Optimal Influence

I’m still a “noob” [newbie] when it comes to using Twitter, but I’m already starting to realize the ability of Twitter to transmit profound thoughts across the globe with electrifying speed. (I’m @paulhancox by the way. Come and say Hello!)

For instance, Michel Fortin (@michelfortin) just recently “re-tweeted” (i.e. passed on someone else’s twitter message) a quote from Blair Warren (@blairwarren) which really made me pause for thought. Here it is…

An idea doesn’t have to be original to be powerful. But often it must be presented as original for it to be heard.

Now, this got me thinking in two ways - firstly about the content itself.

Think about the latest “how to” book you read. Almost all of the ideas in that book have probably apeared in some form in an earlier book… but the current author has presented those ideas in an original manner that convinced you to read it.

The ideas have been repackaged and recombined, and perhaps the author has added their own experiences and viewpoint into the mix, to create something “new” and compelling, but still based on “old” ideas.

So maybe it’s worth considering how can you repackage “old” thoughts in “new” ways that are compelling and persuasive.

Second of all, I began thinking about the ability of Twitter to transmit some really powerful thoughts. If you want to be re-tweeted (or quoted), can you boil down your most powerful, most memorable points into a short, punchy message that’s easy for people to share with others?

(For Twitter, they need to be 140 characters or less, which is the maximum you can use per Twitter message.)

We might easily forget complex ideas and thoughts - but simple quotes, jingles and catchphrases stick in the mind, do they not?

For example, consider this phrase you may have heard before:

Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.

Now, I don’t really care whether you agree with this statement or not - it doesn’t matter in the context of our discussion.

In 7 short words, it sums up an argument… and it puts the argument into a memorable form that can be passed along easily.

It’s not meant to be the whole argument, it’s not meant to replace a rounded out discussion of the issues, but those 7 words convey the essence of a point of view, that can be used to persuade others.

Seth Godin might call them ideaviruses. In the context of Twitter, I’m going to call them twittoids - short, profound thoughts of 140 characters or less.

Hey, would you like to participate in a fun experiment to test the true power of Twitter?

Let’s see how quickly we can get this “twittoid” concept into the collective voice of Twitter. All you have to do is re-tweet the twittoid concept to your followers…

Twittoid - a short, profound thought or message of 140 characters or less, that can easily be shared.

By the way, it’s not a twittoid unless it’s reasonably profound. So your twitter about what you had for breakfast today doesn’t count! I’m sorry to say, but it’s highly unlikely to be re-tweeted.

Anyway, apart from creating a new word, what’s the re-tweetable “take away” message from this post?

For Twitter… profound and brief, and you’ll be the chief.

Hmm… that’s the best I can do for now

Influence ideavirus, Influence, Persuasion, profound, thoughts, twitter, twittoid