There’s one thing that is exceptionally annoying about Twitter.
It’s a social media platform with no decent way of inviting people known only casually or in passing.
Sure, you can “email” an invite through Twitter, one with a basic no-edits invite… unlike LinkedIn’s custom messaging – which is probably a large part of why LinkedIn has very high “conversion” rates of this type. Simply adding “hey this is Mule from Doublemule, I want to stalk you” can work wonders versus a boilerplate invite.
On Twitter, if your screen name is either unique to Twitter (due to your restraining orders) or if you’re an unknown to the recipient, but have relevant things to say in response to their, uh, tweets – well then, bloody good luck “getting through” to busy folks with 1,000+ followers and with whom you are not on a first name basis.
The mules feel that Twitter is not just about letting the herd know what we’re eating (hay, for the interested). It’s about generating or enhancing business, and a shot at well-intentioned information transfer, too.
Why not give users a paid option that’s easier, a home page “click to invite” not unlike clicking to follow or remove or reply. Call it a dollar for demonstration purposes.
If the recipient of an invite accepts a follow request and/or clicks “do not charge” for that $1/invite fee, the inquiring party is not billed. If the recipient clicks “bill ‘em” – even if they then proceed to follow the inviting party.
If the inviting twit gets whacked for cash, the recipient gets $0.50 and Twitter gets $0.50 (a buck total from the inviting party) and everyone is happy as a clam, because spam invites will be low, Twitter can bank a few horse blankets without new rounds of funding, and even flat-out spam will be money in the pockets of everyone involved.
Cash can sit in escrow or be withdrawn into a PayPal account (et al). And Twitter makes interest on the money sitting around until it’s pulled. Goodbye, fail whale.
Hell, let each person set their “contact me directly” price point, or deny contact at any cost. Whatever does the trick and makes it easier to do what Twitter is meant to do – connect with others, even if it’s not always free.
