The Twitter Grand Bazaar

Come away with me for a moment won't you....

Let's explore another world. A world that marries the enchanting antiquated traditions of village squares, secluded groves, tea and spirit houses and mysterious caravan routes, with the edgy technology of online social networks and modern commerce à la Web 2.0.

In today's world, it seems there are those who love markets, and those that hate them, both in reality and in cyberspace. A confrontational model of sellers and buyers has emerged. This used to cause me chagrin, but I no no longer think it has to be this way. Now, I've seen the light.

You annoyed target customers out there that shun marketers and hide away in your homes and kitchy cafés, you can come out again and breathe safely. And all you marketers who try and deceive your target audience to manipulate them into buying, listen up.

There's a new kid in town causing a great big buzz and her name is Twitter. Everyone is talking about how to use Twitter in branding, how to make money from Twitter as a blogger, how to Twitter your way to fame and fortune. Well, Twitter is a bird after all, and there was once another bird. It was a goose. This goose laid golden eggs. (See where I'm going here yet?) The man who built his fortune from them loved the golden eggs so much that he wanted more, and more and MORE! In his efforts to make the goose lay more eggs, he killed her. No more golden eggs, and the man learned his lesson--only, too late.

Well, let's not do that to the Twitter bird. Let's listen to the kind of preventative wisdom Sheherazade would give us. There is another way. Twitter is still young, and so, as with teens, it is critical to implement some best practices NOW that can set the habits for this young bird as she hopefully grows into a great bird in the future. And I'm not talking about tough habits, like going to the gym when you'd rather sleep in, toiling over polynomials, or tidying up the house when you'd rather go out and enjoy the sun. I'm talking about something as fun as packing your bags for an escapade! What person wouldn't jump at the chance for a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute escapade, to some place you'd rather be? And so, I invite you to join me on a modern silk route. Where will it lead us?

The Twitter Grand Bazaar

Come, come whoever you are,
Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
Ours is no caravan of despair.
Come, yet again, come.
- Rumi

The bazaar is a place of folklore, a place of myth and magic, and in many ways so is Twitter in its potential. How about integrating the the two concepts? The bazaar denotes a place where "people" come, rather than the modern notion of brands. Do you see brands in the above image? No! That's partially why it looks so aesthetically appealing, as opposed to the typical market scene in North America below. I doubt too many people would say it's lovely and would want to spend much quality time there.

So let's not do this to Twitter. And to prevent this from happening, maybe it's time we implemented the rich and varied aroma, spicy chai vendors with sass and witt, and exciting marketplace notions of the bazaar. Unbrand the brands in the Twitter Bazaar, engage in the culture and conversation of the people on twitter, and maybe people will want to buy the peddler's wares even more. When they want chai, they'll go to their favourite cheeky chai merchent. When they want silk, they will go to that lovely lady with the sensuous boutique who really knows her fabric.

In an age of information, where you can find the stores with geolocating devices in the palm of your hand, and google map them, why do you need a great big sign? In Twitter land it's your sassy, sweet, cynical or cheerful--but always engaging personality--that will attract and keep people in the end. Add to that proper passion and expertise about your product, and you just may lure in the media savvy customer. This is how you fill your nets, easily with the starry-fish, like Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod, scooping up the fish that are ready and willing to be fished.


I think the Grand Twitter Bazaar is win-win in the end. Twitter is the paradoxical place where you can catch the audience wanting to be caught. Reach out and virtually hold the hand of your customer and walk them through an experience of how your product will make their life better. REALLY better, through authentic engagement. So, bring the culture of your products to the people through the Twitter Bazaar, and that bazaar may grow into a multifaceted beautiful online city market, with alcoves and gardens, fountains and cafes, not strip malls and billboards. And don't the people working for companies prefer such an environment themselves? Even if you are in a cubicle, you can be set free when you're part of the Twitter Bazaar.

The Twitter Grand Bazaar How To
There is plenty of good information on how to enter the Twitter Bazaar if you are selling. The main rule of thumb is, first off, leave your product behind. Bring a person to twitter. A face people will want to come to chat with and turn to. Someone who is a great communicator and social butterfly. Leave your products and logos in your background store and put your best face forward. Some great tips on how to do this are expanded upon in by the following wonderful twitter personalities (I can personnaly vouch for this) and consultant/bloggers:

• Tim O'Reilly of O'Reilly Media: Twitter and the Micro-Messaging Revolution: Communication, Connection and Immediacy, 140 characters at a time
  
• Liz Strauss: It's About People
• Amber Naslund: Value Through the Looking Glass
• Chris Brogan: The Trust Economy
• Darren Rowse: Creating Space for YOUR Customer on Twitter (Note, Darren has been too busy to respond to me personally on Twitter, but he writes copy of value and does respond.)

