it up because the phenomenal growth rate of Twitter has fueled a kind of hysteria that everyone must get on board or be left behind. Maybe. But don't count on it.

Twitter has its uses. And maybe it -- or something like it -- will continue to matter to a lot of people for a long time. But we don't know that yet.

If I were a nonprofit, I'd dabble in Twitter. Learn what's going on. See if my constituents are there.

But if you want to motivate action and raise funds, go back a generation or more: email, search-engine marketing, postal mail, broadcast and print media ... it's easy to call those things dead, but each one of them is still much bigger and more advanced than Twitter. If I had to place a bet on which will go away first -- Twitter or postal mail -- I'd bet that the post will outlast. And continue to outperform for the foreseeable future.

Technorati Tags: fundraising, Twitter, nptech

Comments

[Allen]

There is definitely a lot of hype around Twitter. I don't think any of us need Joseph Jaffe to appraise us of this fact. (And the ponzi analogy is ludicrous).

[Chris Goyzueta]

Definitely agree that people are not getting twitter. I know so many (even constituents) that have accounts, but don't use them after creating their account. It's a great tool to raise some quick money or get quick action, but the old school methods still work the best. I'm actually very impressed with my results on Craigs List. Got a lot of great interns, and even fantastic non-cash donated items.

Thanks for all the great posts!

[Tommy]

It's no surprise that Twitter has such a high turn over rate. Really its not different than any other site. It's not because the site is failing at its purpose, but because its so successful. On sites like Digg and Facebook you can spend your time lurking. They follow the 80/20 or 90/10 or 95/5 rule of interaction. But on Twitter the experience is so stripped down that if you aren't participating there isn't much left for you. It's all about dialog.

As to whether it works for non-profit uses. We are having success, but mainly in engagement not fundraising. If you've got lots of information to share, its easy to stay on people's minds by parsing it out in 140 character sound bites. It lets them focus on one thing at a time and keeps them excited about your brand or program.

[KDG]

Our organization has an older constituency, and frankly many of our younger contacts aren't really using Twitter that much either/yet. We are on, checking it out, following some organizations to see how it can be done, but for now aren't seeing much for us there. For now anyway. But we're watching and waiting.

[mark phillips]

Hi Jeff

You are right, people don't get Twitter. Not at first. And maybe not at all.

I definitely can see the pattern that Adweek refer to. I had exactly the same experience. It took me the best part of two years from first hearing about it, to being converted to Twitter. I talk about my own seven stages of Twitter on my blog, www.queerideas.co.uk.

It's not the future. But it is part of it. Traditional DM is doing fantastically at the moment for my clients and the low media rates for press are opening up a great source of the best type of donor.

What twitter offers is a one on one experience where we can find out what the people who work for charities are really like. The ones I relate to and trust are receiving my gifts. I no longer just support UK charities. I give to American, Canadian and soon, Kenyan, ones as well. As a result of Twitter, I now chat with charity CEO's on a regular basis. That just doesn't happen in the traditional world.

The feeling of engagement and involvement is huge and if that can be transferred to all donors we could be at the start of something very special. People giving to people they know and trust - and that is the way to create real loyalty.

We have a long way to go and we may end up in a dead-end, but I hope it will be an interesting journey.

Best

Mark Phillips
Bluefrog

PS. I'm going to be encouraging people to follow you on #followfriday for a few weeks. You are a great voice that we need in the nonprofit twittering community.

[Felice Mancini]

I am trying Twitter as an experiment with a personal account, not for my non-profit. If used "correctly" it is a great resource for information and connecting people. I have been able to promote ideas and sites that I find useful and to reach out for technical help. I have never asked for money or have directly promoted my organization, just my work in the field. It's quite exhilarating.