Twitter + Agency = Cherp as the first Twitter-centric agency
Cherp.us is the first marketing & communication agency generated by Twitter. The first MarCom business to belong only to the Twitter eco-system. This agency focused on helping companies to create a dedicated strategy for Twitter and leverage all that service can do for companies. With about 1.3 million users and about 900 000 users across the USA that sounds good. More certainly Cherp would be focused on helping tech companies for the Silicon Valley. And above all a really nice move of Matthew Tharp to generate personal branding awareness.
Working in the Twitter space means being under the web service and having to adapt to it. Not a bad idea though since it means the CEO behind the agency is pushin himself as a thought leader and would become fast a source of information about what’s happening in the Twitter world. I hope to him to run the same path AllFacebook author did in the Facebook business or Steve Rubel who did leverage his blog to become the web personality we know. If you’re interested in Twitter use for marketing and communication, have a look at the Cherp.us blog.
Via Chris Brogan Blog.
Andy | August 28th, 2008 at 5:35 pm #
A close look at the Cherp website states;
“Twitter integration is a key for any blog, but with the Twitter API it can be integrated anywhere. Bring Twitter to your static blog, create a page on your website with your cherps or tweets and those of your followers. Whether your site is Wordpress, Movabletype, HTML or cave drawings - we’ll help you find a way to integrate Twitter. ”
Though I do not know the Cherp people or service it appears they might be just offering simple ways (most of us can do this for ourselves)to show people how to integrate Twitter with their blogs. I think that there is a place for agencies to help business with Twitter. Just do not think about the agency as “micro-blogging” on behalf of a client. Think more outside the box… Perhaps the agency will help design a strategy on how the business can use Twitter. A few examples (I blogged about this recently)…
How about Shopzilla (shopping comparison engine)…It might be nice to design a SPAQRL call integrated between their price/store database with Twitter API’s. So now, when I am in a store looking to purchase a Nipon camera, I can simply send a Tweet to Shopzilla, and it will return prices that I can then use in comparison.
How about tying the Twitter API to your knowledge base, so that your customers can get quick replies (FAQ, manuals,etc) via your customers Tweets?
How about using Twitter as a communication platform (Phweet lets you even do this with VOIP & conference calling over Twitter). Perhaps you are a concert promoter you could create a social network for your venue on the fly.
People need to start thinking of Twitter as a micro blogging tool, and open your eyes…it is much bigger then that.
Romain Péchard | August 28th, 2008 at 6:00 pm #
@Andy: Those ideas are just great and would definitely complete the toolbox of consumers in the coming years (and I do think of Twitter as a micro-blogging service). It’s sure that would help people. Technologically speaking, companies can already do what you’re explaining (the French . Though, they’re still not doing and consumers do need more than a 140 caracters answer. If we take your example of price comparison, the question following the “it’s cheaper somewhere else” is where? If you have to send 2 SMS to get incomplete info, no doubt people won’t use again your service.
Mobile devices aren’t developed enough to make a micro-blogging service useful. Regarding the connection between the knowledge database, 140 caracters still not enough. And sending a link through a SMS? just not user friendly to download a notice of go on the web from a received email …
I hope to be wrong and I hope Cherp.us would show me what I’m missing in the Twitter hype, excluded the fact that I do appreciate this web service to spread content I find interesting to all my Twitter followers without creating a mailing list.