Ever hear of Metcalfe’s Law? It says that networks expand exponentially. In the 1990s, this view was the reason for the high valuations of Web companies. Apply this to Twitter? NAH. Twitter is not a vast communications network of 2.3 million users squared.

In fact, your connections are not created equal. Linguists (of all people) found that your Twitter contacts have diminishing value. Hence, your spouse is your most important contact, followed by your best friend, your boss, etc…and some will never be used at all.

So what? This theory puts the brakes on how internal communications could propagate inside any social media network. The limits of Twitter’s value will be disappointing for marketers and investors at a time when Twitter is attempting to reveal a business model. Add the technical problems Twitter has been overwrought with in the last several months, and you have a recipe for a constipated brand.

Source: BusinessWeek

Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing.

Article Tags: Babick | Metcalfe | network | Twitter
Filed under: Emerging Tech, Industry News, Social Media Marketing, Technology