Are You a Me-Former or An Informer? Does It Matter?

Two researchers at Rutgers University recently released a new study that found that 80% of those on Twitter are "me-formers." That is to say, they are Twitter users whose posts are updates about themselves, their thoughts, and their activities.  The other 20% are classified as "informers" -- those who share information and links. The study found that informers tended to have larger networks and be more interactive. 

So the first question you're probably asking is: which one am I? And which one should I be? Plenty of self-appointed social media experts who would tell you that there is right and wrong answer a better and right option. They'll tell you that to be serious about social media, you have to follow "the rules" on Twitter -- tweet links, add value, share information, follow everyone who follows you. If you're not following the rules, you're doing it wrong. 

Or, they'll tell you they don't see the point of individuals being on Twitter at all -- what could individuals have to say of importance? Only brands have something important to say online. Individuals are, by nature, "me-formers."

Self-anointed social media experts, who make a living telling others the right way to do social media, are a dime a dozen. They start blogs full of social media rules and advice, they get 100,000 followers on Twitter, and they tell everyone they can reach about the rules of how to do social media the right way.

But their one-size-fits-all philosophy ignores the reality that every person and every organization has a different goal in social media. If you want 100,000 followers on Twitter, maybe you need to follow 'the rules' as established by the social media experts. But what if you don't? 80% of Twitter users are normal people with normal everyday lives. And these people shouldn't be ignored or brushed off or told that they're "doing it wrong." These people are what make Twitter what it is: a community of thousands of people sharing their lives online.

You can tell them you don't want to read their tweets about their cats or their lunch. But the only reason brands are rushing to Twitter is precisely because people ARE there, tweeting about their lunch, their pets, their jobs, their daily grind. Because thousands of people are already there chattering about their lives, they make it worthwhile for brands to spend their time there listening to what people are talking about and more important, what they really care about.

That is what allows Twitter to be successful: at any moment in time you can see what matters to people right now.  If Twitter only consisted of the the social media influencers and informers, how would you have any sort of community?

So at the end of the day, you can wonder if you're a me-former or an informer. And if you're worried about being a me-former, you can make like the author of the study, who realized he was a me-former and made a new Twitter account, @Informor.  But in the end, does it matter even matter? Both types are important to the success of Twitter - and neither one is better when there's no hard and fast "right" way to do it.

(Ed. - follow @NishaChittal on Twitter)