I have been wanting to write a post like this for awhile. Over the past couple of months I have been giving seminars in and out of Indianapolis over the topic of Social Media. Guess which question comes up when talking about the tools you can use online?

What is Twitter? Why and how do you use it?

It never fails. No matter where I am at or what I am talking about… there is always a question about Twitter. Do you know what I say? It is different every time. I always try to give the universal definition of Twitter:

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Or a personal definition from a blog like MovinMeat:

Twitter is a fun and occasionally useful social networking app.   You’re basically supposed to give frequent updates on what you are doing and pithy observations on life, in short 140-character clips, or “tweets.”   It’s sort of like text-messaging the entire world, as they are public feeds. 

Through reading multiple blogs, articles, and opinions on the definition of Twitter… I have come to the understanding that the lack of an identifying value statement is keeping Twitter from hitting the mainstream marketing. I’m talking from 2 million to 50 million users.

Small businesses and big corporations alike have huge problems if their value statement does not line up to the ideas of the people behind the brand. I believe that Twitter is going to have a problem hitting the mainstream market if they cannot push a message out to the users. A message that contains a universal value statement that helps the “viral marketing” aspect push the online tool.

Give me something sticky. Give me something I can yell at the top of my lungs. Help me become an evangelist.