If social media has taught us anything, it’s that describing platforms and apps as being ‘of the moment’ and ‘the next big thing’ are as common as having a Facebook profile. While I am typically intrigued to hear about the new and better that lay around the corner, my threshold for the teasing and waiting are minimal at best. Consequently, the announcement of Twitter’s Anywhere left me looking everywhere on the web for details that were to be found nowhere.
A succinct post on Twitter’s blog offered minimal insight. Focused heavily on the conceptual aspects of the new open platform and walking readers through the rationale behind it, I was craving the when (not just a ‘mid April,’ but a March 27th at 10:01:35a.m. EST level of detail) and wanting the answer to be ‘now.’ I was also left wondering why I needed tweet access on other websites, especially e-commerce sites such as Amazon. Apparently, I’m deeply tied to my habit of starting on Twitter and clicking through to a website and am shutoff to trying the inverse. When I read Gini Dietrich’s post on Anywhere I was comforted to see my exact thoughts in the closing line “What am I missing?” (I also agree with Gini that it sounds like a glorified RSS feed.)
Clearly, my curiosity and desire to learn more are just what Twitter is looking for; people who will eagerly anticipate and seek out information on Anywhere. But what they may not realize is that when I can’t find the information I want and am told to wait, I move on. I am by no means the type to preorder an iPhone or iPad and countdown to its debut. I am the type who files it in the back of my mind and waits to see what really happens. If my interest is sustained, then I may buy-in when the time comes. But let’s be honest – those times are a rarity. It is likely that tweets such as ‘stay tuned’ and ‘more news coming in April’ aren’t sufficient to satisfy my curiosity and sustain my interest.
My rambling aside, there must be a point to this, right? (Well, at least we hope there is.) How many platforms and apps can we sustain? Do any, and if so which, need to die off before we can rally behind the next big thing? Lastly, when is too soon to start teasing? (Yes, I understand the SXSWi timing. . .no comment.) Whether you are a brand, platform or app, you can’t assume that consumers will wait indefinitely for the pertinent details. So how do you tease effectively and time it appropriately without turning off your audience?
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