Here is a map of the silk road routes of the ancient spice caravans. The world was small then, but markets haven't changed all that much in many ways. People need to live somewhere, eat, dress, travel and play, and they need products to suit their tastes and passions.

Twitter offers an opportunity for a different kind of spice trade. A merchant can enter twitter, not just as a merchant, but as a person of character and quality, who also happens to have a valid passion and taste for the product he sells. (Why else would you work for a company if you didn't love the product first? But that's another blog.)

Even myself as a freelance writer, I'm no big time brand, and I didn't even join twitter thinking of marketing my writing. (Just a curious person with a keen interest in how online social networks can help individuals and communities.) However, at two weeks in I've already met some amazing people that I'm engaging in fascinating professional discussions. There is fun and silliness, but the exchange of real and valuable ideas is the engine that keeps pulling me back for more. I've found people professionally that match my interests in a way that I never have in my home town.

Now that is exciting to me, and it's obviously exciting to others considering how fast Twitter is growing and how often the term Twitterholic seems to be bantered about. The work I engage through Twitter actually keeps me up at night. Not because I'm so stressed out, but because I'm so stoked about the possibilities. And trust me, it's been years since I've genuinely felt this way. I've even had some offers for writing gigs from around the globe. I didn't go out asking for this. The offers fell upon me like manna from heaven. Twitter is almost biblical in scope because if I can do this on a random, lack of sleep basis in a fortnight, what can a company do with time, money and resources to invest in a properly paid Twitter presence?

Examples
Examples speak louder than words, so here are some of the people that I have met on Twitter, who are also there for to represent a product/service. These people are examples of the warmth and humanity that I have found across Twitter, and also happen to be the faces of products, that I am that much more interested in for knowing them on Twitter. What distinguishes these particular people from many others I've encountered who represent major products, is that they are highly "responsive" to me. When I ask them something, they answer. When I tell them a joke, they laugh. They are IN the conversation with me, and I don't feel ignored and insignificant when they are around. They are, in no particular order:

• @GillianShaw of The Vancouver Sun, who messaged me before I did her in a warm and validating personal way
• @ShannonPaul who represents the Detroit Red Wings and looks great in tuques
  
• @KickDeveloper's Mitch Pirtle, who was so proactive he hunted me down to answer my question about my confusion with KickDeveloper, and then was the most friendly and helpful tech guy I've ever met
  
• @iloveoliveoil by Costas the Greek, who makes me want to love olive oil more just so I can be part of their olive oil parties and discussions!
• @MichaelHyatt the President and CEO of Thomas Nelson publishers, who is always prompt, warm and engaging to talk to and doesn't even have a link to his publishing house on his blog, that's how much they have unbranded (I just noticed!)
  
• @ChristopherHire of 2thinknow, who I started an engaging conversation with about innovation by starting out joking about wine
• @KylePlacy, young entrepreneur of BrandSwag who's got a rat-a-tat-TAT sense of humour and knows a thing or two about selling to millenials...because he is one!
• @calvaierandy a friendly fine artist who knows how to sell old school art, new style
  
• @ScottMonty, of Ford Motors, whom I just met and responded to an @tweet from me within minutes in a friendly and engaging way, has a recent post on the US auto industry, and who also actually makes it hard to get to the company website from his blog even though the brand logo is there. Way to go Scott!
  

In the Twitter Bazaar we don't really have to push and shove to plant our flag and claim our resources. We don't have to fight for space and put up bigger and brasher signs just to get noticed. We just have to improve, as mentioned in a recent post of mine, so that we are doing the best at engaging people by providing something of value to their lives.

So, the stereotypical stuggle between marketers and audiences may be winding down. In this place all roads can lead to the bazaar, and all roads are part of the bazaar. Through Twitter you also can truly hock and buy your wares globally. Unlike the map above of the spice route, the routes we forge in this space are directly mind to mind. The global map (right) of these routes look more like a nebula, or the synapses of the neuron net. Twitter is a major part of this new global bazarre. More people, more routes, more light. I hope you help it keep shining. I hope you are thinking child-like thoughts of quests to other lands, because I think that's what we're on.

So, I leave you to the mull over the Grand Twitter Bazaar concept for yourself. I am enticed by the idea of a new kind of electronic jungle, village, garden and bazaar that Twitter provides. I'd also enjoy the opportunity to discuss this zeal further with you over a steaming cup of chai. Don't be a stranger. Tweet me on Twitter some time if you haven't already. Hang up your coat and stay a while. I've got plenty of talk and tea to share.